The Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Awards 2024

The Industry's Most Prestigious Cross-Industry Awards Program. Showcasing the most outstanding Business Transformation & OpEx Achievements.

Judging Panel

Julie Thyne

Global Improvement Leader

More about Julie

Niloofer Darbary

Strategy and Business Transformation Leader

More about Niloofer

Travis Hahler

Global Change and Culture Lead

More about Travis

Peter Evans

Director of LCI

More about Peter

Dr. Artur Preus

Lead Business Architect (Financial Crime)

More about Dr.

Aditi Sinha

Global Head, Consumer Source Data Acquisition

More about Aditi

Mark McGregor

Author, Performance & Business Coach

More about Mark

Shawna Cartwright

Vice President - Transformation

More about Shawna

Asha Poulose Johnson

Vice President & Global CIO Data Analytics

More about Asha

Rohail Khan

President

More about Rohail

Oliver Maeckel

Partner & Vice President

More about Oliver

Suzanne Kopcha

Vice President Strategy at Siemens Digital Industries Software

More about Suzanne

Rajeev Jain

Vice President and Head of Finance Global Operations

More about Rajeev

Marcus Gropp

Managing Director & Head of Digital Transformation

More about Marcus

Gaurav Chadha

Global Head ACES - TRMS Operations Business Excellence

More about Gaurav

Alisha Garfinkel-Gross

Vice President Integrated Production & Ad Operations Marketing Strategy and Operations

More about Alisha

Michael Muilenburg

Director, Operational Technology and Strategic Planning

More about Michael

Jeremy Moorman

VP, Operational Excellence

More about Jeremy

Robert Cartia

VP- Business Process

More about Robert

Arnaud Rager

Vice President, Business Planning and Transformation

More about Arnaud

Julie Thyne

Global Improvement Leader, Dow

Biography

Julie Thyne has worked for Dow for the last 22 years in a variety of manufacturing and engineering positions. She is currently a Global  Improvement Leader. Julie is the recipient of the 2014 STEP Ahead award from the Manufacturing Institute. Outside of work, Julie promotes STEM education for elementary and middle school students.  

Niloofer Darbary

Strategy and Business Transformation Leader,

Cultural Transformation Live - A Virtual Conference

Tuesday 11th July 2023 | 09:00 - 09:45 am

Biography

Niloofer is an accomplished leader, with proven expertise driving strategic initiatives at the CXO level, with significant impact for global conglomerates. She has an innate understanding of diverse cultures, working across Asia, Europe, and Americas.

Since joining Fiserv in 2016, she has lead multiple business innovation and transformation initiatives, around go-to-market strategies, improving customer experiences, and cost optimization. Preceding Fiserv, she was the transformation lead at Hewlett Packard involved in the design and execution of mergers & acquisitions, organization transformation and global delivery. She has been a Diversity & Inclusion leader at Fiserv a topic she is passionate about.As an industry-leading expert, Niloofer has been a key speaker at prestigious conferences across Asia, Europe and Americas. She was also a judge for the largest-scale, cross-industry leadership level event Digital Transformation & Operational Excellence Industry Awards in 2021, and was nominated for the "Change Agent" award at the Women in Payments USA Symposium 2022.

She is also a founding member of a global taskforce focused on creating more awareness of a genetic mutation called G6PD Deficiency that affects approximately 400 million individuals from diverse ethnicities.

Travis Hahler

Global Change and Culture Lead, Google Cloud

Digital Transformation Excellence World Summit (BTOES DIGITAL)

Wednesday 15th December 2021 | 09:00 - 09:30 am

Biography

Travis is an expert in change management, organizational effectiveness, and business transformation. With +10 years of experience helping Fortune 100 companies from varying industries and across the globe go through large, strategic organizational changes, Travis brings this expertise to Google's customers and partners as the Americas Change and Culture Lead. Travis holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology with an emphasis in consumer behavior, business management, and neuropsychology and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in management, organizational behavior and theory, and accounting. Travis' education is also comprised of several notable experiences including time studying neuropsychology and neuroscience at Harvard University and performing neurology research on cognitive functioning at Aalborg University in Aalborg, Denmark.


Peter Evans

Director of LCI, LEGO

Business Transformation & Operational Excellence World Summit & Industry Awards (BTOES18)

Wednesday 14th March 2018 | 07:50 - 08:00 am

Biography

Peter Evans was born in 1955. He joined the LEGO in February 2016.

The early part of his career was in Finance in various industries, including Defence, Financial Services and Telecommunications. Peter worked for General Electric throughout the 90’s including spells in
Manchester, Brussels, Shannon (Eire) and Connecticut.

