Leadership Team

For more than 20 years, D. (Denise) Fenton has worked in international manufacture-for-export. As QCA executive director – compliance, she administers all compliance aspects for QCA and is responsible for the ongoing evolution of the QCA Certification Program in response to ever-changing state and federal regulations and requirements.

Fenton works closely with QCA Applicants, helping them develop proactive, comprehensive compliance programs that are specific to their unique product categories while maintaining a focus on capacity building and integrating compliance into the daily business strategy for each organization. She also provides education on building compliance programs and the specific requirements for the U.S. marketplace.

Prior to joining QCA, Fenton spent three years as Director of Corporate Compliance for Walmart, where she focused on establishing management systems for measuring and assuring ongoing compliance in the supply base of retail product while participating in a management capacity on the transition team charged with bringing sourcing activities in-house from the former external sole agent. In early 2000, she oversaw the design and implementation of the Walmart Factory Compliance system, a program focused on identifying and addressing root causes of non-compliance through operations-based solutions. It was lauded as one of the most progressive and effective programs of its time because it recognized the shared nature of the international manufacturing base and the importance of working with those potential competitors to drive solutions. Fenton was also responsible for piloting the Factory Certification Program that acted as a gatekeeper for all purchases on Walmart’s proprietary procurement platform.

In 2003, Fenton left Walmart to start her own consulting company, working with U.S. importers and providing advice on supply base issues. In addition to her work with U.S.-based multi-national companies, Fenton has worked for organizations based in Taiwan, Sri Lanka and, most recently, China.

Fenton has a master’s degree in Arbitration and Dispute Resolution from City University of Hong Kong with her thesis being published by the Hong Kong arbitration authority in its journal as the first survey and study on dispute resolution between manufacturers and their U.S. importer partners in China. Fenton is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.