Hiring Lean talent requires more than matching resumes to job descriptions—it requires fluency in the work itself. Lean Focus Talent Solutions is built by practitioners who understand Lean at a deep, practical level. That expertise allows us to identify, evaluate, and place Lean professionals who fit the role, the operating context, and the maturity of your organization—so new hires contribute faster and stay longer.
Do You Have The Leadership You Need To Deliver Results?
A critical leadership role is open and performance is suffering.
Growth or transformation is outpacing leadership capability.
Previous hires looked strong—but didn't deliver.
You need a proven operator now, not in six months.
Your organization lacks Lean or transformation experience.
A turnaround, integration, or scale effort needs hands-on execution.
Internal succession pipelines are thin.
You can't afford a mis-hire at the leadership level.
We don’t place resumes. We place leaders who deliver measurable business impact.
Access to proven Lean talent comes from relationships—not searches.
Lean Focus Talent Solutions is built on decades of practitioner-led relationships across the global Lean community in the U.S. and Europe. We don’t rely on databases or outbound searches—we know where proven Lean professionals are and how they’ve performed. When you need Lean talent, we identify and vet individuals with real-world experience delivering measurable results—so hires contribute quickly and endure.
Serious Lean talent looks for serious leadership commitment.
Candidates consistently tell us that organizations who engage Lean Focus signal long-term intent—real leadership commitment to building and sustaining Lean, not short-lived experimentation. That clarity attracts professionals who want to do meaningful work and invest their careers in transformations that are designed to last.
Knowing which questions to ask—and how to interpret the answers—makes all the difference.
Evaluating Lean talent requires practitioner-level understanding, not keyword matching. Our team knows how to distinguish between candidates who have lived Lean and those who have simply learned the language. That discernment protects your organization from costly mis-hires and ensures new leaders can translate Lean principles into real-world results.
Every search is led by practitioners with real Lean experience.
The Talent Solutions team brings decades of hands-on Lean transformation work across industries and geographies. That experience allows us to understand role nuance, evaluate capability accurately, and distinguish good candidates from those capable of driving real change. Our judgment—not volume recruiting—becomes your competitive advantage in securing transformational Lean talent.
We Place Proven Lean Talent Across Levels And Functions
EXECUTIVE & ENTERPRISE
LEADERSHIP
✓ Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
✓ Chief Operating Officer (COO)
✓ Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
✓ Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)
✓ General Manager
LEAN, OPERATIONS & TRANSFORMATION LEADERSHIP
✓ SVP / Head of Lean Transformation
✓ VP of Global Operations
✓ VP Lean – Operations / Manufacturing
✓ VP & Director of Supply Chain
✓ Director of Operations
✓ Plant & Operations Manager
COMMERCIAL, GROWTH & PEOPLE LEADERSHIP
✓ VP Lean – Commercial / Growth
✓ Director, Growth Excellence
✓ Continuous Improvement Director
✓ VP & Director of Human Resources
…& other critical Lean leadership roles aligned
to your organization’s maturity and objectives
How We Engage Clients
① Retained Lean Executive
& Leadership Search
Lean Focus conducts retained searches to identify, evaluate, and present proven Lean talent for permanent leadership roles. Our approach goes beyond resume matching. Every search is led by practitioners who understand Lean deeply and can assess how candidates have applied Lean principles to deliver measurable business results.
We manage the full search process—from sourcing and practitioner-led screening through finalist presentation—so your leadership team can focus on selection and fit. The outcome is a short list of candidates capable of contributing quickly and sustaining performance over time.
② Interim Lean Leadership
When continuity matters and capability gaps cannot wait, Lean Focus places experienced Lean leaders into three or six-month interim assignments. These leaders step in quickly to stabilize performance, maintain momentum, and lead through transition while longer-term plans are developed or permanent roles are filled.
Interim engagements are often used to bridge leadership gaps, support periods of change or growth, and ensure Lean initiatives continue without disruption. The focus is execution, continuity, and results—not caretaking.
Mastery of the Lean Focus Business System™ (LBS™) sharpens how we evaluate Lean talent.
Because our team lives the principles embedded in LBS™, we can assess how candidates have actually applied Lean in real operating environments—not just what they claim to know. We evaluate depth of application, leadership effectiveness, and the ability to deliver measurable, lasting business results. That rigor ensures the talent we place can translate Lean thinking into performance, not theory.
The Right Lean Talent Changes What’s Possible
A conversation with Lean Focus Talent Solutions is a working discussion, not a pitch. We’ll explore your specific needs and show how practitioner-led evaluation and access to proven Lean professionals reduces hiring risk and accelerates impact—whether you’re filling a critical role now or building long-term capability.
Industry Experience of Our Talent Solutions Practice
HVAC SYSTEMS
MEDICAL DEVICES
PLUMBING PRODUCTS
BUILDING MATERIALS
COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
LIFE SCIENCES TOOLS
INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY
HOME GOODS & FURNITURE
GENOMICS & PRECISION MEDICINE
PERFORMANCE MATERIALS
AUTOMATION EQUIPMENT
DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT
IMPLANTABLE DEVICES
AEROSPACE & DEFENSE
RESEARCH SOLUTIONS
TEST & MEASUREMENT
PRIVATE EQUITY
& MORE
Organizations We’ve Helped Build Lean Teams
Our Talent Solutions Practice Regional Leaders
SUZANNE LINGUA
SVP, Talent Solutions Practice
LEAN FOCUS NORTH AMERICA
+1 (630) 800-8519
About Suzanne
Sue has over 30 years of experience in talent acquisition and placement services. After beginning her career with Lyn-Jay International, she went on to co-found Hire Logic in 1993. Her lean journey began shortly thereafter as a key resource for identifying and placing talent with lean DNA at Jacobs Vehicle Systems and other Danaher industrial businesses during the early evolution of their Lean Business System.
