Salih Ozgur
Systems Engineer, C-Level Manager and Lean Management Consultant with a strong background in Lean Production, operations leadership, strategic planning, and business transformation across diverse sectors.
Accredited Management and Lean Consultant of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). He has led 16 Lean Production / Manufacturing projects, 3 strategic planning projects, and 4 family constitution writing projects, with more than 800 days of field experience.
Professional Experience
COO – Chief Operating Officer
Sep 2021 – Sep 2024
- Managed all departments except Finance and Domestic Sales.
- Led the professional establishment of the foreign trade department.
- Managed the establishment of company branches in Italy and the USA.
- Oversaw daily operations, strategy implementation, KPI development, executive management, hiring, talent development, and investment recommendations.
- Contributed to increasing company revenue sevenfold in two years.
- Contributed to increasing foreign trade sales fivefold in three years.
- Increased the company workforce by 1.5 times.
COO – Chief Operating Officer
Sep 2019 – Sep 2021
- Managed all departments except Finance and Domestic Sales.
- Led the establishment of the foreign trade department.
- Oversaw operations, strategy, KPI management, executive coordination, talent development, and organizational culture.
- Contributed to tripling the company’s revenue in two years.
- Contributed to increasing foreign trade sales fivefold in two years.
- Led operations to function smoothly during the pandemic.
Customer Support Professional
Sep 2018 – Sep 2019
- Provided support for a wide range of Cisco services through phone, email, and chat.
- Represented Cisco as a first point of contact for customers, partners, and employees.
- Provided Cisco-related services to major global organizations, including Fortune 500 companies.
General Manager
Jan 2018 – Jul 2018
- Temporarily replaced the company owner for seven months due to health problems.
- Led new factory installation in Kayseri and implemented Lean Production principles.
- Increased income by 400% and profit by 23% compared to 2017.
- Achieved 93% average production efficiency and transitioned to a Lean Reporting System.
- Started export sales to Greece, Macedonia, and China.
- Led supplier development negotiations in the Netherlands, South Africa, and China.
Lean and Continuous Improvement Consultant
Jan 2013 – Jan 2018
- Led Lean and continuous improvement projects focused on reducing waste, streamlining processes, and improving profitability.
- Established the Black Sea Region Directory of Izgoren Akademi in Samsun.
- Accredited himself and the company into the EBRD Management and Lean Consultants Pool.
- Led 14 Lean Production / Manufacturing projects, 3 strategic planning projects, and 4 family constitution writing projects.
- Completed more than 400 days of Lean Production and soft skills training in over 200 organizations with an average score of 94/100.
Education
Master’s Degree in International Affairs
2003 – 2006
Bachelor’s Degree in Systems Engineering
1998 – 2002
Selected Consulting Impact
- 2 EBRD Lean Production projects selected as case studies and shown in 63 countries.
- Most projects led by Salih helped companies earn at least three times the service cost.
- Managed operations in three companies outside consultancy and contributed to at least fivefold growth.
- Example projects included production efficiency increases of 3% to 21%, cost reductions of 2% to 7%, 5S standardization, Kaizen culture, cell production systems, and Lean performance evaluation systems.
Trainings & Courses
- Train the Trainer — Izgoren Akademi, Ankara
- Management Consultancy — European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, London
- Emotional Skills & Competencies — Ekman International, Manchester
- Lean Production — Sigma Akademi, Istanbul
- Six Sigma Green Belt — Sigma Akademi, Istanbul
- Micro Expressions — Ekman International, Manchester
- Work and Health Safety Course — British American Tobacco, Samsun
Core Skills
- Lean Management / Production
- Project Management
- Time Management & Prioritization
- Team Leadership & Support
- Process Design and Management
- Continuous Improvement
- Business Development
- Problem Solving
- Value Stream Mapping
- Strategic Planning
- Family Constitution Writing
- Inventory Management, JIT, TQM, Cellular Manufacturing, 5S, Kanban, SMED, Poka-Yoke and TPM
Languages & Interests
- English — Fluent
- Turkish — Fluent
- Bulgarian — Fluent
- Certified Skydiver
- Tracking and Mountain Climbing
- Certified Scuba Diver
- Certified Chief Cook
- Books