Founder & Principal

Matt Kroll

Matt Kroll is principal and founder of Chalmers St. Consulting. Chalmers St. helps companies achieve their growth potential by aligning their operations with their aspiration and engaging their employees to achieve their full potential. Chalmers St. has return hundreds of thousand to millions of dollars back to client’s margins.

Matt’s formal background is in Industrial Engineering. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Northern Illinois University in 1999. He joined Motorola directly after completing college where he earned both his Black Belt and Master Black Certification. In 2009, he earned a Master’s in Business Administration from the Chicago Booth School of Business.

Continuous improvement has been his passion for over 20 years. As a Master Black Belt, Matt has been responsible for developing improvement programs that deliver millions of dollars in operation efficiencies and revenue enhancement. He has worked in a variety of settings from manufacturing to police departments, to call centers, to healthcare. He has seen firsthand that every environment can benefit from the application of continuous improvement.

Matt resides in the far west suburbs of Chicago, USA with his wife and two children. He produces and distributes free content on continuous improvement and looks for opportunities to help other people develop. He believes it is important to be active in the local community. He is President of the Fox Valley Children’s Choir and Committee Member for Boy Scout Troop 60 in Geneva. He spends most of his free time with his family.

Principal

James Ricci

James Ricci is currently the Principal at 2764 Advisors LLC. He has 30 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing, quality and supply chain focused on implementing process and performance improvement, operational turnarounds, manufacturing strategy, due diligence, benchmarking and market research. Today, Ricci combines that experience and know how with the latest manufacturing technologies to help companies drive operating performance and innovation.

Prior to starting 2764 Advisors, Ricci was a co-owner of Harbour Results, Inc and focused on driving business improvement and long-term competitiveness to middle market manufacturers with an emphasis on leveraging data, leading-edge processes and technologies and hands-on project management. Ricci has worked for other notable organizations including KPMG LLP and Harbour Consulting (now part of Oliver-Wyman). He was responsible for directing and executing projects to improve operating performance, including lean manufacturing implementation, quality improvement and operational assistance in restructuring situations relative to supply chain management and manufacturing consolidation.  In addition, Ricci worked for Honda of America Mfg., in engineering, manufacturing and launch functions with responsibilities related to quality, warranty, production and cost competitiveness.

Throughout his career, he has executed more than 500 global operational assessments, due diligence and improvement initiatives for nearly every type of manufacturing industry stakeholder. His manufacturing knowledge has been applied to multiple industries including automotive, life sciences, food, consumer industrial, heavy truck as well as wood processing and plastic compounding.

James holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Engineering Management from the University of Michigan. He is also a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP).

Automation Architect

Michael Shannon

Michael Shannon has become a trusted advisor in the Supply Chain space through his education and career experiences.  His passion is continuous improvement and helping to find ways to minimize waste and optimize performance.

Michael earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Industrial Engineering from Northern Illinois University.  His career has exposed him to roles in operations, engineering, project management, supply chain strategy, automation, and sales.  Michael has certiifcations in Project Management (PMP), Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Lean & Six Sigma (Green Belt).

Michael prescribes to the belief that there are three pilars to consider when solving problems: People, Process, & Technology.  In order to truly understand a client’s needs, we must first listen and seek to understand.  Michael then leverages relationships and subject matter experts to bring the right group together to tackle the opportunities for improvement.

“No one knows everything. But together, we know a whole lot.” ~Simon Sinek

Michael resides in Elmhust, a suburb of Chicago, with his wife and two daughters.  He enjoys networking, golfing, volleyball, coaching and making his kids laugh!

Management Consultant

Mir Ateeb Ali

Mir Ateeb Ali has a background in industrial engineering and data sciences, with over five years of experience in continuous process improvement, lean implementations, project management & data sciences.

Mir has successfully implemented process improvement initiatives across various domains such as Technology, MedTech, Healthcare, Supply Chain & Manufacturing, Fintech, etc. These projects have delivered millions of dollars in operational efficiency and growth enhancements. With a Master’s degree in Industrial Systems Engineering and a Green Belt certification, Mir utilizes modern-day tools and technology to enhance solutions that fit the customer’s needs.

Mir supports multiple clients in transforming their culture towards continuous improvement, helping them establish the techniques, practices, and accountability for continuous learning. Mir engages with diverse cross-functional teams in critical process improvement projects across various departments of the industry. He has been a significant resource in leading projects for cost reductions, performance/process improvements, data analysis/insights, etc.

Management Consultant

Greg Snyder

Greg Snyder, currently the Principle of Operational Improvement Solutions-Consulting Inc. is a dynamic, results-oriented senior operations professional with over 30 years of broad-based experience. In his work history he delivered increased shareholder value with measurable achievements in manufacturing, strategic planning, implementation, leadership, logistics management, and teambuilding which has generated optimum productivity and performance excellence from staff as well as provided guidance and support across the organization. Greg combines his hands-on experience in leading manufacturing and 3PL warehousing operations by applying Lean Six Sigma principles, focusing on practical continuous improvement and A3 problem solving, which has provided millions of dollars in improved operational efficiencies. In addition, Greg has extensive manufacturing experience working internationally in Australia, the UK, France, New Zealand, and Singapore.

Prior to starting Operational Improvement Solutions-Consulting Inc., Greg has worked for many notable organizations including Lineage Logistics, AlliedSignal Aerospace (n/k/a Honeywell Aerospace), TRW Aeronautical Systems, TRW Steering & Suspension, SpaceX, Adam Aircraft and Accellent Medical Devices. His vast range of experience has spanned from directing and executing projects to improving operational performance, leading manufacturing operations, 3PL warehousing operations, applying Lean Six Sigma principles, focusing on practical continuous improvement and problem solving. As a skilled mentor and communicator, he has trained and coached teams in improvement methods and their application. His manufacturing knowledge has been applied to multiple industries including aerospace, automotive, medical devices, plastic injection molding, 3PL cold chain warehousing,

Greg earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Portland State. He has also earned a Black Belt certification from TRW and served two apprenticeships one as a general machinist and a second one as a plastic injection mold maker. From these experiences he gained hands on knowledge with manufacturing processes as well as learning to communicate effectively from the shop floor to the board room.

CI Mastermind Contributor

Patrick Mitsuuchi-Stork

Patrick is a passionate and effective Lean and continuous improvement leader who has held both formal and informal leadership positions for the past 21 years. He has shared his passion for continuous improvement with others through teaching, mentoring, coaching, facilitation, and volunteering.

Patrick graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the Universities of Applied Sciences of Ulm and Neu-Ulm, Germany, in 2002 and a Masters of Business Administration from Arizona State University in 2022. Throughout his career, he has proven his ability to engage employees and leaders at all levels in applying continuous improvement principles across industries in Germany and the US while inspiring and collaborating with people from various cultural and educational backgrounds.

For the last ten years, he has made a name for himself at a major US aerospace company as a competent and reliable Lean subject matter expert and tested leader by reaching across functional, program, and site boundaries to drive continuous improvement tactics, initiatives, and programs; facilitate strategic workshops;  lead the development of continuous improvement enterprise standards; train, coach, and mentor employees in Lean Production System concepts; and lead cross-functional teams in the deployment of Lean Management Systems. He currently serves in a senior management role, leading a team of over 20 Lean practitioners supporting critical aerospace programs.

Patrick believes the real power of Lean is to invest in improving team effectiveness and developing people into systematic problem-solvers who leverage continuous improvement principles and tools to improve their work in alignment with company goals – a sustainable win-win situation for individuals and the business.

In his free time, Patrick enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, both indoors and outdoors, recording original music, traveling, reading, DIY projects, working out, and continuously learning.

MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT

Sarang Kortikar

Sarang Kortikar is a seasoned Program and Operations Leader with more than 20 years of experience driving transformation, scaling operations, and leading complex business initiatives across e-commerce, smart manufacturing, medical devices, industrial products, and regulated manufacturing environments. He brings a strong track record of delivering measurable business results through program management, operational excellence, network optimization, capital project execution, and cross-functional leadership.

Throughout his career, Sarang has successfully led large-scale operational improvements in Fortune 100, startup, and mid-market organizations. He has deep expertise in launching new sites, integrating 3PL operations, building scalable systems, and improving cost, quality, delivery, and service across multi-site networks. His leadership style combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution, enabling organizations to translate vision into sustainable results.

Sarang has led major transformation initiatives across distribution, fulfillment, and manufacturing environments. At Amazon, he supported the launch of high-velocity fulfillment operations, leading more than 300 employees while deploying automation and vision systems that contributed to over $1.5 million in annualized productivity gains across 32 sites. He has also led footprint optimization initiatives, including consolidating 10 distribution centers into 5 while maintaining 95% on-time delivery and delivering approximately $5 million in cost savings. In another major achievement, he directed the development of a 250,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art distribution center valued at $31 million, completed in under 20 months and generating $1.5 million in savings.

His background includes full P&L ownership, ERP-enabled operational improvements, digital dashboards, Lean deployment, and large-scale capital planning. Sarang is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified and has consistently applied Lean, Kaizen, and structured problem-solving methodologies to improve productivity, reduce waste, and strengthen operational discipline. He has worked extensively in compliance-driven environments governed by FDA, ISO 9001, ISO 13485, OSHA, FRA, and AAR standards, giving him a strong ability to balance operational performance with safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.

Earlier in his career, Sarang helped build a precision nanotechnology startup from the ground up, implementing Lean systems, ERP processes, and smart manufacturing capabilities to support growth in a highly specialized environment. Over time, he expanded his leadership scope across manufacturing, supply chain, medical devices, industrial products, and distribution, becoming known for building high-performing teams, driving enterprise-wide improvements, and leading complex initiatives from strategy through execution.

Sarang is energized by building scalable systems, developing leaders, and transforming operations into high-performing, data-driven organizations. He is a trusted business partner who works effectively across operations, engineering, supply chain, quality, finance, and IT to deliver disciplined execution and long-term value.

Sarang has been married for 20 years and is a proud father of two. He currently lives in Dallas with his family and their dog and is originally from India. Outside of work, he enjoys running, biking, and spending time outdoors.

OPERATIONS ENGINEER

Vikas Routhu