Siemens

Siemens is chock-full of top talent and world-class management. The leadership development candidate program (LDP) is amazing. I worked with approximately 20 of the LDPs, and they were almost all top talent.

Siemens has access to capital and incredible infrastructure at its disposal. The project management and engineering institutions are remarkable.

The Siemens Production System is a top-notch program, run by top talent who really understand lean, and this is improving productivity.

With 167 years of rich history, Siemens is one of the best companies in the world. The Worcester, MA facility has some of the best people I've ever worked with, and the culture there is truly amazing.

With Joe Kaeser at the helm, I think Siemens will excel in the 21st Century. I would return to Siemens at the drop of a hat for the right opportunity.

Siemens is a financial institution, not an engineering or project management firm. As a matter of course, they tend to mismanage M&A programs. This is especially apparent in the way they delved into the mechanical world (VAI and Flender) and didn't foster them to the extent necessary to ensure the success of the mechanical units (all of VAI and the US part of Flender). Also, they divested their IT business and sold to ATOS, which stressed IT services.

Study Toyota.

Focus on quality (real quality, not just QA).

Eat, breathe, live lean.