Jim Luckman
An engineer by training, Jim has expanded beyond his technical problem-solving expertise to solving complex social problems in organizations. He works with diverse companies by coaching leaders on how to transform their organizations into a culture of energized problem solvers.
Jim has dedicated his life to problem-solving. He has over 30 years of experience in industry as an engineer and leader and over 20 years of experience in professional services as a coach. He has had the unique experience of leading three separate Lean transformations in leadership roles: as a Plant Manager, as a Director of a Research and Development Center, and as the CEO of a small start-up company.
In his coaching role, he has engaged with hundreds of companies and organizational functions in a wide variety of industries (e.g., finance, food products, automotive, government, insurance, construction, health care, and universities). Each coaching engagement has generated improved organizational performance and increased employee enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility for solving problems.
Jim is a founding partner of The Lean Transformations Group (LTG), a consulting group created in 2004 focused on building problem-solving capabilities in companies. LTG’s business partners have been dedicated to developing and innovating an intervention methodology that can be used in all industries to engage the workforce to solve problems more effectively and efficiently.
In collaboration with other LEI faculty members, he co-authored two books, Mapping to See and Perfecting Patient Journeys, which received the Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award. More recently, he has co-authored Transforming Leader Paradigms, a book targeted at senior leaders for creating a cultural transformation. It describes the leader’s new role of building a problem-solving culture inside their organizations. He has been a speaker at the Lean Summit and The Philosophy of Management Conference.
Jim has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Trine University and an M.S. in Computer Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. Jim has a wife, Victoria, two daughters, Elizabeth and Vanessa, and two granddaughters, Eleanor and Louisa.
