Mark Ryan has a demonstrated track record of training, mentoring and inspiring individuals to work as members of productive and cohesive teams. Mark is passionate about helping others achieve peak performance and exceed goals by means of implementing cutting edge business strategies and evoking associate engagement.
With over eight years of professional experience in Lean Six Sigma, Mark has been instrumental in implementing over 130 Kaizen events to help small and large companies yield higher production and efficiencies while maintaining or improving quality. Mark began his Lean journey when he was selected for the unique opportunity to be trained and coached by Toyota Senseis. From there, he went on to implement Lean on the ground level in two national organizations. Additionally, Mark holds a Black Belt certification from Purdue University and has formal training in the tools and strategies of Lean Six Sigma including: DMAIC, DMADV, DFSS, visual management, 5S, continuous improvement (Kaizen), go and see (Genchi Genbutsu), built-in quality (Jidoka), load-leveling (Hijunka), and eliminating wastes (Muda).
Mark has been contracted to facilitate workshops about Lean Six Sigma and offers a Yellow and Green Belt workshop courses with certification. His unique approach to course materials, hands-on exercises, and the ability to convey complex principles in a simple manner is what makes his solution stand out.
Selected Career Highlights
- ~$30MM reduction in expenditures in 2 years by waste reduction efforts
- ~$10MM reduction in 3rd party sublet expenditures
- Led over 130 Kaizen events for organizational continuous improvements
- Spearheaded transition to centralized reconditioning utilizing lean principles
December 7, 2014
"I recently completed a 4 day workshop on LSS with Mark. As a learning expert, Mark did several things at an expert level for adult learners: 1) sequenced the content into manageable and logical chunks, 2) communicated and emphasized the WIIFM, and 3) allowed for ample practice and interaction. He is an excellent facilitator and I highly recommend Mark for other LSS workshops without hesitation. As a CLSS practitioner, his knowledge and expertise was demonstrated throughout the workshop."
Debra (Thompson) Matthews Corporate Event Planner | Sales and Marketing Professional December 7, 2014
"I would like to recommend Mark as a great coach, mentor, leader and GURU of Lean Six Sigma. I recently completed a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt workshop lead by Mark Ryan. He was an expert at explaining the complex methods/ theories, and showed us how to use critical thinking to apply the methods of LSS to our everyday workplace situations. It has been surprising, and was an awakening to find that I already use or have used many of the methods of LSS with out my knowledge. Mark: thank you for enlightening me!"
Emily Sego Performance Improvement Consultant at Community Health Network January 16, 2015
"I had a wonderful opportunity to observe Mark teach a Yellow Belt class. I can't say enough about how he engages the participants in the learning process. He makes learning fun and knows how to connect with his audience in a meaningful way. Mark exhibits pure passion and excitement for the work he does."
Rodney Sopczynski LSSY General / Branch Manager November 7, 2014
"Process Improvement Specialist I Lean Implementation Leader.
Mark can produce results! I now know …. “for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
Marks previous experience training, mentoring and inspiring people to work as productive and cohesive teams to achieve peak performance helped to produce the results that I was looking for - “Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification”
Marks passion for “Master Six Sigma Black Belt” is very evident and the business that is lucky enough to acquire Mark will indeed be very fortunate."
Bonnie Scott LSSY IT Project Manager | Business/Systems Analyst November 7, 2014
"Mark Ryan is passionate about Lean Six Sigma, which was very evident in the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt training that he developed and presented and which I was fortunate to attend. It was a well-rounded course including the history of Lean and Six Sigma, and the hybrid Lean Six Sigma as well as benefits of LSS, LSS terminology, and real world exercises using LSS tools. Mark is organized, customer service oriented, and an excellent instructor. Mark Ryan would be a sound investment for any company that needs a leader certified in Lean Six Sigma with a passion for process improvement and the ability to share his wealth of knowledge in a way that is engaging and drives the process home."
Tiffany C. Hatfield, MA, LSS Director of Foundation and Corporate Giving at YMCA of Greater Indianapolis November 7, 2014
"Mark led an excellent class to earn a yellow belt in Lean Six Sigma. His attention to the many terms and definitions we learned, the opportunity to practice hands-on, and interact with fellow students on teams and as a whole, were a strong combination to learn and internalize the information. I'm very glad for the opportunity to take this class, and look forward to advancing in Lean Six Sigma."
Michael Adams LSS Energy Executive | Engineering & Operations Leadership December 7, 2014
"Mark Ryan prepared and presented a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt training that I attended. His professional attention to detail and instructional leadership is the best that I have had opportunity to see first hand. Mr. Ryan kept the exercises on task and track and the learning at a LEAN pace while optimizing the learning flow and walking with us in the place where value is created. Thank you for the lesson on rapid continuous improvement!"
