Senior Associates
We have associates with years of experience in their field and a proven track history in corporate training. Our associates have taught Six Sigma-related courses to hundreds of Fortune 500 companies, national laboratories, and educational institutions.
Philip Mayfield - Principal, SigmaZone.com
Philip Mayfield's 17 year career in the fields of quality and design have included architecting and managing software applications in addition to training and consulting for many national and global Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Mayfield has helped a wide range of companies in diverse industries including aerospace, pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics, and mobile phones. He is the author of or contributor to SigmaZone's many courses, including DFSS Green/Black Belt and Executive Overview. Prior to founding SigmaZone, Mr. Mayfield was a rescue/special operations instructor pilot in the Sikorsky MH-60G Pavehawk for the USAF. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics from the United States Air Force Academy and is a distinguished graduate of the USAF Weapons School.
Patrick Waara – Principal, ResponseAgility, LLC
Patrick Waara was the first and only Software Design for Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt in Xerox Corporation before launching ResponseAgility. He is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, certified ScrumMaster, and holds a B.S, and M.S. in Computer Science from Michigan Technological University. Mr. Waara has more than 30 years of experience in software and IT, including software development, web development, systems engineering, project management, networks, and IT infrastructure. Patrick has trained over 700 people around the world in Lean and Agile principles and practices.
Norm Fowler
Norm Fowler’s 27 year career at Xerox Corporation included numerous technology development, strategic planning, manufacturing and management responsibilities. Most recently as a member of the Corporate Lean Six Sigma senior staff, Norm was responsible for the successful development and worldwide deployment of the Design for Lean Six Sigma and DMAIC Green Belt programs. Norm has numerous publications and is the author of the book Lessons Learned from an Unconventional Design for Lean Six Sigma Deployment. Norm holds a Masters of Science degree in Plastics from the University of Lowell, from which he also graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Plastics Engineering.
Peter L. Knepell, Ph.D.
Dr. Knepell has over 25 years of teaching and consulting experience in business, industry, and government. Over the past decade, he established a broad customer base for Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, and Design for Six Sigma. He guided implementation strategies for manufacturing, transactional, and healthcare organizations. Dr. Knepell is widely published, especially related to his quality improvement work with the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. He co-authored the book Simulation Validation, and contributed to the text Understanding Industrial Designed Experiments. A graduate of the US Air Force Academy, he received a doctorate degree from Cornell University in Operations Research with a minor in Business Management.
Vince McManus
Vince McManus is a Lean and Six Sigma Master Black Belt with extensive experience in training and coaching the use of process improvement tools in sales, marketing, manufacturing, logistics, engineering and customer services. He has over 30 years experience in the US and Europe in a variety of management and leadership roles charged with leading change and improving business results. Experienced in the training and implementing of both Lean and Six Sigma for DMAIC and DFLSS, he has coached over 200 Six Sigma projects. Prior to his involvement with Six Sigma, he held a senior management position responsible for the management of customer services, logistics, and product launches. Vince holds a BS in Mathematics from OPEN University, England.
