David​ Sorenson
Senior Partner

Dave has over 30 years’ experience successfully implementing business improvements, through lean and six-sigma methodologies, for numerous companies spanning multiple industries.  

During the early 80s he worked directly with JIT pioneer, Dr. Richard Schonberger, on several major JIT/lean projects at Tennant Company – a Minneapolis based manufacturer.  He applied this lean expertise in an operations leadership role, as a Focused Factory Manager for Donaldson Company, combined it with the rapid implementation methodology of kaizen, and led their first “blitz” in 1992. Since then, he has facilitated several hundred successful events.  Through his leadership as GM / Director of Operations at Nortel Networks, the organization utilized lean thinking to implement continuous flow and slashed lead times by over 75%.  The results reduced inventory levels, improved product quality, increased customer satisfaction and resulted in recognition as an America’s Best Plants finalist. Dave joined St. Jude Medical as Senior Director of Continuous Improvement where he initiated and led improvement activities that resulted in dramatic bottom-line results.  During this time, St. Jude was able to hold manufacturing spending level while increasing output by more than 25% each year. 
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As a consultant he has led clients through lean transformations in first-tier automotive supply, telecom, contract-electronics manufacturing, multiple printing and process industries, construction, pharma, healthcare, and the medical device industry.  Dave has presented at national and local conferences on Lean and Lean Sigma applications in the medical device industry and the “people-side of lean” at leadership workshops.  ​

He holds an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering and has completed numerous graduate courses in Manufacturing Systems Engineering.  He is a Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE) and a Senior Member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ).