Dr. Stephen Covey was recognized in 1996 as one of Time magazine's 25 most influential Americans and one of Sales and Marketing Management's top 25 power brokers. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including the international bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It has sold more than 15 million copies in 38 languages throughout the world. In 2002, Forbes named it one of the top 10 most influential management books ever, and a survey by Chief Executive Magazine recognized the book as one of the two most influential business books of the 20th century.

Mr. Ritsuo Shingo is the son of Japanese industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo. The Prize is named after Shigeo Shingo, who distinguished himself as one of the world’s leading experts in improving manufacturing processes. Dr. Shingo has been described as an “engineering genius” who helped create and write about many aspects of the revolutionary manufacturing practices which comprise the renowned Toyota Production System.

Daniel T Jones is a management thought leader and advisor on applying lean, process thinking pioneered by Toyota to all kinds of businesses across the world. He is the founding Chairman of the Lean Enterprise Academy www.leanuk.org in the UK, dedicated to pushing forward the frontiers of lean thinking and helping others with its implementation. His work has inspired the very successful implementation of lean by Tesco and many other companies. He acts as a mentor and advisor to senior managers in organizations in all kinds of sectors from manufacturing, construction, distribution, retailing, services, healthcare and the public sector in the UK and around the world.

Michael O. Leavitt is the founder and Chairman of Leavitt Partners where he advises clients in the practice areas of health, environment and trade. In previous roles, Leavitt served in the Cabinet of President George W. Bush (Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Secretary of Health and Human Services) and as a three-time elected governor of Utah.

Robert D. Miller
Executive Director, The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence

Robert Miller is Executive Director of The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence located at Utah State University. Bob’s vision and leadership is transforming The Shingo Prize into an organization known for thought-leadership in sustainable enterprise improvement. His commitment to the highest standards of excellence are raising the bar and substantially elevating the stature of Shingo Prize recipients.