Author: Cheyanne Cierpial

At the Center for Operational Excellence, we work alongside our members to foster a problem-solving culture that’s grounded in tried-and-true operational excellence tools, and that’s constant and far-reaching. One way we do that is by connecting industry executives, Fisher College of Business faculty, and our consortium of member companies.

Our new OpEx Spotlight series highlights members of our OpEx community and allows them to share their experiences and perspectives with continuous improvement, organizational change, operational excellence, supply chain, operations, and any niche they feel passionate about.  We're excited to introduce Giovanni Bernardo, Head of US Continuous Improvement at Agrana Fruit, as the first in our spotlight series.

One thing is certain in 2020: uncertainty. With the global pandemic in full effect, thousands have been furloughed or laid off while many companies enact hiring freezes. Yet, other companies are still hiring – and some, like COE’s newest member company Singleton Construction, have found a way to take advantage of the pandemic to bring in top-notch talent. Over the past year, Singleton was looking to hire a Lean Coordinator to help lead the company on their operational excellence journey.

We are excited and proud to announce that COE Academic Director, Peter Ward, has been inducted as a life member to the Shingo Academy, an honor bestowed upon individuals with distinguished careers in organizational excellence.The honor was to be presented in a live ceremony during Shingo Academy’s March conference, which has been postponed due to COVID-19. Instead, Peter will be honored with a live presentation of the award at their next in person conference.This honor recognizes outstanding contributions to operational excellence – of which Peter Ward has many.