The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) has announced a significant leadership transition within its corporate structure, promoting Shirley Dewi to the position of executive vice president of IAPMO R&T. In her new and elevated capacity, Dewi will assume comprehensive strategic leadership and operational oversight for the organization’s core certification and compliance divisions. Her responsibilities will directly encompass Product Certification, the Systems Certification Body (SCB), and Continuous Compliance operations, placing her at the helm of some of the most critical functions within the international standards and testing community.
Company executives emphasized that Dewi’s exceptional leadership trajectory, deep industry expertise, and steadfast commitment to professional excellence have been foundational to the continued success, expansion, and market reputation of IAPMO R&T. As executive vice president, she is expected to steer the organization through its ongoing phases of expansion and technological innovation. Furthermore, her mandate includes strengthening interdepartmental collaboration across all certification and compliance operations, thereby advancing IAPMO’s overarching, long-standing global mission of protecting public health and safety through rigorous testing and standardization.
Dave Viola, CEO of IAPMO, praised Dewi’s extensive contributions to the organization and highlighted her proven capacity for executive leadership. “Shirley has demonstrated exceptional leadership throughout her career with IAPMO, and she has consistently shown the ability to grow programs, build strong relationships and take on new challenges,” Viola stated. He added that her extensive background in certification processes, standards development, and overarching organizational management positions her exceptionally well to lead IAPMO R&T into its next chapter of development. Expressing absolute confidence in her appointment, Viola noted that her leadership will reinforce operational cohesion, drive rigorous operational excellence, and unlock new strategic opportunities for the future of the R&T division.
Dewi’s professional journey with IAPMO R&T began nearly two decades ago in 2007. Prior to joining the organization on a permanent basis, she built a strong technical and operational foundation working as a quality manager in the highly demanding plastic injection molding and electronics industries, as well as serving as a contract auditor for IAPMO R&T itself. Her early career also included valuable operational experience as an operations analyst for Lockheed Martin IMS, which helped hone her analytical and systems-oriented mindset. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona), combining formal business acumen with deep technical auditing and compliance expertise.
Since officially joining IAPMO R&T, Dewi has steadily advanced through increasingly senior leadership roles, directly spearheading initiatives that have significantly broadened the organization’s service offerings and market reach. An early defining chapter of her tenure involved her work as manager of Management System Registration Services. In that role, she demonstrated a clear vision for organizational growth by successfully expanding the department’s operational scope far beyond its traditional foundations in the plumbing and mechanical manufacturing industries. Under her guidance, the division began serving diverse and complex sectors, extending certification and auditing services to aerospace firms, educational institutions, government entities, and large-scale oil refineries.
Building upon this success, Dewi later transitioned into the role of senior vice president of the department, where she expertly oversaw its complex institutional transition into the Systems Certification Body (SCB). Under her direct leadership, the SCB has substantially broadened its management systems certification capabilities, transforming into a comprehensive third-party auditing and certification powerhouse. Today, the SCB provides critical assurance services across an exceptionally diverse array of industries, ranging from aerospace engineering and medical device manufacturing to general industrial production, environmental management, occupational health and safety, and information security. The expanded portfolio managed under her oversight enables organizations worldwide to demonstrate seamless conformance with internationally recognized standards, while simultaneously providing ongoing surveillance and monitoring to support sustained compliance and market access.
Beyond her domestic and operational achievements within North America, Dewi’s strategic leadership has also played an instrumental role in IAPMO’s significant international growth, particularly in Indonesia. She was a central figure in the collaborative international efforts that contributed to Indonesia’s historic adoption of a national plumbing standard based directly on IAPMO’s renowned Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC). Furthermore, her involvement was vital in the successful establishment of PT IAPMO Group Indonesia, a comprehensive operating entity that now offers accredited testing, inspection, certification, and training services tailored to both the domestic Indonesian market and the broader international trade community.
Reflecting on her appointment and the journey that led to it, Dewi expressed deep gratitude and professional humility regarding her new executive position. “I am honored by the trust and confidence IAPMO has placed in me through this promotion and grateful for the opportunity to serve in this new role,” Dewi remarked. Looking ahead toward the strategic horizon, she emphasized her enthusiasm for the future prospects of IAPMO R&T and the collective capabilities of its personnel. “I am excited for the future and the opportunities ahead for IAPMO R&T. Together with our talented team and through strong collaboration across our organization, we will continue building upon IAPMO R&T’s decades of customer excellence, technical credibility and trusted service while driving innovation and speed to market to better serve our customers and industry partners.”
In her capacity as executive vice president, Dewi will maintain a continuous focus on aligning strategic direction and operational execution across Product Certification, the Systems Certification Body, and Continuous Compliance. By fostering a culture defined by operational excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and proactive market innovation, her leadership will ensure that IAPMO R&T remains uniquely equipped to address the evolving compliance, safety, and regulatory needs of the industries it serves on a global scale.
