Peter Ward is the new chairman of the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute.

Peter takes this leadership position at a pivotal time as LEI re-doubles its efforts to grow the lean community and expand the use of lean thinking and practice in business management.

BOSTON (PRWEB)
March 03, 2020

The nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), a global leader in lean thinking and practice, today announced the appointment of Peter Ward, a university professor who has developed graduate-level programs in lean management, as chairman. He succeeds Jean Cunningham who has retired.

Ward, who currently serves on the LEI board, has 20+ years’ experience developing executive education programs in lean management and researching how companies gain competitive advantage through operations.

“Peter takes this leadership position at a pivotal time as LEI re-doubles its efforts to grow the lean community and expand the use of lean thinking and practice in business management,” said LEI President Josh Howell. “Since joining LEI, I’ve gotten to know Peter, his many accomplishments at Ohio State, and his leadership in making lean principles and practices part of business school education. I look forward to his guidance and coaching.”

Besides LEI, Ward serves on the boards of Catalysis, a nonprofit healthcare transformation institute, and the Center for Lean Engagement and Research in Healthcare. He is the founder of the Lean Education Academic Network, a global community of university educators dedicated to teaching systems thinking.

Operational Excellence and #Lean Roles

At The Ohio State University, Ward is professor of operations management and holds the Richard M. Ross Chair in Management at Fisher College of Business, where he is the founding director of the Master of Business Operational Excellence program, an innovative degree program aimed at mid-career professionals involved in transforming their organizations through operational excellence.

Peter is academic director of the university’s Center for Operational Excellence, a consortium of 40 organizations dedicated to excellence and thought leadership in operations. He also has served as chair of the Department of Management Sciences and as senior associate dean.

He holds a Doctor of Business Administration degree from Boston University, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Ward succeeds Jean Cunningham, who served as executive chairman. Cunningham is the co-author of the acclaimed book, Real Numbers: Management Accounting in a Lean Organization, an essential text for learning lean accounting. Last year, she published The Value Add Accountant on how finance and accounting can innovate and add value in strategic improvement efforts.

“On behalf of everyone at LEI, I’d like to express gratitude to Jean for her numerous contributions as a board member and executive chair,” Howell said.

About the Lean Enterprise Institute

Lean Enterprise Institute Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Boston, MA, with a mission to make things better through lean thinking and practice by helping companies create more value and prosperity while consuming the fewest possible resources. Founded in 1997 by management expert James Womack, PhD, LEI conducts research through co-learning partnerships with companies, teaches on-site and public workshops, publishes books and ebooks, organizes conferences, and shares practical information about lean thinking and practice. Visit http://www.lean.org.

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Burton White, EVP CPG & Retail, Maine Pointe

Burt brings a fresh perspective in CPG/Retail and an outstanding track record of helping clients achieve sustainable growth. His appointment will prove essential in our continuing efforts to drive value in this rapidly growing and important segment

BOSTON (PRWEB)
March 03, 2020

Global supply chain and operations consulting firm Maine Pointe today announced the appointment of Burton White as Executive Vice President for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Retail. White, a respected operations strategy and supply chain management specialist, will be a key player in Maine Pointe’s efforts to drive expansion to the growing CPG/Retail market segment as the firm continues to pursue its goals for growth and expansion.

In his more than 25 years of successful leadership, White brings a powerful combination of experience in both industry and consulting, focused on industrial CPG and retail sectors. Burt has had leadership and executive roles with medium sized and global consulting firms with a strong track record of driving value to clients around the world.

At Maine Pointe, White will lead with his deep expertise in CPG/Retail to help grow Maine Pointe in this sector as practice leader. Together with Maine Pointe’s other subject matter experts, White will help the firm’s CPG/Retail clients navigate changing consumer behavior and greater competition, regulations, risk and talent management, as well as other supply chain challenges that are all impacting the industry today. “I look forward to helping Maine Pointe’s CPG/Retail clients gain deeper insights into consumer trends and supply chain issues with methods to capitalize on data analytics and an advanced level of collaboration within the partner ecosystem,” said White. “Over the course of my career, it has been my privilege to work with many Fortune 500 and mid-market clients in driving actionable value and delivering sustainable growth through the implementation of solutions that drive results.”

