Biography

Michael is a Lean Transformation Leader and Innovation Coach with over 15 years of experience, driving change across various industries including Technology, Hospitality, Retail, and Healthcare. He excels in customer success and lean product management, specializing in aligning incentives and empowering high-performance teams towards Continuous Innovation. Michael uses battle-tested patterns and coaching systems to navigates uncertainties from ideation to scale-up in dynamic environments. His unique, global perspective, gained from extensive travel and cultural experiences, enriches his strategic insights, enabling systematic problem-solving.

Biography

Todd VanHouten is Senior Director of Strategy & Innovation at Cintas, overseeing Product, Technology, and Operational strategy along with large change initiatives. Todd has always been driven by a passion for innovation and views technology-done-right as the greatest enabler of innovation in our generation.

Biography

Cynthia Long is an award winning Continuous Improvement Leader and Strategist.  Over the last 20 years, her passion for Lean Six Sigma has led her to create, innovate, and be a Revolutionary Leader for Continuous Improvement.  She is based in San Diego.

As a leader in technology, Cynthia is driven to mentor other women so that they can find magnificent opportunities for awesome careers in tech.

Her expertise includes, being a Revolutionary Leader for Continuous Improvement, Business Transformation Strategist,  Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Public Speaker and a dedicated  Philanthropist and Mentor to women in tech.

  Her speaking engagements include:

• Strategic Conversations- Mentoring and Beyond (Women in Technology)

• Build to Fit - Paint to Match; Continuous Improvement in an ever changing landscape (ICMI Contact Center Expo 2022)

• Data; Driving from the Customer Seat (Intuit)

• Cost of Complexity (Intuit)

• Surviving Domestic Violence (Compass Center For Women and Families )

Biography

Brou Gautier serves as the Director of Continuous Process Improvement and Innovation (CPI2) and lead strategist for USAF Operational Excellence supporting the Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force, Management and Deputy Chief Management Officer. In this capacity, MAJCOM/NAF commanders, CIOs, CTOs, Senior Executive Service members and government leaders rely on his counsel and leadership on lean policy and business strategies. 

Mr. Gautier is a Master Black Belt and private sector business owner with extensive experience in government and public sectors as both a leader and on-the-ground change agent. He developed tactics, techniques and procedures to improve command effectiveness, readiness & efficiency across a spectrum ranging from maximizing contract ROI and authoring enterprise IT architecture analysis to developing PMO governance support, business cases and root cause mitigation strategies for complex problems. He has presented leader and organization business transformation and deployment strategies for IQPC’s PEX LSS Summit, Shingo International, and multiple DoD CPI Symposia.

Mr. Gautier received a B.Sc. from the US Air Force Academy, a Master of Air Mobility degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Auburn University. 

Biography

15 years partnering with organisations and leaders to architect and execute complex organizational change and transformation programs. Spent many years in Mining and Resources as well as Banking and Finance, with the most recent experience in aviation. Background as an Occupational Therapist. Ex Deloitte Consulting.

Biography

20+ years of experience in line functions and central roles, driving sustainable operations, supply chain and commercial excellence transformations.

Multicultural experience at global companies in the US, Asia and Latin America, including Goodyear, Johnson Controls, Abbott Labs, and Pepsi.

Holds a master’s of science in business from the University of Miami, Florida, and a bachelor’s of science in industrial engineering as well as master's black belt.

Ricardo has been a keynote/speaker at several universities and conferences and has published several articles in magazines and e-publications.

Currently leading Global Operations Transformation at Goodyear  driving for one- operating system and its key enablers for sustained value delivery.

Along with his wife Sandra, they partner with non-profit organizations supporting foster children aging in the system to find their way through technology and live Happily Ever Cyber!

Biography

Thomas Ball spent his early youth growing up among the radar sites and beautiful countryside of rural Germany as an USAF Airman after joining the AF at the earliest age possible. Transitioning through various technical programs, earning his BS in Electronics Systems from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and leaving the AF after serving on board a Communications Platform that performed redundant technical services to the US Pentagon and our National Command Authority, Thomas joined EDS, a pioneering technology leader, as Systems Engineer. Leaving EDS with a core group to launch a technology internet startup Thomas was pivotal in creating a foundational and pivotal technology platform that lead to new directions for correlating search and personal preferences in a new and challenging internet ecosystem.