Sue is a search partner for businesses ranging from major Fortune 500 companies to small- and mid-level sized businesses. She is valued by clients and colleagues as a trusted partner for identifying Lean, industrial, and manufacturing leadership talent due to her long-term experience working with the cultural development of these types of performance-driven organizations. Sue is skilled in identifying emerging leadership talent and matching them with operational excellence-focused companies.
She is an expert in talent assessment and selection, executive recruitment, professional networking, coaching and emerging leader identification. Sue holds a B.S. in Communications and Business from Eastern Connecticut State University and is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach.
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.
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.
About Tim
Tim Niewand is a senior operations and business transformation leader with nearly 15 years of global experience driving Lean transformation, strategy deployment, and commercial and operational excellence across diverse and complex environments. A hands-on leader, he embodies true Gemba leadership—personally facilitating Kaizens and leading cross-functional transformation initiatives that deliver measurable, EBITDA-driven results.
Trained by former Toyota plant managers and Danaher Business System leaders, Tim has facilitated more than 80 Kaizen events across 25 companies in 10 countries. He has built a reputation for translating strategy into execution—aligning teams, simplifying processes, and eliminating operational friction to unlock performance.
During his tenure with Danaher, Fortive, and Vontier, Tim held multiple senior leadership roles including Business System Director, Head of Supply Chain, and Head of Marketing. As a Business System Director, he played a central role in driving policy deployment, leading global transformation initiatives, and coaching executive leadership teams to embed Lean thinking across operations, commercial, and functional organizations.
In an operational leadership capacity, he led end-to-end supply chain transformations, delivering significant improvements in productivity, margin, and working capital while simultaneously improving safety, quality, and employee engagement. He has also led M&A integrations, establishing governance, execution cadence, and cross-functional alignment to accelerate value capture.
He serves as Board Vice Chair of Cornerstone College and has previously held Non-Executive Director roles within aged care organizations, bringing governance, financial oversight, and strategic guidance.
Tim holds a Senior Executive MBA from Melbourne Business School, a Bachelor of Engineering in Aerospace (First Class Honours), and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Aviation (Distinction) from RMIT University. He is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Contact Our
Talent Solutions Practice Today.
Talent Solutions Practice Case Study
Building Leadership Infrastructure to Launch Two Standalone Businesses
1. Situation
The company had a clear ambition to evolve from a traditional family office into a more structured holding company capable of supporting disciplined growth and future acquisitions. This next phase required refining organizational design, clarifying roles across the portfolio, and strengthening leadership capabilities to support scale.
As the business expanded across distinct operating segments, leadership recognized the opportunity to better align talent, structure, and operating practices with long-term objectives. This included building additional depth in key roles, enhancing recruiting capabilities, and establishing a more integrated approach to human capital at the holding company level.
At the same time, the company was beginning to incorporate Lean principles more formally. Doing so effectively required leaders with practical experience in applying Lean tools and establishing a consistent operating rhythm. Overall, the focus was on elevating leadership capability and aligning the organization with its growth ambitions. This created talent gaps that required correctly identifying leadership with Lean and strategic acumen while simultaneously sourcing and selecting strong Lean talent, which the company lacked the internal recruitment capabilities to do.
2. Opportunity
The company identified an opportunity to separate its operations into two focused, standalone businesses to better position each for growth within its respective markets. This shift was intended to create greater clarity, accountability, and strategic focus at the operating company level.
To support this transition, leadership engaged Lean Focus to help evaluate organizational structure, define elements of an effective operating model, and outline the capabilities required to sustain long-term growth. The effort also included introducing foundational elements from the Lean Focus Business System™—such as strategy deployment, daily management, and structured problem solving—to create a more consistent and scalable way of operating.
This work provided a path to strengthen leadership capability, align the organization more closely with its strategic priorities, and position the business for durable, long-term growth.
Talent Solutions Practice Client Testimonials
“Lean Focus played a pivotal role in accelerating our Lean transformation journey by connecting us with true Lean talent. Having hired for these roles many times over the years, I was surprised how quickly and consistently they were able to line up candidates that not only do the job but had done the job and were truly passionate about transformation. The depth of options they provided was unmatched, even when we pivoted to more restrictive requirements like onsite vs. remote. Their Talent Solutions team, having experience in continuous improvement themselves, understood the qualifications that would make my team and company successful.”
“Lean Focus helped us start our Lean transformation on sound footing. They helped us recruit key leaders with the mindset and capability to build a strong culture, and they provided steady coaching as we laid out a practical Lean roadmap. Pam Martinez and Sue Lingua led the leadership searches, bringing direct access to a deep network of Lean-minded talent and decades of experience assessing and recruiting senior lean leaders, which materially strengthened the quality of our hires. Their emphasis on disciplined thinking, sound systems, and long-term results gave us confidence that the progress we’re making will endure.”
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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]
Lean Focus
Asia Pacific
P: +61 458 967 510
E: [email protected]
International Phone Number: +1 (630) 800-8519
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