J.D. Cunnigham
Senior Partner

An experienced operations executive from Industrial and Medical Equipment manufacturing; J.D. Cunningham offers a wealth of experience in continuous improvement with a deep focus on Lean Six Sigma and Manufacturing technology.
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J.D. is sought after for his work improving production effectiveness through Product and Process Design.  He is a former US Naval Officer with hands-on training and strong engineering foundation in TPM guiding him from gas-turbine propulsion engineering to consulting innovative product and processes in various industries. 

As V.P. of Operations at Blount Forestry Products and Director of New Product Development at Hill-Rom and STERIS; J.D. successfully implemented team-based product development processes and manufacturing systems based on Lean principles. 

J.D. has worked internationally including a first-tier automotive supplier start-up working in Italy, France, Germany, and Austria.  He is the author of the Kaizen Team Leader’s Handbook and Developing LeanSigma Leaders.  His Lean Foundation with Shingijutsu Consulting Group extends back to 1989 and he has facilitated hundreds of U.S. Kaizen Events in Japan, New Zealand, China, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland.  

J.D. speaks conversational Italian and German; he holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Master’s degree in Manufacturing Technology and Management from Kettering University.