After consulting internationally, Thomas joined Starbucks as Infrastructure Architect. While at Starbucks Thomas has moved between the Data Platform, Foundational Infrastructure, and Cloud transformation space. Thomas very much enjoys sharing his foundational technology passion and experiences with others as well as listening to the questions and observations on how technical ecosystems can be more resiliently instantiated to provide higher levels of service and lower costs.

Biography

Biography

Biography

Hillary has worked on the ground with clients to use communication, employee engagement, storytelling and leadership development to ensure a cohesive employee experience in the midst of M&A integration. She has led teams and initiatives resulting in award-winning work for some of the world’s most admired companies such as: ITT Corporation, Guardian Life Insurance, Novo Nordisk, McGladrey/RSM, a F100 Global Biopharmaceutical Company, PepsiCo, GE Healthcare and Pfizer. Since joining Gagen in 2011, she has homed in extensive change and communications expertise through all phases of a deal – from pre-announcement through post-merger integration across a range of industries.

Biography

Rob Stewart is a thought leader for portal powered OPEX deployments that feature blended learning, competency learning, project tracking, and robust automation.

For over 30 years, Rob and his team have enabled organizations such as Cargill, Cintas, the U.S. Air Force and many others to more rapidly and simply scale their Lean/Six Sigma/Problem Solving/Continuous Improvement initiatives. 

OpusWorks customers experience personal attention, world-class tools, and amazing content as they accelerate speed to results. 

Rob is passionate about how learning and systems can transform lives and improve performance.  He began his career with IBM and is a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta.

Biography

Emily is a compassionate leader and strategic visionary with well-rounded background in project/program management and senior leadership in various industries including academia, international business, US military, US federal service, and aerospace industry. She has noted accomplishments in analyzing organizational culture characteristics, transforming leadership styles, and implementing new business processes with over 16 years of experience leading to operational excellence in each industry. Emily is currently a senior program manager leading the strategic implementation of Lean in the aerospace industry.

Biography

Biography

Biography

Biography

Ashish Chopra, is currently Head of Technology and Chief Information Officer for TDECU Bank. He is also a Wells Fargo veteran, where he served as SVP - Technology Chief Operating Officer (Office of Head of Technology) and Digital Product Leader for Cloud Blueprints. Chopra has more than 20 years of senior technology executive leadership experience solving complex business challenges by Modernizing Technolgy platforms, Leading strategic Merger & Acquisitions and Optimizing International Operations resulting in increased business value. He has a successful track record with major organizations including IBM Consulting, Target, New York Life Insurance and Sprint-Nextel. He holds a degree from Kit College of Engineering in India and completed leadership development training at Cornell University.

Biography

Anish Sharan is the Head of Digital Transformation at Pritzker Private Capital where he leads the development of digital capabilities that enhance customer experience, drive operational excellence, and deepen data utilization across PPC’s portfolio of companies. Pritzker Private Capital ("PPC"), a leader in family direct investing, partners with middle-market companies based in North America with leading positions in the manufactured products and services sectors.

He joins Pritzker Private Capital from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, where he was Director of Transformation and Execution, responsible for driving digitization, technology modernization, and enterprise transformation initiatives. Mr. Sharan brings 20+ years of global leadership experience across digital operations, e-commerce, and technology-focused roles at The Nielsen Company, Leo Burnett Worldwide, Motorola, and Toyota.

Mr. Sharan holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. He is also an adjunct faculty at the Lakeforest Graduate School of Management.

Biography

Howard is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance which was recently listed by Forbes as “One of the ten most important business books of 2021.”

