Lean Focus has supported the value creation of over 600 companies globally, and partners with many middle market PE firms, as well as several of the largest PE firms in the world, including: KKR, Blackstone, Bain Capital, Berkshire Partners, TPG, Partners Group, Montagu, Audax, and Arcline.
Lean principles are uniquely aligned with value creation levers that private equity firms prioritize.
Quicker operational turnarounds, working capital optimizations, higher cash conversions, and greater EBITDA expansions that lead to premium exits…this is what Lean does best. And Lean Focus uniquely harnesses the power of Lean principles by deploying the proven-and-proprietary Lean Focus Business System™ (LBS™).
Companies around the world and across sectors have trusted the Lean principles that are the foundation of the Tools of LBS™ to move their P&L: Honeywell, Johnson Controls, GE, Electrolux, Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, Pampered Chef, and many more. Below are three examples, amongst the hundreds of Lean principles that our Private Equity Practice deploys, which uniquely deliver rapid value creation results for our PE clients.
Principle 1: Waste Elimination drives rapid EBITDA expansion by systematically identifying and removing non-value-add activities that erode margins across underperforming portfolio companies.
When applied rigorously within the hold period, this principle exposes hidden operational inefficiencies—redundant processes, excess inventory carrying costs, and inflated overhead structures—that drain cash and suppress earnings potential. Private equity firms gain immediate visibility into operational alpha opportunities, enabling precise interventions that deliver quick wins while building sustainable cost savings. By targeting waste at every level of the value chain, firms unlock margin expansion without revenue dependency, accelerating the path to premium exits. The result is a leaner operating model with improved run-rate profitability that commands stronger exit multiples from strategic acquirers.
Principle 2: Pull-based systems transform working capital performance by aligning operational output precisely with actual market demand rather than forecasted assumptions.
For portfolio companies struggling with bloated inventories and extended cash conversion cycles, implementing pull methodology creates immediate liquidity improvements that strengthen balance sheet health. This demand-driven approach reduces the capital trapped in excess stock while simultaneously improving customer fulfillment rates. This powerful combination enhances both cash flow and competitive positioning. Private equity firms deploying pull principles can redeploy freed working capital toward growth initiatives or debt paydown, compounding value creation across the investment thesis. The discipline inherent in pull systems also builds operational resilience, making portfolio companies more attractive to buyers seeking platform assets with proven demand responsiveness.
Principle 3: Flow optimization accelerates operational turnarounds by eliminating bottlenecks and creating seamless value streams that compress cycle times across the enterprise.
Underperforming portfolio companies often suffer from fragmented processes that create delays, quality defects, and hidden costs throughout their operations. By establishing continuous flow, operating companies dramatically reduce lead times while improving throughput. These operational levers directly impact revenue capacity and customer satisfaction metrics. This principle proves particularly valuable when integrating newly acquired businesses where aligning processes drives cost savings and operational efficiencies. Enhanced flow creates compounding benefits: faster inventory turns improve cash conversion, reduced cycle times enable greater market responsiveness, and streamlined operations support scalable growth. These improvements collectively strengthen the equity story, positioning portfolio companies for premium valuations at exit.
The Lean Focus Business System™ (LBS™) turns principles into practice.
Lean principles that drive an operating company’s transformation and lead to value creation—including the three principles above—are realized through the deployment of the proven Tools of LBS™. These Tools represent systematic activities—workshops, process implementations, and structured improvements—that a PE firm’s operating company will undertake side-by-side with our seasoned, senior-level practitioners. The Lean Focus Business System™ is among the most respected business systems in the world, providing repeatable, proven solutions that work across industries and countries.
Accelerated value creation begins by contacting a
senior-level LBS Expert.
The seasoned practitioners of our Private Equity Practice have decades of hands-on experience customizing and deploying Lean business systems inside multi-million and multi-billion-dollar platforms. Middle market private equity firms, as well as largest PE companies in the world, have trusted Lean Focus as their transformation partner due to our wide-ranging experience, proven tools, and a track record of success. A reliable value creation engine based on the Tools of the Lean Focus Business System™—built specifically for your operating companies—is now within your reach. Contact us to begin.
Industry Experience of Our Private Equity Practice
SOFTWARE
CHEMICALS
HVAC SERVICES
ENERGY SERVICES
CAPITAL EQUIPMENT
FINANCIAL SERVICES
AEROSPACE & DEFENSE
BUSINESS SERVICES (B2B)
CONSUMER PRODUCTS & SERVICES
DISTRIBUTION & LOGISTICS
INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION
HEALTHCARE SERVICES
BUILDING MATERIALS
MEDICAL DEVICES
AUTOMOTIVE
PACKAGING
PLASTICS
& MORE
A Selection of Businesses Our Private Equity Practice Has Served
Our Private Equity Practice Regional Leaders
DAVID ALLEN
Lean Focus North America
+1 (630) 800-8519
[email protected]
About David
David is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of leadership experience in highly engineered product businesses, spanning commercial functions, general management, and executive leadership at the group level. His career began as an Army Officer and management consultant, where he developed a strategic mindset and operational discipline that would later define his approach to business transformation.
Transitioning into manufacturing, David built a track record of driving growth, operational excellence, and Lean transformations as a product manager, sales and marketing executive, and business portfolio leader. His leadership spans global markets, with hands-on experience leading teams in China, the UK, and the U.S. Over the past 25+ years, he has led and facilitated numerous kaizen events, including leveraging Lean Focus as a key partner in his corporate transformation efforts.
