Kurt Kessler

About Kurt Kessler

I am a business process improvement (BPI) professional, with skills & experience in Lean Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, Change Management, Quality Systems and other facets of BPI. I’ve spent over a decade in formal process improvement roles, after 20 years leading HSE, Engineering and Operations organizations in the petrochemical industry. One interesting connection between my BPI work and experience in industry has been the application of OE & Change Management to basic Process Safety concepts, tools & templates, to help create a positive & sustainable Process Safety culture in Chemicals & Refining organizations. In any assignment, I have a proven ability to work with people from across an organization to bring real clarity to the scope & goals for a project, and to clearly lay out the project path in an understandable manner. I can understand & manage difficult situations and interesting team dynamics. Combining those analytical & facilitative leadership skills with project management techniques allows me to deliver projects on time, within budget & meeting desired outcomes. From one on one through large group environments, and across all levels within an organization, I enjoy working with cross functional teams – executing, coaching, mentoring & teaching - to help create sustainable change. I am an ASQ Certified Black Belt & VRI Certified Master Black Belt with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana, IL Specialties: Lean Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, Process Safety, Process Mapping & Analysis, Facilitation & Change Management, Written & Verbal Communication, Benchmarking & Auditing, Manufacturing Operations and Engineering Management

Experience

1. Global Lean Six Sigma Manager

   Kraton Corporation

   Apr 2016 — Present · Houston, TX, US

   Leading global team, working with company leadership, US & international sites in Lean Six Sigma deployment across Kraton. Small company, small group, so it’s a blend of strategy & execution…all leading towards our goal that data driven decision making & continuous improvement is ‘the way we work’.

Education

• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  BS, Chemical Engineering

  1980 — 1984