From 2000 to 2013 he worked in Telecoms in the UK, first with Vodafone, then Cable & Wireless, before finally leading Operational Excellence for Virgin Media. From 2013 to 2015 Peter led Process Excellence in Northern Europe for Maersk Line, based in Copenhagen.

Since February 2016 Peter has been Director of LCI (LEGO Continuous Improvement) at LEGO with
specific responsibility for Business Service Operations and is actively involved in establishing a
Global Business Services Organisation for Finance.

Dr. Artur Preus

Lead Business Architect (Financial Crime), Deutsche Bank

Biography

Senior Business Architect. Member of Business Architecture Guild and International Compliance Association. 

Experienced in establishing and executing business architecture and operating models in banks and financial organisations.

Passionate about client-centric and client-driven transformation - and critical role of setting strategic business vision, as well as its translation into organisational, process, data and technology components

Aditi Sinha

Global Head, Consumer Source Data Acquisition, Nielsen

Digital Transformation Excellence World Summit (BTOES DIGITAL)

Thursday 16th December 2021 | 11:30 - 12:00 pm

Biography

Aditi Sinha is the Global Head for Consumer Source Data Acquisition at NielsenIQ (formerly The Nielsen Company LLC) and is based in New York, USA. In her space, she is responsible for creating and executing the operational strategy, digital transformation of data collection and consumption, as well as directing the delivery of the day to day operations across the global markets where NielsenIQ operates.

Aditi has over 25 years of experience in leading country, regional and global teams in massive transformations, operations, customer service & sales across 2 diverse industries - data analytics & logistics. Her forte is leading agile digital transformation in complex market environments. She has a demonstrated track record of success in managing large scale global operations, culturally and ethnically diverse teams, stakeholders and clients.

She is a mentor for start-up incubators for leading technology institutions in India and a sponsor of education for orphaned & abandoned girls through social institutions.

Mark McGregor

Author, Performance & Business Coach ,

Digital Transformation Excellence World Summit (BTOES DIGITAL)

Wednesday 15th December 2021 | 09:00 - 09:30 am

Biography

A former Research Director at leading IT industry analysis firm Gartner, Mark has an extensive background in enterprise architecture, business process management and change management, having held executive positions with a number of technology companies.

Mark has authored or co-authored four books on business and process management, including “Thrive! How to Succeed in the Age of the Customer” and “In Search of BPM Excellence” and  “People Centric Process Management.  Widely respected for his knowledge and views on business change, he is the creator of “Next Practice” and has variously been described as a ”BPM Guru”, a “Thought Leader” and a “Master of Mindset”. 

Mark is passionate about the people aspects of change, he has spent much of the last ten years travelling the world, learning, teaching and researching the cultural aspects of change and how executives perceive business and process improvement In this capacity he has literally taught hundreds of people and been fortunate to interview and interact with many CEO’s .

Shawna Cartwright

Vice President - Transformation, Cushman & Wakefield

Biography

Strategic and Global Executive with career history implementing cost-effective and efficient continuous process improvements allowing for strengthened company operations, maximized team performance, and reduction in costs. Noted Leader with proven ability to forge relationships at all staffing levels from junior-level team members to C-level executives.

Thrives in organizations that require quick thought, innovation, and decisive action with proven ability to complete all tasks and projects on time and within budget. Resourceful and diligent in uncovering opportunities to improve process efficiencies. Designs effective solutions within large-scale corporate environments through detailed problem analysis. Extensive experience applying knowledge of Lean Six Sigma methodologies, Software Development Lifecycle, and Shared Services transformations to ensure successful execution of project deliverables nationally and internationally.

Asha Poulose Johnson

Vice President & Global CIO Data Analytics, GE Healthcare

Biography

As the Global VP and CIO for Data Analytics Asha is responsible to drive profitability and growth and a data driven culture at GE Healthcare. Her responsibilities spans Enterprise data platforms and architecture, reporting, advanced analytics and Data Science across Commercial/Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Services, Engineering, quality and other domains. With a team spread across US, Europe and South Asia key priorities are to build the next generation data platforms and drive cross functional analytics in support of GE Healthcare growth Priorities.

Rohail Khan

President, IRPA AI Board

Digital Transformation Excellence World Summit (BTOES DIGITAL)

Friday 17th December 2021 | 09:00 - 10:30 am

Biography

Mr. Khan is a seasoned senior executive with over 23 years of C-Level experience across multi-sector Fortune 2000 and start-up companies.  His industry expertise lies within Healthcare Administration, Financial Services, and BPO Services where his areas of expertise include strategy, operations & administration, RPA/automation, business transformation, technology innovation, process-led reengineering, product development and building global organizations at scale. He has consistently exceeded results throughout his executive career and has established new service delivery models that remain in operation 15+ years later.                       

