SAMUEL OBARA Samuel Obara learned and implemented the Toyota Production System (TPS) at Toyota facilities in Japan, Brazil, USA, and Venezuela. With more than 20 years of TPS experience, he has helped over 200 companies in diverse environments ranging from schools and government agencies, to bio-tech companies and banks in a variety of countries, including China, Mexico, Canada, Indonesia, Brazil, Japan, Austria, Africa, the U.K., and the U.S. He is a faculty member with the Lean Institute Brazil, USA, and Mexico. He is also a Global Strategy Management instructor with the California Community College system. He is a guest lecturer on Lean for post-graduate classes at Stanford University and has been a speaker at conferences sponsored by the American Production and Inventory Control Society, the Association for Productivity and Quality (APQ), and the American Society for Quality (ASQ). He has been featured in Lean publications such as the Assembly Magazine in the USA and Pharmaceutical Insider in Mexico. ART SMALLEY Art was one of the first Americans to work for Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan and spent nearly 10 years in Japan learning TPS/Lean manufacturing principles in the engine plant where Taiichi Ohno was the founding plant manager. Art headed the Lean Division for the Donnelly Corporation and the success of this performance turnaround was highlighted by a Forbes Magazine article in March of 1999, and in several books on Lean manufacturing implementation including the best selling work Becoming Lean by Jeff Liker. Art subsequently joined the international management consulting firm of McKinsey & Company and was one of the firm's leading experts in the area of Lean manufacturing for a period of four years. Through the Lean Enterprise Institute Art, he has published the definitive workbook guide on implementing basic pull production methods entitled "Creating Level Pull" which was awarded a Shingo Prize for distinguished contribution to manufacturing knowledge in 2005. www.artofLean.com CARLOS FUKAMIZU Carlos is a production engineer with over 20 years of TPS/Lean experience. He became an expert in Lean after spending several years working directly with Toyota senseis in Toyota Motors Kamigo (Japan) and Toyota Motors SBC Brazil. He has several specialized courses from Japanese and American institutions and he is currently providing support for companies in the US and in Mexico. He speaks fluently Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and English. Carlos specializes in CCQ activities, Kaizen, 5S, Kanban implementation, and Problem Solving procedures in the work place. DARRIL WILBURN Darril specializes in the Training and Development of Lean Leaders. His 7 years at Toyota Motor Manufacturing gave him the opportunity to learn The Toyota Way at the source. Darril was also trained, on the floor, by Toyota's Operations Management Development Division in Standardized work and Kaizen. While at Toyota he led several key projects including Toyota Way 2001, Toyota Business Practices, and Toyota Fundamentals manufacturing simulation. GERSON DAMIANI Gerson worked for Toyota Brazil for 16 years in many production divisions, including die casting, heat treatment, machining, assembly and press. He holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering and graduate degree in Business Administration for Engineers. He has large experience in TPS and Quality Control Circle (QCC) and is currently assisting many companies over South America, Mexico and the United States optimizing their process of cost reduction. MONTE MITCHELL For over 20 years, Monte has lived Toyota's Production System (TPS) and its relentless pursuit of True North. Today he finds a tremendous amount of satisfaction helping companies realize operational excellence. Monte started his career with Toyota at the NUMMI facility where he managed various departments including Production, Special and New Model projects, and the TPS Group. In 2003 Monte was selected from a pool of over 600 managers to join Toyota's three year Executive Development Program-Operations and Management Development Division (OMDD) where he continued to develop his TPS knowledge and capability. At OMDD Monte was responsible for the implementation of Jishuken (Rapid Kaizen) in the North American Paint and Plastics facilities as well as the implementation of TPS at a number of supplier companies. During his tenure at OMDD, Monte was mentored by members of Toyota's elite Operations and Management Consulting Division (OMCD). Monte's extensive TPS expertise has been utilized in a myriad of industries (including automotive, retail, finance and building products). His innovative strategies have been applied to Greenfield sites, plant expansions, consolidations, product development and product launches. Monte has worked with companies in the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, China and the Middle East. PATRICK MOLLER Patrick has a BS Degree in Engineering, he joined Toyota Motor Marketing and Engineering Europe (TMME) In 1992. He has been employed in the Automotive and Non-Automotive sector: ITT Teves, Toyota Motor Marketing and Engineering Europe, Saint Gobain, Ford Motor Company, Portola Packaging, Atys US Inc. and is currently a Senior TPS Sensei working with Honsha Associates and assisting various productive and non-productive sectors. Patrick has given several lectures at Suppliers Conferences and speaks multiple languages. RENATO E. KITAZUKA Renato is a mechanical engineer pursuing his masters degree in manufacturing and logistics management (Unicamp). His TPS/Lean expertise came from Toyota Brazil where for three years he developed Toyota suppliers to comply with TPS requirements. He heads the TPS implementation for Delphi Thermal and Interior South America and has been recognized by Autodata magazine as a key implementer leading the Jaguariuna plant to be the most productive and profitable company per square meter among Delphi Thermal companies. Currently based in Indianapolis IN USA, Renato leads Lean implementation at CTB/McGraw Hill. He has also been extensively involved in TPS knowledge exchange with organizations in Chile, Hungary, France, Poland and Portugal. STEPHEN J. ANSUINI Mr. Ansuini started at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky (TMMK) in 1987 in the Skilled Trades Development area with responsibility for development of intermediate maintenance training. From there he started the TMMK Suggestion System in 1989, and supported Quality Circle deployment in 1990. Mr. Ansuini provided pre-hire assessment and system development support for Toyota Motor Manufacturing Baja California - the new Mexico plant in 2004. He supported the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas plant start-up in 2005 by providing pre- and post-hire assessments and TPS (Toyota Production System) training to new maintenance team members and Group Leaders. Mr. Ansuini then moved to the North American Production Support Center (NAPSC) located in Georgetown, KY. His role included deployment of the Visual Manual to all North American Toyota affiliates, chair of the NATQC Forum (North American Toyota Quality Circles). He also provided Toyota Job Instruction training, role training, Quality Circle training, Group Leader training and NAPSC Visual Manual user support for North America. Mr. Ansuini retired from Toyota with over 20 years experience in May of 2007. GREG LANE Greg Lane's 22 years of worldwide Lean implentation began while working with Toyota when he was one of a handful selected to be developed as a Toyota Production System Key Person through specialized training in Japan by Toyota's masters, including Mr. Ohba. He then returned to train others at NUMMI. His Lean implementation work in 31 countries with diverse types of organizations has not been his only form of continued learning, personally buying and profitably transforming his own manufacturing company really connected the principals to his own profit and loss. Greg is a faculty member of the Lean Enterprise Institute in the USA and Spain as well as lecturer of post-graduate Lean studies at the University of Barcelona & University Polytechnic Catalunia. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering as well as an MBA and has published two mainstream books & various magazine articles: Made to Order Lean: Excelling in a High-Mix, Low-Volume Environment (Productivity Press, 2007) Mr. Lean Buys & Transforms a Manufacturing Company: The True Story of Profitably Growing an Organization with Lean Principals (CRC Press, 2010)