As a Principal Consultant with deep experience in Product Development, I specialize in Lean Product Development, Agile for hardware development, and Continuous Improvement through Systems Thinking. With a Master’s degree from MIT, following undergraduate degrees in Electrical Engineering and Japanese, I bring a unique blend of technical expertise and strategic creativity. By combining principles-based transformations with people-centric leadership, I enable companies to achieve sustainable growth through operational excellence.My route to product development operational expertise was non-linear. I studied for the Catholic priesthood and spent time in professional theater and improv. These experiences ground my approach to working with people and my ability to create a truly collaborative environment. Post MIT, I served as a research engineer at Sharp Corporation in Japan. During that time, I was honored to be the first foreigner to serve on the technical advisory board of HODIC (Japanese professional society of holography), the first foreigner to present his team’s research achievements to the president of Sharp (in Japanese), and belonged to a technology art collaborative, Ex-Lumina, having works displayed in the Ginza Gallery and in the Artec international techno-art show. At Sharp, I was awarded Japanese and International patents for controlled diffusion in head-mounted displays using an off-axis Fresnel micro-lens array. And most importantly, during this immersive experience, I gained firsthand experience with Japanese Kaizen and the Japanese application of the Deming Management system.Post Japan, in my executive roles, I have consistently delivered results by my ability to build successful collaborative teams. As a General Manager, I led a company’s largest strategic business unit, driving an 84% growth over three years while achieving a net income of 40% of revenue. This highlights my ability to lead organizations to high achievement, leveraging strategy analysis and product development excellence. In my consulting practice, I have consistently moved clients to higher operational performance, focusing on the quality of their product development system. For example, client Dayton Phoenix transformed a system with highly variable results to one of reliable consistency. They achieved greater than 90% on-time performance in projects and established regular clear communication between the business and operational sides of the company. For inquiries or to connect, please reach out to me at farmerbill.mn@gmail.com.
Listed skills include Development, Product Development, Electronics, Research, and 2 others.