Matt Wehr
Lean Coach and Principal, Big Four Ventures
A former Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing, North America, executive trained by general manager-level sensei, Matt helps design and leads the implementation of lean organizational transformations for manufacturing, healthcare, government, and software start-ups. His guidance facilitates the creation of learning organizations that deliver improved financial results, operating outcomes, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction.
With extensive experience as a general manager, plant manager, and business unit manager, Matt’s mastery of managing for long-term sustainability by applying lean management philosophies and a systems approach is difficult to match. A Toyota Production System practitioner and thought leader, he is experienced and comfortable guiding executive-level discussions in the boardroom and hands-on coaching with frontline managers.
Under the guidance of former presidents of the Toyota Supplier Support Center Hajime Ohba and Hideshi Yokoi, Matt led transformations in all of Toyota’s North America Assembly plants and select supplier plants from 2002 to 2009. Examples of work he helped advance by applying the thinking and approach include: · Oversight of leaders designing and leading national workshops in powertrain, stamping, body weld, paint, plastics, internal logistics, and assembly
- Ambulance conversion value stream direct labor reduction of 70% and working inventory in-process reduction of 40%
- Reorganization and cost reduction after a plant closure, resulting in decreasing annual loss by $2 million
- Strategy deployment, alignment, and global problem-solving
Matt’s ability to break complex concepts into simple steps and hands-on approach create trust, which speeds all levels of management’s ability to understand and execute, making it easy for teams he joins to apply their new understanding to future work. Executive leaders can expect sustainable gains and continuing value creation once he passes the baton to the staff.
A graduate of Harvard Business School with a general management focus, Matt brings extensive breadth and experience leading the use of lean as a business system.