Mr. Khan is currently President of IRPA’s Digital Solutions Exchange guiding IRPA’s 100,000+ global members establish strategy, drive business transformation through process-led automation and digital business transformation. He is a Board Advisor to i-Tuple, a firm engaged by Private Equity, Hedge Funds and Family Offices to assess target companies across people, process and technology and validate their investment thesis. He also sits on the Board of Payssurance, a healthcare start-up. Prior to that, he was Founder and CEO of Skills International - a not-for-profit firm focused on global talent migration and immigration to Canada.  Mr. Khan was a member of Immigration Round Table co-sponsored by the Conference Board of Canada and the Federal Government of Canada.  He has been instrumental in helping public companies in Canada to address critical skill gaps. 

Prior to this role, he was Group President, of Xerox’s $1.7B Healthcare Administration and Human Capital Management Solutions. He managed 1300+ healthcare BPO contracts with Fortune 2000 and SMB clients including delivery, automation and service delivery to their employees. He managed a global organization of Sales, Strategy, IT Services, Delivery Operations, Product Management and Customer Service of 11,300+ professionals across 23 countries. He was at the forefront of defining health wellness solutions for customers.

Oliver Maeckel

Partner & Vice President, Siemens AG

Digital Transformation Excellence World Summit (BTOES DIGITAL)

Wednesday 15th December 2021 | 14:00 - 14:30 pm

Biography

Oliver Maeckel is Partner / Vice President at Siemens Advanta Consulting. He has been with Siemens AG since 1997. The focus of his current work is, in particular, the digitization of project business processes and the optimization of the development and delivery of "first-of-its-kind" large-scale projects. Over the last years, he and his team were able to decrease risks and to speed up project business processes in the pre-sale, sales and execution phase using digital technology.

Suzanne Kopcha

Vice President Strategy at Siemens Digital Industries Software, Siemens

Biography

Experienced Vice President with a demonstrated history of working in Consumer Products and technology. Skilled in technology driven transformation design and delivery, strategy, organizational management, and project portfolio management. Strong history of results delivery and empathetic leadership. Passionate developer of diverse organizations and people development. Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused in Marketing and Information Systems from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Rajeev Jain

Vice President and Head of Finance Global Operations, HP

Business Transformation & Operational Excellence World Summit & Industry Awards (BTOES18)

Wednesday 14th March 2018 | 17:15 - 17:45 pm

Biography

In his current role as the VP & global Head of Finance Global Operations at HP Inc., Rajeev currently leads HP Finance hubs across India (Bangalore, Chennai), Mexico (Guadalajara), Poland (Wroclaw) and China (Dalian), along with 44 country front offices. His organization is responsible for delivery & stakeholder management for Finance processes. Rajeev is also accountable for Site Leadership, Talent Development & Digital Transformation across these hubs.

In a career spanning 3 decades across organizations like HP, Fidelity Investments, GE, L&T and Eicher group, Rajeev has invested 12 years in manufacturing / factory management & 18 years in Shared Services. He has been a speaker / panelist at forums like PEX (Process Excellence Network) forum, SSON (Shared Services & Outsourcing Network) Singapore summit & BTOES (Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Summit) in Orlando, Florida.

Rajeev is well known for his inspirational leadership, change management skills and Business partnership. He has strong capabilities in Robotics, Process Reengineering & Digital transformation in Operations; and has achieved a unique trifecta of certifications in Business Excellence: ‘Master Trainer’ (GE), ‘Quality Leader’ (GE) & ‘Executive Belt’ (HP).

Additionally, Rajeev has a strong passion for Social Impact – with key focus on underprivileged children and women. He has worked with several NGOs and Social Innovation programs.

Rajeev has also completed certificate course on ‘Negotiation & Influence’ from MIT Sloan School of Management.


Marcus Gropp

Managing Director & Head of Digital Transformation, Klöckner Shared Services GmbH

Biography

Marcus has been working at Klöckner since February 2019. The Digital Transformation Department is a Shared Service Center and offers Solutions and Servicesfor Logistics, Operations, eCommerce, CRM, Procurement and Process Management.

Main business fields are optimization of Logistiscs and Operations, strengthen Digitalization and drive process automatization within the value chain. Marcus holds a Diploma in Business Adminsitration from the Catholic University of Eichstaett-Ingolstadt.