Richard Louden IT Business Analyst | Data Analyst November 7, 2014
"I had the good fortune to be accepted into a Lean Six Sigma yellow belt training course which Mark designed and led. Mark structured the training to include real world examples and multiple student participation exercises. He frequently prompted student feedback to ensure that the class understood the principles along with where and how they could be put into practice. The teaching style and materials were highly effective and I would recommend Mark’s training to anyone."
Melissa Brodey Events Manager I Meeting Planner I Marketing Professional November 7, 2014
"I recently completed the Yellow Belt Lean Six Sigma workshop Mark Ryan facilitated. Mark has a natural ability to train others and engage them in the learning process. I have always been curious about the Lean/Six Sigma process and after Mark's class I am even more excited to learn more. I believe knowing the fundamentals of Six Sigma will definitely benefit me in my next career endeavor."
Patricia Ihama HR Director | Manager | Business Partner | Recruiter | Talent Acquisition | Diversity & Inclusion April 24, 2015
"I am so excited to type this recommendation for Mark Ryan who was my Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt and Green Belt instructor. Mark was introduced to me by a friend who knows about my inability to afford retaking the class that I had completed with another company in 2011. Mark was willing and ready to work with me without any question asked. He is a marvelous instructor who is always ready for class with full and detailed agenda, visual explanations (PowerPoint and tools), a great listener and problem solver who communicates clearly. In Mark’s class, you better be ready to be fully engaged because there was no dull moment! He was never in a hurry to go home despite the fact that the class ends at 9:30 p.m. and he had to work the next day. As a Professor, I find his teaching styles very unique of all types of examples including life experiences. He takes your imagination into those experiences…….I always see myself being in the moment of those experiences during his teaching. Not only did I receive my certification from his class, I also adopted his teaching techniques to use with my own students.
I am highly recommending Mark Ryan for any position not only because of his teaching and leadership skills, but also because of his numerous very creative techniques and empathy for his team in ensuring a perfect result at whatever he does."
Donna Karsnick Collaborative & innovative leader April 24, 2015
"I recently attended a Lean Six Sigma certification program facilitated by Mark. The training was definitely “value added” and as an instructor Mark exceeded my expectations. As a Certified Lean Six-Sigma Black Belt, Mark demonstrated that he was an exceptional subject matter expert. He created an “Obeya” that was conducive to learning so all attendees could “Genchi Genbutsu” and practice value stream mapping, one-piece flow and root cause analysis. His visual training guides helped tremendously. The PACE time was spot-on; therefore there was no “Muda”. Mark is a strong leader, outstanding communicator, first-rate trainer and is a “Sensei” that really knows how to connect with his trainees. Thank you Mark!"
Tricia Reynolds Communications/Public Relations Expert January 16, 2015
"Mark is an expert in the field of Lean Six Sigma. He has a keen ability to make complex information understandable to the average person. I would highly recommend all of my colleagues attend a training session with Mark through Value Stream LLC."
Jim F. Watson Office Assistant for Indiana University Health Vascular Physicians at Methodist Hospital April 24, 2015
"I was in Mark Ryan's LSS class where he is an excellent instructor that communicates very well with students of all ability levels. He always presented the material and concepts in a clear and concise manner. He would give real life examples to make the concepts clear and understandable to the class. Each day we were told what the objectives of the day's class were going to be, and the next day he reviewed the objectives we were taught the prior day. Also, the exercises that the class did and Mark's visual explanations on the whiteboard were excellent for explaining the concepts, applications and theories of Lean Six Sigma. Mark was a very dedicated instructor who would stay after class to answer all student questions and concerns for every student who sought his assistance."
January 9, 2015
"I highly recommend Mark as a great leader, coach, and mentor. Mark was my instructor for the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt workshop and I greatly appreciated his dedication and wealth of knowledge he taught me. He is definitely a GURU of Lean Six Sigma and went above and beyond all expectations. Thank you Mark!"
Denise Corina Contract Management and Administration | iProcurement November 7, 2014
"I just completed Mark's LSSYBC training this week and found the content and Mark's curriculum to be thorough yet succinct making it comprehensible and not overwhelming. Mark has a keen training style - he delivers learning content clearly, both in his visual presentation and in his oral delivery, adding Just the right touch of an upbeat rhythm and his personal humor to offset the pressure and make learning fun.
I've had many learning facilitators over the years and I endorse Mark up there with the best of them.
Thank you Mark for a pleasurable learning experience!"
