Helen Zak

Biography

She has 37 years of lean leadership experience in the automotive, capital equipment, non profit and healthcare industries. Including engineering roles at General Motors and plant management roles at Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Most recently, Helen served as President and COO of Value Capture, a trusted advisory/consulting firm focused on transforming healthcare delivery.

Helen also was President of Catalysis, a not for profit educational institute with a mission to transform the healthcare industry using lean thinking. Helen helped found and build the organization and her most recent role included leading Executive Forums for CEO’s, Physician Leaders and Nurse Leaders and developing a peer network of lean healthcare executives in Europe.

Helen also served as COO of the Lean Enterprise Institute where she worked with Jim Womack to spread the topic of lean throughout the world and to every industry. She has contributed to 20 published works, designed many educational programs including the annual Summit and is a frequent speaker on the topic of lean.

Helen helped to establish the Lean Education Academic Network, The Lean Global Network, the Catalysis Healthcare Value Network, the Center for Lean Engagement and Research and the Catalysis Executive Forums under her leadership at the Lean Enterprise Institute and Catalysis.

She serves as faculty at the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, a coach for the Master of Business of Operational Excellence Program at Fisher College of Business at Ohio State, an examiner for the Shingo Prize and sits on numerous boards.

Helen was inducted into the Association for Manufacturing Excellence Hall of Fame in 2017.

Helen is passionate about developing leaders and their ability to solve problems and effecting change.