Biography

Thomas Bertels is a management consultant and business transformation expert on a mission to make work more productive, valuable, meaningful, and impactful. He has more than 25 years’ experience helping companies across a range of industries, from start-ups to Fortune 500, transform how work gets done. Prior to founding Purpose Works, Thomas was a founding partner at OXYGY/Valeocon Consulting, a global consulting boutique. Earlier in his career, he led the process improvement and design practice at Aon Consulting/Rath&Strong and held various line management positions at ABB. Thomas has written several books and authored numerous articles on process redesign, strategy deployment, change management, organizational learning, metrics, and innovation. His latest book, Fixing Work, will be published in September 2023.

Biography

Stan Howell, Vice President, Strategy & Business Excellence at Bristol Myers Squibb, holds an excellent track record in strategically leading and transforming organizations to achieve manufacturing excellence. He has expertise in developing strategic deployment plans that enable high-performance workforces to achieve stellar business results while serving customers through right-first-time business processes. With a career that spans across manufacturing, supply chain, strategy realization, program management and operational excellence. Stan is a proven leader in driving bottom-line results and improving KPIs across numerous operation modalities including Small and Large Molecule, Vaccines, Medical Devices and Cell Therapies.

Biography

Brad Morrow is a Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma. He is a Principal Process Excellence Champion and Lead LEAN 6 Sigma Trainer at the Tulsa Based firm Helmerich & Payne. Brad invented and published the Lean tool TaaG analysis (Trends at a Glance). He is also the creator of the new contemporary art form Ignatian Rogue Art. Beyond this he is a professional magician (who performs under the stage name Zane Black). As a magician he invented the magic genre of Improv Magic. Brad is also a motivational speaker who speaks on topics such as how to turn dreams into reality and he is the creator of the empowerment podcast

Biography

Niloofer is an accomplished leader, with proven expertise driving strategic initiatives at the CXO level, with significant impact for global conglomerates. She has an innate understanding of diverse cultures, working across Asia, Europe, and Americas.

Since joining Fiserv in 2016, she has lead multiple business innovation and transformation initiatives, around go-to-market strategies, improving customer experiences, and cost optimization. Preceding Fiserv, she was the transformation lead at Hewlett Packard involved in the design and execution of mergers & acquisitions, organization transformation and global delivery. She has been a Diversity & Inclusion leader at Fiserv a topic she is passionate about.As an industry-leading expert, Niloofer has been a key speaker at prestigious conferences across Asia, Europe and Americas. She was also a judge for the largest-scale, cross-industry leadership level event Digital Transformation & Operational Excellence Industry Awards in 2021, and was nominated for the "Change Agent" award at the Women in Payments USA Symposium 2022.

She is also a founding member of a global taskforce focused on creating more awareness of a genetic mutation called G6PD Deficiency that affects approximately 400 million individuals from diverse ethnicities.

Biography

Biography

Patrick Tam is the Vice President of Operational Excellence at ServiceNow. In this role, he is responsible for driving enterprise-wide operational performance. Prior to ServiceNow, Patrick held various executive roles at Cisco, including leading Corporate Transformation & Corporate Planning. Patrick is also a professor at San Jose State University, teaching operational excellence management to the next generation of leaders.

Biography

Monika is a Managing Director with our Los Angeles practice focusing on driving finance transformation across various global energy clients leveraging digital technologies. She is a consulting boomerang joining Deloitte after spending more than a decade in the OG&C industry. Outside of work, Monika is passionate about volunteering and mentoring, in the area of sustainability, education, and women empowerment, and serves on the board of a Maryland based non-profit. She enjoys spending time with family, especially reading and traveling with her son for soccer in her free time.

Biography

A seasoned Technology Executive with a proven track record in Silicon Valley, including Apple, eBay PayPal, Cisco, AppDynamics AWS, , I am highly adept at optimizing team performance and building world class organizations at scale.. Passionate about system design and architecture coupled with disruptive technologies to achieve remarkable results. Leveraging my expertise, I have successfully built and elevated world-class engineering teams, organizations and companies. My approach to work involves embracing the cutting edge of technology and assembling a team of exceptionally talented individuals to work smarter and more efficiently.