“Our strategy has always involved recruiting the most talented executive thought leaders with years of real-world experience in delivering meaningful results for clients,” said Steven Bowen, Founder and CEO of Maine Pointe. “Burt brings a fresh perspective in CPG/Retail and an outstanding track record of helping clients achieve sustainable growth. His appointment will prove essential in our continuing efforts to drive value in this rapidly growing and important segment.”

White has a long track record of success in driving exceptional value to clients in the CPG/Retail sector. Throughout White’s career, he has played a critical role in developing and growing new and existing supply chain practices. He has capitalized on consulting and industry experience to design operational capabilities and supply chain networks that have supported the customer’s everchanging needs by leveraging data analytics to reduce risks, increase visibility, lower costs, and gain flexibility to position for sustainable growth. His areas of expertise include developing innovative supply chain solutions, building and motivating teams of dedicated professionals, and consistently achieving sales and business development quotas.

About Maine Pointe

Maine Pointe, a member of the SGS Group, is a global supply chain and operations consulting firm trusted by many chief executives and private equity firms to drive compelling economic returns for their companies. We achieve this by delivering accelerated, sustainable improvements in EBITDA, cash and growth across their procurement, logistics, operations and data analytics. Our hands-on implementation experts work with executives and their teams to rapidly break through functional silos and transform the buy-make-move-fulfill digital supply chain to deliver the greatest value to customers and stakeholders at the lowest cost to business. We call this Total Value Optimization (TVO)™.

Maine Pointe’s engagements are results-driven and deliver between 4:1-8:1 ROI. We are so confident in our work and our processes that we provide a unique 100% guarantee of engagement fees based on annualized savings. http://www.mainepointe.com

About SGS

SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 97,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.

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Travelodge Hotel Downtown Chicago by Wyndham

“Growing up in Chicago, as the first generation in my family to be born and raised here, I am extremely humbled to now be managing such a historic property in the city I call home,” said Zio Pekovic, principal and co-founder of Scarlett Hotel Group.

CHICAGO (PRWEB)
March 02, 2020

Scarlett Hotel Group (SHG) announced today that the company has taken over management of the Travelodge Hotel Downtown Chicago by Wyndham. Formerly known as the Harrison Hotel, the historic building located at 65 East Harrison at the corner of Harrison and Wabash, just steps from Grant Park and Columbia College, is a major win for the entrepreneurial hospitality management and development group.     

“Growing up in Chicago, as the first generation in my family to be born and raised here, I am extremely humbled to now be managing such a historic property in the city I call home,” said Zio Pekovic, principal and co-founder of SHG. “It’s truly an amazing opportunity to take a property that’s an important part of the city’s past and make it shine again.”

The Travelodge Hotel Downtown Chicago by Wyndham was originally named the Harrison Hotel when it was completed in 1930. The 12-story structure was designed by architect Alfred S. Alschuler, who also designed the London Guarantee Building (now the London House hotel) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Upon its original grand opening, advertisements boasted “circulating ice water,” access to a radio for only 25 cents, and the first attached hotel garage in the city.

Today, the 233-guest room building provides visitors with easy access to all that Chicago has to offer, including Michigan Avenue, Millennium Park, Soldier Field, and the museum campus. SHG’s immediate plans for the Travelodge Downtown include a hotel-wide refresh to bring the property up to the standards of today’s modern traveler.

About the Travelodge Hotel Downtown Chicago by Wyndham

Located at 65 East Harrison Street in downtown Chicago, the Travelodge Hotel Downtown Chicago by Wyndham is now under the management of Scarlett Hotel Group. The historic, 233-room art deco hotel is located adjacent to Chicago’s Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain and Lake Michigan, and is an ideal loca-tion for guests looking to visit Chicago’s most popular attractions, including Chicago museums, Michigan Avenue, Soldier Field, McCormick Place, and Millennium Park. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, a variety of rooms including family/oversized rooms and rooms with kitchenettes, and two onsite restaurants. Visit https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/travelodge/chicago-illinois/travelodge-hotel-downtown-chicago/ or call 1-312-574-3335 for reservations.

