Doug Schaffer - Managing Director - Strategy  and Organizational Performance Improvement

Doug is The Best Consultants' Managing Director and Principal Consultant with experience as an executive in the high tech industy and as a consultant in a variety of industries including aerospace, high tech, automotive, material processing, health care and government. For more than twenty years, Doug has worked with organizations at all levels to improve operating performance, enhance customer satisfaction, and instill a culture of continous improvement. Doug has played a leadership role in developing and implementing improvement methodologies* employed by the best performing organizations in today's global marketplace. Doug brings a deep undstanding of Total Quality Systems, Lean Processing, Six Sigma and Team Based Organizational Structures to each client engagement. As a coach, educator and consultant, Doug works to make each organization he touches a engine of operational excellence and innovation, capable of excelling in the toughest competitive environments, while simultaneously creating true value for its cusomer and its employees. *(Doug pioneered the concept of Competing Based On Customer's Hierarchy Needs in his article by the same name in the National Productivity Review. This artical was nominated for the Taguchi Award for non-manufacturing services by the journal's editorial board.)

Phil Ross - Principal Consultant - Product Development and Manufacturing

Phil is a Principal Consultant with experience as an engineer and team leader in the automotive industry and as a consultant specializing in quality, reliability engineering, and Six Sigma. Phil has worked in automotive manufacturing, health care device manufacturing, and reliability testing for retail products. Phil also authored the definitive text on DOE, Taguchi Techniques for Quality Engineering, which can be found on Amazon.com under the author's name of Philip J. Ross. Phil teaches courses across the country on DOE and has helped numerous clients set up successful DOE projects. Phil is known to his clients as someone who can make the most complex problems understandable and who can leave them with the knowledge and the tools to solve tough problems long after he has moved on to his next assignment. Phil is one of those unique individuals who can make statistics interesting and problem solving fun, regardless of the venue or the initial skepticism of his audience. Phil serves as Best Consultants thought leader and project implementation planner for Six Sigma. He teaches classes Black Belt and Master Black Belt certification and oversees Certification Projects. Doug and Phil work together on projects involving Lean Six Sigma Integration and Implementation at the Enterprise or Division level. Their joint expertise in these two methodologies allows for the most synergistic integration into an organizations work culture and work processes, moving Six Sigma from a project oriented methodology to a work team based, continuous improvement methodology.

Andrew Yeo - Principal Consultant / Manufacturing Management/ Lean Enterprise

Andrew Yeo is a Principal Consultant with 20 years experience as an operations leadership professional. He led manufacturing operations in the Aerospace sector in the UK (Rolls-Royce) and the US since 1989, most recently in the role of VP and Chief Operating Officer for a leading engineering company. Among his many accomplishments include leadership and lean implementation. Highlights of Andrew’s career include:

• Appointed as Cell Leader when Rolls-Royce moved into cellular manufacturing.

• Developed a manufacturing strategy within Rolls-Royce that led to a fundamental re-structuring of the manufacturing operations of the Company.

• Reduced operating costs by 25% over a 5-year period by lean implementation within a leading aerospace company.

• In the same time period demonstrated a 100% improvement in stock turn at the same time as driving customer satisfaction levels to an all time high.

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Andrew brings experience and success in identifying and elevating performance in processes and people. He works with clients to help define new industry benchmarks for quality, speed, and productivity through the application of lean principles in both an operations and administration environment.

 Sam Weinberger - Principal Consultant / Management Practice, Business planning and China Business Development

Sam is a Principal Consultant with wide experience in many facets of management practice, business planning, economics, pricing and investments. He is an ardent champion of Buisness Planning; he believes that business results can only be judged against rigorous quantified expectations. He has worked with senior executives, professional staff and front-line employees of major firms in North America, Asia, South America and Europe. Engagements include developing and implementing strategy, corporate refinancing, competitive assessments, marketing of products and technologies, performance measurement and improvement and venture development. He has 10 years of China business experience, working with large Chinese firms, executives and professionals. Prior to his management consulting career, Sam ser ved as an international professional, manager and executive with a major US multinational. He led a multi-billion dollar business, which he doubled in revenue. He has a strong grounding in operations, project management, logistics, people development and engineering.

Nancy Applegarth - Principlal Consultant / Management & organization Development

Nancy is a communications specialist with over 18 years experience in sales management, training and communications. Nancy has worked in the medical device, pharmaceutical and consumer product industries as a manager and development coach for Fourtune 100 companies. As a consultant, Nancy has worked with a wide range of companies to improve employee performance on all levels, from executive to front line employee. Nancy brings a deep understanding of sales & business development and the importance of developing customer realationships that will thrive.

