Lean Champions
A curated directory of lean champions ready to help you become lean or leaner.
Zack Estes
Lean Dirt
Hey, I’m Zack Estes!
I built **Lean Dirt** for one reason: to transform dirt businesses from mediocrity to excellence.
How? By standardizing and optimizing for the purpose of increasing productivity.
You’ve got the people. The projects. The equipment.
But without the systems, it’s firefighting. Every day.
I come from manufacturing—where systems & processes are everything.
And when I started working with civil contractors, I saw the gap:
**No one teaches the dirt world how to run lean.**
That’s what this is. A system for increasing productivity and eliminating chaos.
Alex Ramirez
Total Team Transformation Consulting LLC
With 24 years in the manufacturing industry, I’ve lived the front lines of operational excellence. Over the years, I’ve mastered the full toolbox of Lean from value stream mapping to Six Sigma but tools alone don’t create lasting change.
What truly sets me apart is my passion and ability to transform team culture. I specialize in building winning, continuous improvement mindsets, the kind where every team member improves the workday by day, not because a boss is watching, but because it’s who they are.
I’m also trilingual, which helps me connect deeply with diverse teams and drive change across languages and cultures.
The heart of my work is captured in 3T:
- Total Team Transformation.
- This isn’t about improving a select few.
- It’s not just about top engineers or Lean experts using sophisticated tools.
- It’s about creating a culture where everyone in the company from the shop floor to the office sees waste, speaks up, and contributes ideas to make the system safer, simpler, and faster.
My mission is simple:
- Create teams that think, solve, and improve
- together.
Whether I’m on the shop floor or in a strategy session, I focus on making Lean real, human, and sustainable.
Edwin Proper
ProperGrowth
Helping you energize morning meetings, 3S time and engage your team.
I’m Edwin Proper, a Lean Culture Coach dedicated to helping small teams around the world…
improve morning meetings & improvement time, build engagement and grow people.
I train & coach people to be better presenters, create and share practical content to help turn daily huddles into the most valuable part of the day with simple, actionable tools to boost team culture, communication, and continuous improvement!
If you’re a business owner or manager who’s tired of boring meetings and disengaged staff, reach out and see how I can help you and your team.
Bernard Powell
Premier Group NZ
I’m a no-nonsense business coach who’s spent over 20 years building and leading companies across manufacturing, construction, coaching, and tech. I help business owners cut the chaos, build strong habits, lift culture, and lead with confidence. My coaching is practical and direct, focused on clarity, accountability, and systems that actually drive growth.
My mission is simple: unlock your potential, sharpen your mindset, and help you build a business and life you’re genuinely proud of.
Alison Roddy
AR Lean Solutions
Alison Roddy is a Lean trainer and coach dedicated to helping leaders build high-performing operations through practical, culture-first Lean principles.
She is also a founding leader of Lean Cluster NI, a cross-sector initiative supporting Lean capability and collaboration across Northern Ireland.
Over the past decade, Alison was part of the senior team that led Seating Matters through a widely recognised Lean transformation, helping to shape one of Northern Ireland’s most progressive and operationally excellent manufacturing cultures.
Alongside this, under the brand Lean Made Simple, she supported thousands of businesses across the UK, Ireland, and internationally to embed Lean principles, develop confident leaders, and build sustainable daily habits at every level of operations.
Get listed
- The Lean Champions list is curated.
- We invite professionals who consistently champion Lean and run businesses dedicated to helping others improve with Lean thinking.
- Most additions come through our existing network of coaches, consultants and improvement groups.
- If you believe your work reflects that standard, reach out. You can contact Tom directly on LinkedIn to explore being added to the list.