1. Jean Sherwin
2745 Blue Sky Circle, Erie, Colorado 80516
507-210-1152 jeansherwin@yahoo.com
Continuous Improvement Manager
Business minded lean practitioner and team builder providing 20%+ productivity growth and comparable
reductions in inventory. Passionate and trusted consensus builder who rapidly guides cross-functional
teams through difficult problem solving situations. Self-motivated facilitator who adapts easily to a fast-paced
environment.
Project Management | Leadership and Coaching | Problem Solving | Change Agent | Lean Methodology
Team Oriented | Facilitation | Continuous Improvement Team Management | Relationship Management
VIRACON COMPANY, Owatonna, Minnesota, 2013 – 2015
Recruited by the Director of Continuous Improvement to establish a lean culture and drive operational
excellence through process focus.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT MANAGER
 Led production teams in the development of MDI (Managing for Daily Improvement) metrics.
 Facilitated teams to establish 5S at a level 3 in 4 production lines.
 Facilitated 19 kaizen event teams across two sites to establish up to 20% productivity
improvement in their scope areas.
 Trained all organizational levels in the principles and tools of a lean management system
including, kaizen (shop floor, office), 2 Second lean, A3 problem solving, Leader Standard work.
FOLDCRAFT COMPANY, Kenyon, Minnesota, 2000 – 2013
Drove rapid improvement of up to 40% by facilitating over 125 kaizen event teams throughout 5
facilities.
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
 Developed and coached self-directed work teams in two sites.
 Developed a training topic matrix to accommodate a leadership development program.
 Facilitated a cross-functional team to develop and implement a new hire orientation process and
hands on training lab reducing turn-over by 50%.
OPERATIONS MANAGER
 Project managed the consolidation of two facilities to one during a merger.
 Managed the integration of new employees during company merger.
 Hand-picked to facilitate the implementation of an ERP system to “go-live” in 10 months.
 Coached 2 self-directed production work teams (supervisors, engineers, and schedulers).
 Conducted 3 employee engagement surveys and facilitated teams to implement solutions using
VOC (voice of the customer) methodology.
CAREER PROGRESSION

2. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT TEAM LEADER
 Identified process improvement opportunities and developed implementation project plans.
 Analyzed work flow, capacity, WIP levels, and process capabilities to achieve optimal performance
and maximum production efficiency.
 Led cross-functional teams using lean methodology from conceptual design through implementation
 Tracked, analyzed, and published performance measures related to process improvements (safety,
quality, delivery and cost)
 Developed standard work using Takt time/Cycle time methodology
 Managed the relocation of two facilities to bring all capabilities under one roof
 Co-Led the development and implementation of four self-directed work teams
SHELDAHL COMPANY, Northfield, Minnesota, 1981 – 2000
Supply Chain Planner, Master Planner, Logistics/Warehouse Supervisor, Production Supervisor
 Responsible for implementation of TOC (Theory of Constraints) techniques including identification of
production constraint, analyzing improvement methods, measuring and reporting results
 Created and communicated daily production schedules for Mexico, Canada, and South Dakota facilities using
Oracle ERP system
 Served as the ERP implementation “super user” for the shop floor control function
 Key member of HD (High Density) New Product/Process Team responsible for designing process flows,
identifying machine/capacity requirements, staffing needs (both total FTE and skill sets), and designing
material flow techniques to manage inventory levels (JIT, kanban, buffer inventories, etc.)
 Implemented a reliable, realistic master production plan for all manufacturing facilities
 Worked with Operations, Sales, and Customer Support on daily changes & delivery issues
 Created and implemented design/layout for new stockroom
 Key member of team to develop and implement new manufacturing process flows for new product line to
support $50M of new business
 Hired, trained, and supervised employees (25 FTE)
 Created and delivered training programs to staff (team building, problem solving, technical, etc.)
 Concordia University, St. Paul - B.A. Organizational Management & Communication
 Shop floor Kaizen Instructor Training – TBM LeanSigma Institute
 Kaizen Promotion Office Training - TBM LeanSigma Institute
 Toyota Kata Training – Lean Enterprise Institute
 A3 Training – Lean Enterprise Institute
 Proficient in a variety of software applications including, Microsoft Word, Excel, Visio, PowerPoint,
Project, Outlook and the internet.
 Proficient in facilitating shop floor, business process (value stream), MDI (Managing by Daily
Improvement), Voice of the Customer, 2P and 3P kaizen events.
 Experienced in analyzing and using data to develop metrics.
 Experienced influencer without direct report.
 Excellent presentation skills.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
SKILLS AND ABILITIES