Peter has over 20 years experience in project management, marketing and entrepreneurship. Teamwork, innovation and having fun provide him with a strong personal guidance system. Favourite past projects include: Compu-preneurship for new entrepreneurs, developing a crime prevention web site with reformed car thieves, managing large-scale community development projects and running his own marketing firm - specializing in custom made online marketing tools. Peter has produced innovative software, been a team leader and film producer for Vancouver's Olympic bid volunteers and delivered the True Genius Self-Marketing program to over 1000 technology professionals. A UBC-trained project manager and an avid participant in team sports, Peter looks forward to working with the Pull Ahead BC project to innovate, achieve excellence and have fun.

 

Tracy Defoe is a specialist in workplace learning and a humble Bronze Certified lean practitioner. Tracy is interested in how new ideas and practices go from talk to action to culture. She is well-known in Canada as a trail-blazer in participatory workplace education integrating literacy, essential skills and personal development with changing work content ranging from forest practices to lean manufacturing. The idea for Pull Ahead BC came from Tracy’s experience with workers and managers going through the learning that comes with lean culture change.

Tracy Defoe has a Master of Arts in Education (Curriculum and Instruction) from the University of British Columbia where she started her career in English as a Second Language education and intercultural communication. She is one of the researchers and authors of Reading Work: Literacies in the New Workplace. Tracy is associated with the Centre for Education and Work, University of Winnipeg where she is part of the team for the Workplace Informal Learning Matrix (WILM) and the Workplace Essential Skills Learning Assessment Tool (WESLAT). She called her consulting company The Learning Factor because she brings a focus on learning to workplace change dilemmas. Her mission: to help you be smarter about learning.

 

As a Manufacturing Change Agent Expert, Bob Adams has over 30 years of senior management experience successfully implementing total business process improvements. Upon finishing school, Bob joined a billion dollar Canadian corporation as a member of their "post acquisition integration team". Over the next 15 years Bob led 4 newly acquired manufacturing divisions, in various industries, through successful turnarounds and integration into the corporate group.

Since 1994 Bob has been using his knowledge and experience to help companies in Western Canada and the U.S., become World Class. While holding positions of General Manager, President & General Manager and President & COO of various companies, Bob has been a champion for the development of Lean Culture, Strategic Planning, Winning with Teams and Leveraged Learning Networks (Consortiums).

As a founding member of the BC Consortium for Manufacturing Excellence, the BC Manufacturer’s Executive Council, former Managing Director of The Okanagan Lean Enterprise Consortium, and currently, Managing Director VEEN (Vancouver Enterprise Excellence Network), MEET (Manufacturing Enterprise Excellence Team) and Lean Instructor, Continuing Education Division, Red Deer College, Bob has remained committed to improving the competitiveness of businesses by helping them define Customer Value and eliminate Waste.

Jay Warren has a passion for lean in the manufacturing and service industries, for excellence, and for people. Jay is a resultant with attention on the greatest resource your organization has - People. He gets a charge out of helping organizations such as a client who recently increased cell productivity by 75% and reduced floor space by 50% with Jay’s leadership and facilitation.

In his years in the High Tech manufacturing world, Jay was instrumental in corporate- wide lean implementation, training, and sustainability. Responsibilities included: a certified quality system, and key lean projects including 6-S, standardized work, value stream mapping, and cost reductions. Jay is also a practicing Six Sigma black belt study with the American Society for Quality and brings the lens of that rigorous approach to data to problem identification and improvements.

Jay headed up a business unit for a manufacturing start-up at a company that had him responsible for the entire supply chain management, cost control, manufacturing, standardization, and plant layout, Jay was able to convert a vision he created to a multi-million dollar manufacturing company in less than 18 months.

Jay Warren has 20 years of operational experience in Manufacturing, Service, Quality, Training, Lean Engineering, Purchasing, Financial Management and Human Resources. He is actively involved with ASQ Six Sigma Black Belt Certification, SME Lean Certification, and Adult Education and Coaching Programs. Jay’s leadership and results oriented drive have made him an ideal fit in key positions he has held which include Quality Manager, Supplier Quality Engineer, Product Team Lead, Operations Manager and General Manager.

Patty has 30 years of experience in adult education and community development. She has worked with adult learners in forestry, horticulture, long term care, First Nations, college and community programs. She has extensive experience in customizing learning materials to the needs of the learner and the situation. She has recently returned from 5 years in California where she managed contracts in a small real estate office and town house development. She is fascinated by the learning process and how that leads to a person’s increased interest and ability to contribute at work, at home and in the community.

Duncan Etridge is working for Pull Ahead BC as a Continuous Improvement Trainer, and will be working with the consortium on Vancouver Island.

Duncan has worked in various manufacturing environments for over twenty years and has the experience of working in roles such as a Manufacturing Engineer, Project Manager, Production Manager and most recently as a Lean Manufacturing Facilitator. In 2001 Duncan graduated with an MSc in Manufacturing; Management and Technology from the Open University.

Duncan immigrated to Canada from the United Kingdom six months ago and now lives in Nanaimo with his wife Maria and daughter Hannah.

Jody Marshall, CPP, SCMP, CPM, has over 22 years of senior management experience in operations, engineering, supply chain management and continuous improvement. He also has a Lean Certification from The University of Tennessee. His extensive manufacturing experience, hands-on approach and customer-centric vision is facilitated by a “results through people” strategy.

Jody has consulted widely to companies and organizations on Lean Enterprise projects and credits much of his success to his “results through people” focus, business acumen and Lean Enterprise expertise. He has turned numerous companies around and is committed to “changing the manufacturing world – one company at a time”. Jody enjoys spending time with his wife, golfing, traveling and is a Koi and pond hobbyist.

Christy Nikel is a process improvement consultant who has worked with companies in manufacturing and service environments. She has expertise in the Lean tools including value stream mapping, waste elimination and continuous flow, and has facilitated countless efficiency initiatives. Christy has attained status of Certified Lean Black Belt and also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with specialization in Economics from the University of Manitoba. She is active in the community and frequently presents at industry events on topics related to process improvement and operational efficiency.

Dave was born in Vancouver, and studied Electrical Engineering at McGill University in Montreal. He worked in projects, maintenance and production for Procter & Gamble, then Marketing for Westinghouse. He then founded a controls engineering firm, and ran it for 11 years. An 11 year stint with IBM ended with Dave being invited to join the global team servicing the Toyota account as an expert in Toyota’s manufacturing processes and culture. Prior to joining the CME team, Dave spent 4 years as Director of Operations at The Original Cakerie on Annacis Island, where they implemented a number of lean tools.
Dave plays piano, refs and coaches soccer, bicycles, and walks with Gail, his wife of 20+ years. They have two sons Mike and Andrew.