Biography

Biography

Dr. Kirchmer is an experienced practitioner and thought leader in the field of Business Process Management (BPM) and Digital Transformation. He is Managing Director of Scheer Americas, previously BPM-D. He co-founded BPM-D, a consulting company focusing on performance improvements and appropriate digitalization by establishing and applying the discipline of BPM. Before he was Managing Director and Global Lead of BPM at Accenture, and CEO of the Americas and Japan of IDS Scheer, known for its process modelling software and process consulting.

Dr. Kirchmer has led numerous transformation and process improvement initiatives in various industries at clients around the world. He has published 11 books and over 150 articles. At the University of Pennsylvania and at Widener University he has served as affiliated faculty for over 20 years. He received a research and teaching fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Biography

With an unwavering commitment to harnessing innovation for a more effective and conscientious business environment, Cassio is an industry leader in fusing business acumen with technological advancements. In his role at SAP, he spearheads the AI and Incubation Business division across Latin America and the Caribbean, steering over 50,000 clients toward harnessing the full potential of these cutting-edge technologies. Cassio's prior leadership of Business Transformation and Strategy positioned SAP at the vanguard of a revolutionary business paradigm, nurturing sustainable growth and forging key alliances to continually deliver value to the region's most influential corporations.

Biography

Biography

Rob is the VP- Business Process at ProMach. He is responsible for developing and driving ProMach’s best practice approaches and KPIs for customer service, operational improvements and excellence, and margin growth. Rob’s experience spans 11 industries within 8 companies to include Sony, PepsiCo, Allegheny Technologies Inc., GE, Johnson Controls Intl., Global Container Terminals, and REV Group. In addition, Rob serves as the Chairman of the Board for Parkview Community Federal Credit Union and Committee Member for the Aviation Maintenance Program at Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics.

Rob has an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and is a graduate of MIT’s Advance Certificate in Executive Leadership Program. Rob’s background is in Operations, Engineering, and Operational Excellence. In addition, Rob is a veteran of the United States Air Force. 

Rob has published breakthrough concepts through the American Society for Quality and is currently in the process of publishing his first book.

Biography

Biography

Lincoln Kirsten, SAP Offerings Leader at Fujitsu, is a Senior Director in the Global Business Applications division, responsible for leading the SAP Business Process Intelligence (BPI) and ERP transformation initiatives for Fujitsu globally. He has over 25 years of experience in consulting and IT services, including Business Management, Portfolio Management, Pre-sales, and Delivery roles. In addition to leading teams in the Americas, Caribbean Region, Middle East, and Europe, Lincoln has assisted numerous companies in various sectors, such as Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, Food & Beverage, Retail, A&D, Telecommunications, and Automotive. Lincoln is also designated by SAP as an official Intelligent Enterprise Ambassador, and his current work involves, among other things, developing frameworks and methodologies around Digital Operational Excellence to meet customer needs and drive business processes efficiently.

Biography

Erin Pelletier is employed at Care England, the second largest health system in Rhode Island, as the Director of Operational Excellence. Here, she has led multiple transformation projects yielding savings over $100 million. As the organization continues to improve, she is installing an integrated approach to system-wide performance improvement activities designed to drive transformational change and maximize financial results.

Erin holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of New Haven, B.S. degree in Mathematics with a concentration in statistics, and is a certified Project Management Professional and Six Sigma Green belt.

Erin lives in scenic Connecticut with her husband and three children. She enjoys cooking and any activity outdoors such as hiking, passing the football, or lounging on the beach.

Biography

Brent is a seasoned professional renowned for his expertise in driving transformative change across diverse industries. His journey began in industrial manufacturing and assembly, where he earned Six Sigma Green Belt and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certifications, demonstrating his commitment to process optimization. With a background as a US Army Officer, Brent brings invaluable leadership skills and a results-driven perspective to every endeavor. Throughout his career, Brent has led large-scale transformations in various industries, achieving significant cost reductions, streamlining workflows, and implementing growth strategies. His leadership style emphasizes team building and collaboration, fostering high-performing teams that consistently deliver exceptional results. As the Director of Process Excellence and Mining at ROBOYO, Brent continues to leverage his extensive experience, military background, and innovative mindset to drive impactful and customized results for clients. With a relentless focus on innovation and efficiency, Brent remains dedicated to delivering sustainable solutions that drive lasting value for organizations.

