Willi Schneider

I lead teams, develop leaders, and empower people to grow—while delivering results at the same time.

My focus is on designing and building new factories, optimizing existing production systems, and developing innovative work methods.

Since 2001, I have been exploring Lean Philosophy both academically and in the corporate world. As a graduate industrial engineer specializing in mechanical engineering, a graduate of an international Lean master’s program, an experienced management consultant, and a responsible interim manager, it has always been a pleasure for me to build factories, expand production networks, and implement sustainable improvements in complex production systems.

I feel at home at every level of an organization—whether start-up, established mid-size company, or large corporation—and I am always drawn to where value is created.

In everything I do, I act as a player-coach—on the field, involved, and jointly responsible. For larger assignments, I bring in experienced partners from my close network whom I have come to know over many years.

From my experience, improvements are successful in the long term only when organizations not only improve the production system itself, but also the way people work together. This realization led me to the topic New Lean.

In management circles, Lean is a well-known, but often misunderstood concept. Lean means: reduced to the essentials. Making complex things simple. Simple in the best sense. Without unnecessary ballast. Direct, agile, flexible, fast. Yet Lean is not automatically good. Respect for employees must be included, as well as individual and organizational development and learning. A new mindset for every challenge: New Lean.