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.