Before he joined Klöckner he was Managing Director for eCommerce Solutions at FIEGE Logistics and the Westphalia Datalab in Müster. Marcus started his career after University at Arvato AG in the CRM Solutions Unit. Main interests of Marcus are Photography, Sketching, Cross-Fit, Arts and Architecture.

Gaurav Chadha

Global Head ACES - TRMS Operations Business Excellence, Amazon

Biography

Alisha Garfinkel-Gross

Vice President Integrated Production & Ad Operations Marketing Strategy and Operations, Prudential Financial, Inc.

Biography

Alisha Garfinkel-Gross is vice president, Integrated Production & Ad Operations in the Marketing and Operations organization within Prudential Financial, Inc. She leads a team that manages creative production, development, execution, and delivery of multi-channel assets for paid media and advertising initiatives. Garfinkel-Gross and her team is responsible for ensuring there is a cohesive production process, executing the creative vision, providing connectivity between Creative, Technology, and Media teams, and managing digital & print ad ops. Her team is focused on flexible and agile project workflows, and advocates for innovation across a variety of initiatives and mediums. 

Prior to joining Prudential, Garfinkel-Gross worked at Wunderman, TBWA and Deutsch where she worked on a range of brands and markets, such as insurance, banking, automotive, dining, lifestyle and sports. Her experience with outside agencies, managing a variety of multifaceted interactive projects and teams, led her to pursue working at the Prudential in-house advertising agency. 

Garfinkel-Gross holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography from the San Francisco Art Institute.

Michael Muilenburg

Director, Operational Technology and Strategic Planning, 3M

Digital Transformation Excellence World Summit (BTOES DIGITAL)

Wednesday 15th December 2021 | 16:00 - 16:30 pm

Biography

Michael Muilenburg is the Director of Operational Technology at 3M in the Engineering, Materials, and Process Technology Organization.

  • During his 35+ year career at 3M, he has worked in manufacturing
    operations, process development, product development, Lean Six Sigma
    and supply chain. 
  • He holds a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University
    of Nebraska-Lincoln and masters degrees in Manufacturing Engineering
    from Northwestern University, and Polymer Engineering from Stevens Institute
    of Technology. He has also completed a masters certificate from the Shingo
    Institute at the Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University.
  • Outside of his operational excellence career, He is an avid musician who
    plays guitar, bass, mandolin, bouzouki and other instruments. He is the
    sole proprietor of Sheridan Avenue Music, a recording studio and music
    lesson business.

Jeremy Moorman

VP, Operational Excellence, Applied Industrial Technologies

Biography

Global experience includes management of teams across 4 continents, spanning a variety of language and cultural barriers.

The work I enjoy most is bringing teams together across cultures and with varying backgrounds, to bring great, high quality and valued products & services to customers all over the globe.

A key component of that work is a focus on Continuous Improvement. While trained and experienced in a variety of tools and techniques, I also like to quote 4 simple rules to CI: "Make sure you know what the customer values. Go to Gemba. Respect the people that do the work. Kill the Waste."

Robert Cartia

VP- Business Process, ProMach

Digital Transformation Excellence World Summit (BTOES DIGITAL)

Thursday 16th December 2021 | 16:00 - 16:30 pm

Biography

Rob is the VP- Business Process at ProMach. He is responsible for developing and driving ProMach’s best practice approaches and KPIs for customer service, operational improvements and excellence, and margin growth. Rob’s experience spans 11 industries within 8 companies to include Sony, PepsiCo, Allegheny Technologies Inc., GE, Johnson Controls Intl., Global Container Terminals, and REV Group. In addition, Rob serves as the Chairman of the Board for Parkview Community Federal Credit Union and Committee Member for the Aviation Maintenance Program at Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics.

Rob has an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and is a graduate of MIT’s Advance Certificate in Executive Leadership Program. Rob’s background is in Operations, Engineering, and Operational Excellence. In addition, Rob is a veteran of the United States Air Force. 

Rob has published breakthrough concepts through the American Society for Quality and is currently in the process of publishing his first book.

Arnaud Rager

Vice President, Business Planning and Transformation , Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

Biography

"After spending 15 years in R&D and New Product Development Arnaud joined Janssen (J&J) to apply his expertise in Project and Portfolio Management, Lean and Process Excellence to Business processes. Early 2019, he joined Sangamo Therapeutics as Chief of Staff to the CEO where he focused on strategy planning and deployment.
in 2021, he created the Business Planning and Transformation group at Bio-Rad including the Business Transformation PMO, Change Management, Business Process Excellence, Operational Excellence and Lean Transformation."