With over 25+ years of experience and multiple achievement awards, Nekol has a wealth of experience working in fast-growing, highly competitive organizations. She has consulted with Fortune 1000s and many elite global brands. Nekol prides herself on her stellar track record of working directly with senior-level executives and the C-Suite to ensure the strategic implementation of Enterprise SaaS Technology Solutions, specializing in Learning and Talent Management. Nekol’s goal is to ensure the alignment of technology and online content with business objectives that upskill key talent while improving efficiencies and driving profitability. 

As an innovative leader who knows how to execute the strategy, Nekol has successfully built many high-performing teams that consistently exceeded revenue targets. She embraces an agile philosophy, leading change management while ensuring excellence and market growth in fast-growing organizations.

As Co-owner and COO of HKPO, Nekol joined to digitally transform HKPO and redefine our company’s go-to-market strategy. She changed our revenue model to recurring and introduced a new division called Sensei On Demand. Sensei On Demand is an engaging and powerful platform built to drive the success of continuous improvement leaders and cause positive disruption in the learning space. The program is built to engage and develop the next generation of business leaders using micro-learning, activity books, knowledge checks, community, and real-world examples that incorporate gamification and other tools to inspire and empower participants. Participants are also given timely live access to Sensei’s, who provide coaching and mentoring to ensure positive project results with proven ROI for their organization.

Gordon Ching is a multifaceted leader with unique blend of experience in Lean Six Sigma, process improvement, process engineering, project and program management, change management, and cost optimization. Gordon has 40-years-experience working in the food processing/wine industry, serving in roles as Master Black Belt, continuous improvement manager, process engineer, and plant engineer. In his most recent role as a Master Black Belt at E&J Gallo Winery, he was the sought-after facilitator to lead cross-functional teams which involved implementing SAP, implementing Lean on new Bottling Lines, leading major winery capacity increases, and solving complex problems affecting production in different areas of the value stream.

Drew Butler is a Senior Shingo Examiner, Licensed Affiliate, and Certified Facilitator with over 30 years of operations experience in various roles of increasing responsibility in the Aerospace, Industrial, Consumer Products, and Mining industries with companies such as Curtiss Wright, SPS Technologies, and OC Tanner. During his tenure at Curtiss Wright, Mr. Butler was responsible for leading the development and implementation of the CW Way Lean Operating System throughout the company on a global scale. Mr. Butler has worked with the Shingijutsu Consulting Group for over 15 years as a Senior Lead Examiner with the Shingo Institute in Utah. In this capacity, Drew travels the world evaluating world class facilities in manufacturing, medical devices, and consumer products that have applied for the Shingo Prize.

Tom DeForge is a Lean Sensei with over 40 years of manufacturing experience in machining, assembly, testing, quality, and engineering with such companies as Pratt & Whitney a United Technologies company, where joined the KPO, Kaizen Promotion Office. Mr. DeForge was part of a high-powered team implementing Lean Manufacturing tools, techniques, and methodologies under the tutelage of the Shingijustu sensei’s. Over the past 30 years, Tom has been featured in several articles and seminars on the subject of Lean Manufacturing implementation. Tom has also studied Lean Principles in the United States and Japan with the originators of the Toyota Production System and has facilitated numerous Improvement workshops in the United States, South America, Europe, Mexico, the Middle East, and Central America.

Tom Voss is a results-based executive with over 30 years of operational and consulting experience implementing lean production systems, improving business processes, performing operational due diligence, and leading turn-around projects. Extensive operational and administrative consulting experience in aerospace, medical device, chemical, and finance. Mr. Voss has worked with the Shingijutsu Consulting Group for over 8 years; he is a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and holds his MBA.

Dr. Gerhard Plenert, former director of executive education at the Shingo Institute at Utah State University, has more than 30 years of professional experience in organizational change helping companies and government agencies strive for enterprise excellence by utilizing the Shingo Model to drive cultural transformations. Dr. Plenert is an internationally recognized expert in supply chain management; Lean/Six Sigma; quality and productivity tools; and in working with and creating leading-edge planning and scheduling methods. His experience includes significant initiatives with Genentech, Johnson & Johnson, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Shell, Aramco, Sony, Cisco, Microsoft, Seagate, NCR Corporation, Ritz-Carlton, the US Air Force, and numerous other branches of the US Department of Defense.

Ann Chum is a Manufacturing Industry Executive and an accomplished Manufacturing Engineer who transforms organizations through continuous improvement/Lean projects and a servant leadership approach that wins buy-in for change at all levels.
Ann’s fast-track career has been highlighted by innovative thinking followed by strategic execution, culture change and digital transformation to achieve operational excellence across all functions – from sales to production, service, finance and supply chain.