David Gafford, MAML, LSS Director of Communications | Public Relations November 7, 2014
"Mark truly is a LEAN implementation leader. I have seen the results that he brought to his former companies through the utilization of Six Sigma and LEAN principles, and know that he will make an immediate impact in his next position. Continuous improvement is in Mark's DNA, and his use of DMAIC and the 5s's make him a highly coveted employee. If you're looking for someone with Mark's skills, you've found one of the best."
Paul Rosiek Healthcare Manager April 24, 2015
"I had the pleasure of taking the Lean Six Sigma Certification courses, both Yellow Belt and Green Belt, from Mark Ryan and Value Stream Consulting. Professionally, he is knowledgeable in the course topics of Lean Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, DMAIC, Process Improvement, and many other topics that were covered in the courses. He is clearly a Subject Matter Expert (SME) when it comes to Lean Six Sigma!
But Mark went well beyond these expectations. He is a wonderful trainer, focused on helping his students internalize the core concepts so we won’t forget them as soon as we pass the test. He was also very responsive to the needs of the students, as he was able to demonstrate Lean Six Sigma skills within a number of industries brought up in student questions. And last, but not least, Mark kept the material relevant and fun for the students.
I have already verbally recommended Mark and his class to others, and I am glad to finally put this in writing. I am proud to have completed the courses, and strongly recommend these courses to others."
James W. Officer President DASHMASTERS April 24, 2015
"Mark is not only a subject matter expert in Lean Six Sigma, he is, perhaps, more importantly, and engaging and inspiring teacher of the subject. Regardless of your exposure to the principles of Lean Six Sigma, you will benefit from investing the time, effort, and resources experience a learning experience that he facilitates."
Robert Rummel Indiana/Michigan Community Support Coordinator April 24, 2015
"I am a recent graduate of Mark Ryan's LSS class. I found Mark to be an exceptional instructor. His demonstrated subject matter expertise and admirable communication skills work well with students of all ability levels. He always presented the material and concepts in a clear and concise manner. He would give real life examples to make the concepts clear and understandable to the class. His admirable professionalism was appreciated and resulted in a 100% graduation rate. Mark’s personal commitment and integrity made this a pleasurable undertaking."
Tom Bastin, CPA, MBA, CGMA Strategic Financial Business Leader November 7, 2014
"We were very fortunate to have an experienced process improvement expert like Mark Ryan as our instructor for the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) training. Mark has a deep understanding of LSS principles. Not only does he have a keen understanding of LSS, but he is very skillful in communicating them to others as well. Mark provided us with great examples of how he has applied these principles to save companies thousands of dollars, and I have no doubt that he could do this for the next company he works for."
Jose Marquez Engineer | Water Resources | Operations and Maintenance November 7, 2014
"I completed Mark’s Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt training and I found him to be a really great professional. The course was excellently developed in terms of organization, theoretical and practical content, class participation and material. Mark’s coaching skills and knowledge made it easy to learn Lean and Six Sigma concepts such as Kaizen and Kaizen Blitz, Muda, Value Added and Non-Value Added, Value Stream Mapping, 5S programs, Heijunka, USL and LSL, DPMO, DMAIC, and many more. Mark also engaged and led teams for hands on process improvement to better assimilate learned concepts. I truly think Mark is an excellent Lean Six Sigma expert."
Leslie Pratt Business Data Analyst | Data & Process Modeling Extensive Project Life Cycle Experience November 7, 2014
"Mark is an excellent trainer. The Lean Six Sigma training that Mark did at WorkOne was very well done. He was able to truly engage the students and keep it interesting. He took the time to drive the major concepts of Kaizen, Muda (Muri & Mura) and Heijunka into his student's minds. In addition, he brought the tools like Kanban, Andon and Obeya to life with great examples and pictures. I really benefited from his training and feel I can go out and use it right away. Thanks, Mark!"
Dan Wearstler Career Counselor at Work One-Fishers November 7, 2014
"Mark is an excellent instructor/trainer of Lean Six Sigma concepts. Mark is a good communicator and extremely knowledgeable of the advantages that come from understanding and applying Lean/Six Sigma in the workplace. As an instructor he is able to take complex information and make it understandable to everyone in the class. I found Mark to be very personable and genuinely concerned that each and every student understood the materials he was presenting. I would recommend Mark to any company searching to understand and implement Lean Six Sigma in their organization."
Brian Wisinski Management Professional CLSS | Manufacturing Excellence December 7, 2014
"I had the privilege to attend a LSS class directed by Mark Ryan. I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this professionally organized event. Mark instructed all class personal with integrity, professionalism, and respect. It was a great learning experience for me personally and Mark made it fun as well. Thank you Mark."
Heidi Thompson International Study Abroad November 7, 2014
"Mark Ryan lives and breathes Lean Six Sigma and is able to transmit its concepts and real-world applications without muda (waste) and in an easily-digestible format. With his quick-wit, real-world examples, and his own Andon light to keep course participants on track, learning LSS concepts is both fun and relevant.