David honed his Lean process improvement expertise at Danaher, where he held executive roles across the Product Identification platform and Danaher Sensors & Controls. His ability to apply Lean principles to commercial and operational strategy has driven sustained impact across multiple industries.
He holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Economics and History from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.
MANUEL JANS, PHD.
Lean Focus Europe
+49 173 2505762
[email protected]
About Manuel
Manuel has over 20 years of experience in Human Resource Management and Organizational Development. He has initially provided support for lean business transformations at all levels as a HR Consultant and later by leading customer-focused Talent and HR organizations in multi-national companies (up to $2.2B and 40+ locations). His assignments include various Talent leader roles at Danaher´s Water Quality Business and Head of HR positions in Pharma and Biotech. As an entrepreneur he has (co-)founded start-up businesses and professional networks. He is passionate about applying lean and agile thinking to build, improve and sustain impactful HR and talent practices, placing and developing key talent to drive the transformation journey, and building a lean leadership culture at all levels of the organization. Manuel holds a MBA (Diplom-Kaufmann) and Ph.D. in Business Administration (HR focus) from Essen University.
MICHAEL REINHOLT ANDERSEN
Lean Focus Nordic
+45 4030 3080
[email protected]
About Michael
Michael is the CEO of Lean Focus Nordic, bringing over 25 years of leadership experience. His career includes ~18 years at Danaher Corporation, where he held multiple executive roles, including General Manager/Managing Director Dentistry and Biotech businesses, as well as several VP Operations & Supply Chain and VP of Lean Business Transformation. In his role as Danaher Corporate Director, he was responsible for Danaher Business System implementation in EU. Most recently, he led Operations & Supply Chain of a $1B acute care diagnostics business, transforming it into one of Danaher’s most Lean-mature organizations.
An expert in driving transformational change, Michael specializes in implementing Lean practices and applying Lean business systems in large-scale organizations to enhance quality, delivery, innovation speed, and cost efficiency. He has successfully led cross-functional Lean transformations across diverse industries, cultivating high-performing, problem-solving cultures on a global scale.
Michael is renowned for driving radical business transformations and delivering impactful results. He excels in building enduring cultures of Continuous Improvement, anchored in collaboration, empowerment, and mutual respect.
Contact Our
Private Equity Practice Today.
Private Equity Practice Case Study
Copeland (a Blackstone portfolio company): Turning Operational Excellence into a Value Creation Engine
40+
Countries Served
15,000+
Employees
1. Challenge
As a newly independent enterprise in the HVAC and refrigeration systems industry, Copeland needed to unify how the business operated. Leadership recognized that years of growth across multiple facilities had created variability in performance, accountability, and improvement capability. Without a consistent operating system, scaling productivity gains and cultural alignment would be difficult.
Blackstone’s Portfolio Operations team partnered with Copeland leadership to introduce a standardized, scalable business system rooted in Lean—enabling consistent execution, efficient cost structure, and readiness for future growth.
2. Opportunity
Leadership saw an opportunity to deploy a custom business system that would define how performance is managed and problems are solved daily across the enterprise. By establishing enterprise governance and leadership accountability, Copeland could create visibility from the shop floor to the executive level.
A lighthouse deployment would prove what “good” looks like in practice, demonstrating measurable improvements in productivity, quality, engagement, and material flow while building the internal capability needed to sustain and scale transformation across the global network.
Private Equity Practice Client Testimonials
“Lean Focus has been instrumental in helping Foundation Risk Partners rapidly identify and eliminate waste in their end-to-end commercial and operations processes. Through collaborative value stream mapping and clear prioritization, they helped their teams uncover substantial efficiency gains through standardization, automation, and intelligent workflow redesign. Their real-world expertise has allowed us to move faster, align stakeholders, and build the operational foundation needed to scale profitably.”
“Lean Focus has been an exceptional partner in building the Copeland Business System and accelerating operational excellence across the business. Their customized approach — not just tools, but governance, leadership behaviors, and capability building — helped Copeland establish a common operating model that improves performance at the plant level while strengthening accountability and alignment across the enterprise. The impact has been clear: greater execution discipline, enhanced productivity, and a stronger foundation for growth. Lean Focus understands how to make Lean practical, scalable, and part of how an organization truly operates.”
“Without Lean Focus, we wouldn’t be where we are today. We’re closing in on our year-end goal: two standalone businesses, each with committed management teams and each having worked through a real strategic plan. We have the people to build the process, and we expect performance to soon follow.”
“Lean isn’t just for factories — it’s a leadership system that drives business performance. When we brought Lean into the Marketing organization at BMC, it gave us the discipline, transparency, and customer focus required to shift from a cost center to a growth engine. Lean Focus helped us build a marketing operating system grounded in data, accountability, and continuous improvement — and the results spoke for themselves. It was proof that if you want marketing to contribute real enterprise value, Lean is how you get there.”
Start A Conversation With Our Private Equity Practice
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Lean Focus North America
P: +1 (630) 800-8519
E: [email protected]
Lean Focus Europe
P: +49 173 2505762
E: [email protected]
Lean Focus Nordic
P: +45 4030 3080
E: [email protected]
International Phone Number: +1 (630) 800-8519
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