MEET OUR LEADERSHIP
Dantar Oosterwal / Partner, Idea-to-Value
Dantar is highly regarded as a global thought leader in Lean Innovation and Product Development systems, as well as an advisor, speaker, and award-winning author. He has a passion for learning and applying lean product development systems to drive business performance improvements. Dantar has championed numerous large-scale, global operational improvement initiatives and has led Lean Innovation transformations for organizations, resulting in significant enhancements to both top-line revenue and bottom-line efficiency. His contributions to the field have earned him prestigious accolades, including the Shingo Prize for his work in Lean Innovation from the Shingo Institute, the Outstanding Corporate Innovator award from PDMA, and several product patents.
Dantar has held leadership positions in major corporations, serving as the Global Vice President of Innovation at Sara Lee and as the Product Development and Product Planning Leader at Harley-Davidson Motor Company. His consulting experience spans a diverse range of industries, from raw materials such as mining and chemicals to high-tech defense systems. His industry expertise includes automotive, recreational products, consumer packaged goods, white goods, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals. His areas of specialization encompass Lean Innovation, Product Development Systems, Procurement, Product Strategy, Operational Excellence, Lean Transformation, Engineering Excellence, Continuous Improvement, Business Process Improvement, and Product Value Management.
As a published author, Dantar has made significant contributions to the field of Lean Product Development. He co-authored Visible Knowledge for Flawless Design with Dr. Durward Sobek, based on the work of Dr. Allen Ward. Additionally, he authored The Lean Machine, which was awarded the Shingo literature prize for its impact on Lean Product Development.
Dantar has a PhD at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in the area of Lean Product Development. He holds a Master of Science in Management (MSM) from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He is fluent in English and Dutch.
