Damon Baker
Founder & CEO @Lean Focus LLC
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WORK HISTORY
Founder & CEO @Lean Focus LLC
La Jolla, CA, US
Every business has the same goal in mind: an increased bottom line. To this end, we specialize in business transformations. And when we say transformation, we don’t mean surface-level adjustments; we mean foundational changes to culture, process, and more. These transformations are based on Lean principles, and the application of those principles goes far beyond just manufacturing, reaching into all aspects of a business—no matter the industry.Lean Focus transformations are uniquely-enacted through the application of the Lean Focus Business System™. LBS™ is proven, effective, and repeatable. Developed by globally-recognized Lean thought leader and founder of Lean Focus, Damon Baker, the Lean Focus Business System™ has been utilized time-and-time again across dozens of industries, by world-class companies including the Fortune use of the tools contained within LBS™ happens in one of two ways. The first is the Hands-On Method, in which our team of experts, across 6 Practice Areas, work shoulder-to-shoulder with our client and their team to enact transformation. The second is the Hands-Off Method, in which the client is provided products and services—customized for them by Lean Focus—to implement the tools of the Lean Focus Business System™ themselves.It\'s for these reasons—and more—that Lean Focus is known globally as the One-Stop Transformation Shop — Transforming Businesses for Good™.
EDUCATION
St. Ambrose University
MBA, Business Administration and Management, General
Iowa Wesleyan University
Bachelor's of Arts, Marketing | Management
SKILLS
ABOUT DAMON BAKER
Most companies don’t fail because of bad strategy.They fail because they can’t execute.I’ve spent 25+ years inside that gap—helping CEOs, boards, and investors turn ambition into results, and results into lasting advantage.I’m the Founder & CEO of Lean Focus, where we build operating systems that drive profitable growth, improve cash flow, accelerate integrations, and create leadership capability that outlasts any initiative. The Lean Focus Business System™ has helped 600+ organizations across 20 countries transform how they run.My foundation comes from the Toyota Production System, training under its leading practitioners, and from leadership roles inside high-performance environments including Danaher, Coltala Holdings, HNI, and others.At Danaher, I helped lead and deploy the Danaher Business System globally and supported operations within the Product Identification Platform—recognized as the Best Plant in the World two years in a row. I also contributed to the development of Danaher’s globally admired, structured problem-solving process.Over my career, I’ve led more than 500 kaizen events across private equity, med-tech, aerospace, defense, industrial, and technology sectors. I later served as a Shingo Prize Examiner and helped build a Shingo Prize-winning operation.Those experiences shaped a belief I carry into every engagement:Lean isn’t a toolkit.It’s a leadership system.And execution is the ultimate competitive advantage.Today, I work directly with CEOs, boards, and private equity firms on operational due diligence, value creation, post-acquisition integration, and building execution capability at scale.I also serve as a Board Director at Fieldpiece Instruments, helping guide the company’s expansion into a recurring SaaS model.What I’ve learned after two decades inside transformation:Strategy doesn’t create value. Execution does.Culture doesn’t change through messaging. It changes through systems.And the companies that win long term aren’t the smartest—They’re the ones that learn, adapt, and improve faster than everyone else.My mission is simple: help leaders build organizations that perform at a level their competitors can’t copy.If you believe execution matters more than intention, we should talk.
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