Michael L. George, CEO, Kessington Aerospace
Mike received a B.A. in Physics from the University of California, and an M.S. in Physics from the University of Illinois. He then joined Texas Instruments in Dallas as an Integrated Circuits engineer on the Minuteman II D37B Guidance computer.computerhistory.org/revolution/digital-logic/12/278 This USAF program drove the first mass production of Integrated Circuits in history, and greatly accelerated the Semiconductor revolution. After 5 years, Mike left TI to found International Power Machines, financed by former TI VP Dick Hanschen. IPM designed and manufactured digitally controlled Pulse Width Modulated Uninterruptible Power Supplies. As CEO, the company generated Net Income of 11% of Revenue. Mike took the company public, which was subsequently acquired by a division of Rolls-Royce. Mike then traveled to Japan to study the Toyota Production System (aka “Lean”). To assist companies in implementing Lean, he subsequently founded George Group consultants. Major clients included United Technologies, ITT Defense, Caterpillar, Eli Lilly, NAVAIR, Joint Munitions Command, and the US Army. In 2002 Mike wrote the book “Lean Six Sigma” which, for the first time, combined Lean and Six Sigma using Little’s Law. This was one of a series of eight books which have sold over 1 million copies on the subject of the reduction of cycle time and waste (photo below). The books have been translated into 11 languages. We acquired a division of our client, United Technologies Automotive, with Bain Capital and applied Lean, resulting in a 180% Return on Capital. George Group sales grew to $100 Million per year run rate, and the company was sold to Accenture in 2007 for $155 Million.
In 2017, advances in Artificial Intelligence and Algorithmic Solvers opened new-dimensions in achieving on-time processes which was not possible with the Toyota system. Mike applied these new methods at Kessington Aerospace, improving On-Time delivery from 54% to >98%. Mike has been awarded four U.S. Patents on the reduction of business cycle time and waste, and a Patent-Pending “On-Time Process”â Software. Mike is an annual guest lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Course Number 15.SO1 “Applications of Little’s Law”.