Mark helped me see how LSS goes well beyond its manufacturing heritage and is being used today across many service industries, including marketing, customer experience, retail, and universities. I recommend Mark Ryan as a CLSS adherent and instructor to anyone or to any organization."
Gerald Pflugh, PMP® Certified IT Project Manager November 7, 2014
"I recently completed the Certified Lean Six-Sigma Yellow Belt workshop offered through WorkOne in Fishers. Mark Ryan did a superb job of organizing and leading us through the material for the 4-day duration of the course. His verbal and visual presentation was top-notch, professional, and very easily understood. Mark is an excellent instructor who knows LSS and communicated the course material to the team with insight and humor. Thanks Mark!"
Karla Jones, CLSS Consultant at Eli Lilly and Company December 7, 2014
"Mark taught the Certified Lean Six Sigma (LLS) Yellow Belt course through WorkOne. As a student, I was able to certify my skills in understanding the basic tools and knowledge for LSS. While Mark's primary knowledge is in the automotive industry, he supplied the class with ample opportunities to transfer the knowledge to other industries making it beneficial for all. The class participated in several projects from value stream mapping to a fishbone analysis. As a learning professional, I am always looking for things to add to my toolbox. The peanut butter and jelly exercise was "spot on" for teaching about the Standardized Operating Worksheet."
Nancy Holloran Experienced Epic Software Professional | Master of Science in Health Informatics December 7, 2014
"Mark was an excellent instructor for the LSSYB class he led. As one of Mark's student's, and someone who has seen many instructors, he was committed, effective, efficient, fun, engaging, and completely knowledgeable of the LSS process.
His class was informative, yet interactive, with projects for value stream mapping and process analysis. He was very thorough in his discussions and had great PowerPoint presentations with many examples. It was obvious he was very well prepared. He had many materials needed for the many examples he presented and for the class projects. Mark definitely knows his subject matter here and was always open to questions and working with the class... Thank you, Mark!"
Michele Carbone December 7, 2014
"I had the privilege to attend a Lean Six Sigma (Yellow Belt) class directed by Mark. His teaching methods are very effective; he made everyone feel part of this team, and encouraged every student, creating a professional but friendly atmosphere in class; during class he established himself as a leader not because he was the teacher, but because of his knowledgeable and passionate approach to teaching. He maintained high quality standards throughout the event. "
Teresa Marti Banking and Program Management Professional November 7, 2014
"Mark is an excellent leader and motivator as I could experienced in a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt training I took with him as my instructor.
His training style with a mixture of hands-on projects and other learning techniques paired with his passion for the LSS strategy and his communication skills help me and my fellow students internalized the information well."
Jonathan Jorgensen Emergency Management | Project Management November 7, 2014
"I was fortunate to have Mark Ryan provide instruction on becoming certified in Lean Six-Sigma (LLS) Yellow Belt. Mark Ryan truly understands the Six-Sigma process and conveyed the theories and principles easily to a group of individuals new to the process. His real world examples open our eyes to how companies are adapting LLS practices into their business models. I would recommend Mark Ryan as a LSS instructor to anyone or to any organization looking to learn how to become more efficient and reduce their muda (waste)."
Kevin Barach Engaging leader in business / customer service November 7, 2014
"I recently took a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt class with Mark as my instructor and found him to be extremely knowledgeable on LSS in all areas. He is professional, thorough, a great instructor and passionate about this process and helping others to understand and execute the same techniques. I highly recommend Mark and his instruction to anyone wanting to better their careers and learn more about Six Sigma. Mark is certified in this area and is well worth contacting and utilizing on your career path or if you are a company or organization in need of someone with these skills and his passion."
Carlos Peredo Financial, Strategic Planning and Business Development Executive January 16, 2015
"I recently had the privilege to attend a Lean Six-Sigma Yellow Belt training program facilitated by Mark. Although I have been exposed to Lean Six-Sigma principles in my career, Mark managed to make the training interesting and engaging for me. I learned a lot from Mark. Not only does he know the concepts but he also knows how to communicate them in a clear and straightforward fashion. He is an outstanding trainer and sensei who really cares about his trainees."
Douglas Blackshear Controller and Senior Accountant | P&L Management December 7, 2014
"Mark is not just a Lean Six Sigma guru, but a terrific instructor as well. He presents information and principles in a clear fashion, with humor and wit, and supported with real-world examples and anecdotes. He not only presents information, but ensures that those he is instructing understand it. I highly recommend Mark both as an instructor and as an implementer of the principles of "kaizen" to improve the efficiency of any business."