About Scarlett Hotel Group

With offices in Chicago and Nashville, Scarlett Hotel Group (SHG) was founded by hotel industry leaders Andrew Scarlett, Rob Sadoff and Zio Pekovic. The company is a people-focused organization with a passion for hotel development, acquisitions, management and sales using core values to improve traditional industry standards. Visit http://scarletthotelgroup.com/.

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Media Contact: Beth Strautz, beth@vaguspr.com, 773-895-5387

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Linda Marie Arredondo

We are excited to introduce Linda Marie to the Express family as we embark on a new decade of growth and innovation. – Express CEO Bill Stoller

OKLAHOMA CITY (PRWEB)
March 02, 2020

Linda Marie Arredondo has joined Express Employment Professionals as its first-ever Chief Information Officer (CIO).

As CIO, Arredondo will lead Express through an IT transformation, implementing integration tools to help current systems work better together, while determining an Enterprise Architecture Strategy to modernize and transform technology delivery, system-wide.

“We are excited to add Linda Marie to the Express family as we embark on a new decade of growth and innovation,” said Express CEO Bill Stoller. “She will play an instrumental role in ensuring our data is secure, our systems are efficient and our processes are fully supported from a technical standpoint.”

With an impressive and diverse career in information technology spanning 20 years, Arredondo previously worked at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation as Director of Information Technology and CIO and the Florida Housing Finance Corporation as the Chief Technology Officer.

Most recently, Arredondo served as the Director of Research and Executive Advisor within the CIO Practice at Info-Tech Research Group, where she served as a trusted counselor to IT and business executives in diverse industries around the globe. This role offered Arredondo the opportunity to leverage her diverse IT experience and business acumen to provide innovative perspectives and solutions that alleviated the top IT challenges that impact the holistic success of the business.

A technologist first and a servant leader at heart, Arredondo’s professional expertise will allow her to utilize her knowledge to help Express further reach its goal of putting a million people to work and doing good in the communities we serve.

“By consistently demonstrating a commitment to our mission and vision statements, I’m drawn to Express and the opportunity to improve the quality of life for others through staffing, both directly and indirectly,” Arredondo said. “Within the communities I have visited, Express’ positive reputation and culture of caring are consistently demonstrated, not only through connecting people with jobs, but also through the company’s acts of social responsibility.”

Collectively, Arredondo’s experience allows her to strategically help Express identify opportunities for improvement as related to growth and connection to franchisees, client companies and associates. Her background lends itself to handling new and exciting opportunities in both staffing and franchising as the company dives into a new decade and beyond.

“Through our existing focus on proactive and diligent cybersecurity measures, we will continue to shepherd a culture of cybersecurity awareness both internally and externally with our trusted partners and various stakeholders,” Arredondo said. “By renewing our commitment to providing world-class customer service, I hope to empower the Express IT team to clear pathways to drive innovation through technology to achieve greatness.”

A graduate of St. Gregory’s University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, summa cum laude, Linda Marie’s approach to education is rooted in the philosophy that lifelong learning is a valuable and meaningful endeavor. Professionally, she’s an active member of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma (AICCO) and is a 2018 graduate of their Leadership Native Oklahoma program. Giving back to the community, she currently serves as secretary on the Board of Directors for The Kwek Society and treasurer on the Board of Directors for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Tribal Chapter – Shkodedeajek.

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If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bill Stoller to discuss this topic, please contact Sheena Karami, Director of Corporate Communications and PR, at (405) 717-5966.

About Bill Stoller

William H. “Bill” Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the international staffing company has more than 825 franchises in the U.S., Canada and South Africa, and beginning in 2020 will expand to Australia and New Zealand. Since its inception, Express has put more than 8 million people to work worldwide.

About Express Employment Professionals

At Express Employment Professionals, we’re in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK, our international network of franchises offer localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve, employing 552,000 people across North America in 2019. For more information, visit http://www.ExpressPros.com.

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