Robert Kessiakoff
Managing Partner, LEAN Concepts AB - SWEDEN

From 1973 to 1993 Robert worked for AC Nielsen Company as CEO in Sweden and Greece, establishing and managing local operations, and in Germany as European Business Director responsible for operations in Europe (18 countries) and Japan. In 1994 Robert founded his own management consulting company,
Ro-Ke AB, focusing on organizations in transition with ambitions for internationalization. From 1996 to 1998 Robert worked for Pricer, AB, a retail automation company, as President for Pricer International, establishing operations in South America, Australia, Southeast Asia, South Korea and Japan. In 1998 he became CEO of SIFO Research & Consulting, Europe’s 10th largest Marketing Research & Consulting firm, with operations in Northern Europe and the USA. In 2000, after successful transformation, SIFO Research & Consulting was divested to the WPP-Group. From 2001 to 2003 Robert was an independent consultant within Ro-Ke AB, working in the Venture Capital Industry, doing business due-diligence assessments, and coaching top management in portfolio companies.

With his extensive experience managing organizations in transition and rapid development, Robert is convinced about the vitality of Lean Thinking as a management philosophy. Lean theory and practice ensure customer focus and employee involvement throughout the organization. In 2003 Robert co-founded Lean Concepts AB, a division of Lean Concepts, LLC in the United States, to focus on Lean transformation of service and healthcare organizations