Nancy is a key resource for companies in need of training programs for management and professional staff development. Nancy has played a key role in developing streamlined communications and efficient business practices. As a manager in the medical industry, Nancy conducted surgical trauma sales & technical training courses for the full range of medical manufactures in the United States, Europe & Asia.

Nancy also conducts recruitment, professional presence training and student outreach for area clients and universities. She is on the leading edge of web based communications and delivery of on-line communication

Nancy holds a degree in communications, specializing in Mkt & Sales from Bowling Green State University. She also has completed courses in management, presentation skills, negotiating and personality profiling. She has studied in France and Japan.

Some additional skills that Nancy brings to any consulting/ training project:

• Real world and practical experience
• Customer based sales and business development
• Medical & technical device expertise (yet not computer based tech)
• Extensive recruiting and hiring expertise
• High Level negoations

Bill Young - Principal Consultant - Small Business Transition Management

Bill is a Principal Consultant with experience as a business optimization / "turn around" specialist, working with executive teams to understand their cost structures and to utilize custom developed tools to optimize their business performance. Bill conducts in-depth financial analyses, helping clients understand what the key levers are for profitability, and creating practical tools which allow employees to make good financial decisions. This in turn leads to better marketing decisions and higher profitability and growth for each client firm. Bill is also the creator of a process he has termed "owner proofing," which is aimed at helping entrepreneurs and scientist make the difficult transition from leading a small company startup, to becoming the chief executive and leader of a growing, innovative company, destined to be in the forefront of its designated industry.

Pat Farrell - Principal Consultant / Manufacturing Performance Improvement

Pat Farrell has a history of hands-on leadership roles in manufacturing, consulting and commercial operations spanning more than 30 years. His early career began in the wire & cable industry but moved on to zinc smelting, commercial operations and even licensed microprocessor designs. His experience is wide-ranging and includes the following industries:

• Wire & Cable - building, mining, high voltage, tin and silver electroplated, tire cord
• Smelting - secondary zinc powder and metal
• Pulp & Paper - newsprint, tissue and coated
• Automotive - plastic parts supplier, trailer manufacturing
• Steel fabrication - pre-engineered metal buildings
• Furniture manufacturing - high volume office
• Foundry - large diameter steel water pipe
• High tech - Intellectual property for integrated circuits, chip manufacturing
• Commercial - fabric awnings and signs
• Machine shop - plumbing fixtures, oil drilling tools
• Medical - contract lens manufacturing

Pat's skills lie in his abilities to quickly assess performance improvement opportunities, developing effective plans to address these opportunities and engaging the entire organization in an implememtation plan that not only improves short-term performance but also develops the organization's problem-solving capabilities.

Judy MacDonald - Principal Consultant / Instructor

Judy is a trainer and consultant with more than 20 years experience in adult education and training. She designs and leads training for businesses and individuals in management, human relations and interpersonal skills. Judy is a key resource for The Best Consultants' Management Development Program and for engagements which involve the design and implementation of team based organizations. Before joining The Best Consultants, Judy was adjunct faculty at several universities in Seattle, WA, teaching courses in managment, leadership, and communication skills. She currently teaches two on-line courses that she co-designed at Western Washington University in their Emergency Management Certificate Program. Judy has worked extensively with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as an instructional designer and trainer. She is certified in Critical Incident Stress Management with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. She is also certified as a Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP) and Incident Command System (ICS) instructor through FEMA. Judy has also trained internationally. Judy holds an MBA in Leadership and an MA in Management from City University.

Jeff Kane - Principal Consultant / Lean Enterprise

Jeff has spent 25 years designing, developing and executing lean principles on a global level. Jeff utilizes his broad knowledge base to lead other companies in their transition from traditional operating systems to World Class performance achieving significant profitability improvements. Jeff has a diverse background in business having worked as a Manager in different capacities ranging from production, materials (CPIM), manufacturing, operations and oversaw two divisions as plant manager. As an Executive Vice President of Operations for a tier 1 automotive supplier, he led the Lean transformation of their four manufacturing plants. He has been recognized by many companies and publications for his turnaround accomplishments. Jeff has also worked with Lean Enterprise Institute performing value stream mapping and as a key note speaker on becoming lean.