By Mara Irons, Marketing Manager
George Rizk is a highly experienced manufacturing engineer who we first met while he was earning his MBA at Louisiana State University Shreveport (LSUS). Our CEO, Mike Loughrin, teaches at LSUS, and utilizes the teachings at Transformance Advisors in all his classes. George attended Mike’s Process Improvement and Lean Transformation classes as part of the MBA in Project Management curriculum. These classes include an option to take the exams for Certified Six Sigma Green Belt and Certified Lean Practitioner from Transformance Advisors. George took and passed both exams.
Recently, George graduated from the LSUS program and is currently working alongside Mike as an Academic Coach for the same program.
Leading Successful Projects
George’s expertise is easily seen through his successful projects, particularly in his efforts to streamline the wire mesh improvement process for the company he was with at the time. For the project, his main goal was to reduce the changeover time from two hours to zero. By applying Lean methodologies, he was able to achieve his goal in six months. Achieving this feat required meticulous planning and strategic adjustments, which not only increased efficiency but also resulted in an estimated annual savings of $500,000. The project then moved into a continuous improvement state, where frequent reviews and changes allow the company to continue saving time and money.
Continuous improvement is more than just an idea for George. It is also one of the foundational pillars he lives by. One way he uses continuous improvement principles in his day-to-day life is through continuing his education. Learn more about Transformance Advisors’ online education options here.
Turning Setbacks into Stepping Stones
George has faced many challenges over the years, but he confronts setbacks with resilience and adaptability. A pivotal moment came during a telecommunications tower construction project, where unforeseen delays in permits and local approval threatened progress.
George leveraged this setback as a learning opportunity, emphasizing the importance of proactive engagement with regulatory bodies and community stakeholders. The experience contributed to building a more resilient project management approach. George and his team became adept at anticipating and addressing regulatory challenges, improving their overall project resilience. George also kept these setbacks in mind and incorporated the revisions into his future project planning sessions.
Beyond Work
Outside of work, George enjoys giving back to his community. His position as an Academic Coach allows him to mentor future leaders. He can also be found cherishing moments spent playing with his daughter and indulging in his favorite pastime – swimming.
George expresses gratitude for the opportunity to share his journey and insights. We are honored to have George be our very first featured member. His dedication to continuous improvement in engineering and beyond is inspiring. We believe George Rizk embodies Lean thinking and is one to watch in the Lean industry.
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