Biography

Vatsala is a strategy, innovation and operational excellence leader with business, technical and organizational skills focusing in the biopharmaceutical industry, with 16+ years of experience. She has worked in 4 different biopharmaceutical companies, from R&D to clinical and commercial manufacturing operations.

Worked in 4 different biopharmaceutical companies across 3 continents. Skilled at driving transformation roadmaps from R&D to commercial manufacturing. Expertise around process simplification and optimization, implementation of best in-class technology and digital solutions and developing high performing organizations. A strategic thinker who is able to translate vision and strategy into operational solutions. Passionate about innovation and technology, global networking, benchmarking and experience in multicultural environments (North America, South America, Europe and Asia).

Vatsala is currently the Operational Excellence Lead for Sanofi’s R&D North America Hub, where she is responsible for driving Operational Excellence roadmaps in North America and global R&D. Prior to her current role, she held various Operational Excellence roles within Sanofi Genzyme in the Commercial Manufacturing Operations business. Before joining Sanofi Genzyme, Vatsala worked for Shire and Millipore in various functions from R&D to clinical and commercial manufacturing operations.

She holds a Masters in Chemical Engineering from Northeastern University-Boston and Bachelors in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has a digital mindset and is passionate about AI applications for the life science industry and has completed the Executive Program in Artificial Intelligence - Implications for Business Strategy from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Biography

Ric Keller served as a U.S. Congressman for eight years. Today, Congressman Keller is an award-winning author, keynote speaker, and attorney. His book, Chase the Bears: Little Things to Achieve Big Dreams” was a #1 Amazon bestseller.

He is also a contributing author for two bestsellers in the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. Ric’s TEDx Talk on self-deprecating humor was the 6th most watched TEDx Talk in the world in May 2022. Ric received his bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University, where he graduated first in his class, and his law degree from Vanderbilt. (Ric’s website is www.rickeller.net)

Biography

Biography

Biography

Jack is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience at SAP, rich within Business and Enterprise Architects. Jack currently lends his expertise as a key member of the SAP Premium Engagement Center of Expertise with a specialty in the implementation of SAP Signavio for business process management and process automation and improvement. Jack is passionate about ensuring customers gain the utmost in business returns with a fierce commitment to propelling success and innovation in the realm of business process optimization

Biography

Steve Claus is an accomplished technology executive and Solution-Focused Coach with a proven track record of leading globally distributed organizations. With over twenty-five years of experience in technology leadership, Steve brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in research & development, strategic alliances, program management, quality assurance, management consulting, and business agility.

Biography

Biography

Michael is a distinguished thought leader and executive, specializing in addressing Digital Transformation and Operational Excellence challenges through his innovative, process-based framework. With over 25 years of experience in the Financial Services industry, he has primarily served as a management consultant, empowering clients with forward-thinking solutions in technology, process, and risk and spearheading large-scale business and digital transformations. Michael brings a powerful combination of superior sales and delivery skills, having personally sold and delivered over $100M in consulting services.

He is the author of the book, ‘Digital Transformation Success,’ in which he introduces his groundbreaking Process Inventory framework. This promises to be a transformative approach to achieving success in the digital era, unlocking unprecedented levels of operational efficiency and strategic alignment.

Biography

Shannon Brown-Hess is a seasoned success professional known for her innovative strategies and creative solutions. Shannon quickly rose through the ranks due to her exceptional leadership skills and dedication to her craft.

Throughout her career, Shannon has worked with a diverse range of clients, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, helping them achieve their goals and drive business growth. Her expertise lies in driving business performance improvements through strategic value planning and delivery, where she has consistently delivered impactful and measurable results.

Shannon’s passion for continuous learning and staying updated with the latest industry trends has been instrumental in her success. She is a strong advocate for data-driven decision-making and believes in leveraging technology to streamline processes and enhance effectiveness.