Tara Lee is a catalyst for personal fulfillment, empowering individuals to reach their peak potential by harmonizing their endeavors with a purpose-driven approach. Her unwavering passion for systems thinking and the scientific method is the cornerstone of her philosophy. She firmly believes that robust systems are the bedrock of innovation and champions data-driven decision-making through the scientific method to facilitate continuous improvement.

With an extensive background spanning three decades in manufacturing, Tara has mastered various leadership roles, including overseeing multiple sites and global processes. As a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and esteemed Shingo Alumni with 22 years of seasoned experience, Tara boasts a remarkable record of actualizing transformative change that yields substantial business enhancements. Her commitment to values such as purpose, respect, and humility forms the backbone of her coaching methodology, fostering fulfilled and motivated leaders who inspire their teams to achieve extraordinary outcomes.

Her leadership accomplishments include:

E&J Gallo Winery: Spearheaded up to 1,000 team members across Gallo's three largest wineries, instrumental in cultivating a culture of improvement that led to a 30% to 50% improvements in key performance indicators. Concurrently, she consistently exceeded financial commitments, demonstrating her prowess in holistic operational management.

GE Plastics/SABIC: As a leader overseeing BPA and Site Infrastructure teams, Tara orchestrated record production achievements while upholding paramount standards of safety, compliance, and quality. Noteworthy accomplishments include a 25% reduction in maintenance costs, a 15% decrease in personnel costs, all while elevating reliability and operational expertise by driving operational excellence.

Her Lean Six Sigma endeavors encompass:

E&J Gallo Winery: Instrumental in orchestrating projects yielding over $60 million in annualized economic value-add, Tara reimagined the Lean Six Sigma program into a comprehensive operational excellence initiative, integrating lean behaviors and Shingo principles. Her innovative strategies included developing the "BootCamp" process for major value stream improvements and mentoring over 300 projects spanning diverse areas like planning, manufacturing, distribution, customer service, and human resources.

GE Plastics/SABIC: Tara led a diverse global team overseeing 26 sites and eight businesses, surpassing business goals and achieving over $400 million in annualized savings. She implemented Lean processes in conjunction with Six Sigma methodologies across sites and pioneered Global Benchmarking and Energy Treasure Hunt processes across North America and Europe.

Tara earned her Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of South Florida, laying the academic foundation for her illustrious career journey.

Vice President of Strategic Alignment and Human Behavior is an excellent title that encapsulates Judy's role in aligning strategies and driving operational excellence within an organization. It highlights her leadership in both strategic and cultural transformation.

Judy Cloo is an inspirational and innovative leader recognized for her expertise in coaching and mentoring in the areas of cultural excellence and strategy alignment. Known for her genuine curiosity, respect for every individual, and relentless drive toward perfection, Judy has achieved exceptional results in her career.

As an Operational Excellence executive, Judy has delivered over $100 million in profitable impact across various organizations. She is especially noted for designing and deploying frameworks that foster Shingo-based cultures, consistently achieving double-digit improvements in employee engagement.

Judy holds degrees in Business Administration and Human Behavior. She has led both large and small organizations, and her leadership is grounded in aligning teams to a common vision, ensuring role clarity, and respecting every individual. Her approach has proven to deliver extraordinary value in all areas of operation. Please join me in welcoming Judy Cloo to the HKPO Team as Vice President of Strategic Alignment and Human Behavior!

Heather Hopkins is a transformative leader, optimizing both processes and people to drive strategic change and operational excellence. Her engineering expertise, coupled with advanced degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration from the University of California, Merced and Davis, forms the foundation of her approach. Certified as a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and currently pursuing certification with the International Coaching Federation, Heather integrates robust systems with human-centered coaching.

Heather's career highlights include:

Greenfield: Led a $1 billion greenfield expansion, developing operational strategies, KBIs and KPIs resulting in a successful vertical launch of a 24/7 plant.

Continuous Improvement: Heather has led teams to drive continuous improvement initiatives, resulting in multi-million-dollar savings and engaging thousands of employees in lean practices. Her passion for mentorship and leadership development has been a cornerstone of her approach, enabling her to build high-performing teams and cultivate future leaders.

Heather's unique combination of technical acumen and human-centered leadership positions her as a key driver of impactful change. At HKPO, she focuses on expanding the client base, transforming businesses, and offering integrated solutions beyond traditional continuous improvement, emphasizing leadership development and mentorship.

StrengthsFinder Profile Highlights:

• Achiever: Relentless pursuit of excellence
• Strategic: Effective solution creation
• Learner: Continuous growth
• Responsibility: Commitment to quality
• Relator: Builds deep relationships.