Currently serving as a Senior Director of Customer Success and team lead in the BPO vertical at CallMiner, Shannon leads a talented team and spearheads strategic initiatives to elevate brand visibility and customer engagement. Her commitment to excellence and ability to adapt toevolving market landscapes make her a valuable asset.

Biography

Biography

Biography

With over two decades of hands-on expertise in Operational Excellence, Mark Khabe has been instrumental in formulating strategies and executing successful implementations for leading organisations.

A seasoned BPM professional, Mark is passionate about technology and has a keen eye for innovation, empowering organisations to achieve more with less. Mark co-founded PRIME PMG – a Business Process Management consultancy firm, and following its success established PRIME BPM—a cloud-based BPM SaaS solution. Mark has worked extensively with numerous global companies, from Pfizer, Coca-Cola, GE, Sanofi, Suncorp and government organisations, contributing significantly to their journey towards operational excellence and steering them towards establishing a culture of continuous improvement.

Biography

Joseph Benz is Senior Account Executive at Finario, a capital planning & portfolio strategy solution for Capex stakeholders in operations and finance. In his role in managing strategy and sales, Joe speaks with hundreds of large enterprise decision makers every year across a broad range of industries – giving him first-hand perspective on how companies are choosing and managing their capital investments.

Prior to joining Finario, he held strategic account roles at LogicSource, a SaaS solution for procurement, and Lightbox,  a commercial real estate information and technology platform.  Joe is an active volunteer/fundraiser, highlighted by his annual swim across the Long Island Sound (21 miles wide at its widest point) to benefit St. Vincent’s Health Services.

Biography

Randy Clark is PowerSteering’s Director of Six Sigma, a Black-belt trained member of the American Society of Quality, and a three-year examiner for the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award.

Biography

Biography

Keith is an advocate of Continuous Improvement, goal planning and leader of the Culture of Productivity tribe. An author, a lifelong entrepreneur, a proud husband and father, tandem road cyclist, ice hockey player, and CEO at Complete XRM, inc.

Specialties: KPI, Dashboards, Strategy, Cloud, Saas, Culture, Visionary, Financing, Recruiting, Hiring, Development Management, Lead Measures, Lag Measures, DNA Selling, J2EE, Linux, Oracle, Sibel, Goldmine, Act, SalesForce, XML, HTML, JavaScript, CRM Sales, Contract Negotiation, Server Architecture, SaaS business Model, BPM, SOA, SOBA, SaaS, Java, AJAX, Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0, BPM Business Process Mapping , FranklinCovey, etc

Biography

Maril pioneered a discipline that initiates collaboration from the corporate office to the front line. Using the power of an organization’s brand, culture, vision, history and reputation, her work aligns and mobilizes organizations to transform and deliver business results. As the Founder & CEO of award winning strategy firm Gagen MacDonald, Maril has had the privilege of working with some of the most recognized brands in the world.

Maril is a member of the American University Board of Trustees, Arthur W. Page Society Board of Directors, Institute of Public Relations Board of Directors and Women’s President’s Organization Board of Directors. She is also an Advisory Board Member for the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Relations and a Senior Leader for the Public Relations Society of America.

Maril has been recognized as one of the top 25 industry leaders by PR Week and has been inducted into the publication’s Hall of Femme. In 2013 Maril was awarded the Arthur W. Page Society Distinguished Service Award. She is a frequent speaker at corporate leadership meetings, industry conferences and universities.

Specialties: Strategy Execution, Organization Transformation, Culture Change, Leadership Development, Employee Engagement

Biography

Biography

Bart Schubert, an accomplished corporate strategist, has a 40-year history of fueling business growth in the U.S., Europe, and Southeast Asia. Proficient in crafting robust strategies, enhancing performance, and broadening portfolios. Today, Schubert Consultants, Inc. offers strategic planning, organizational development, expert facilitation, and coaching services. 

Biography

I work with organizations to align people and business strategies in order to achieve great business outcomes. My work includes change management, executive search, leadership development, human resources advisory and outplacement services, combining best-in-class technology and artificial intelligence with an amazing team of experts.