Atakan Zehir
General ManagerFounder and General Manager of Gemba Partner; for over 20 years he has been involved in the development of production systems and organizational transformation projects.
Who Is Atakan Zehir?
Atakan Zehir is a manager and consultant who has built his career in Japanese management systems, Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence and shop floor management, and has been involved in the development of production systems and organizational transformation projects for over 20 years.
He gained his first shop floor experience of Japanese management systems in 2001–2002 during his work in the Production Department of Honda Turkey. After completing Japanese Management Systems education at Saitama University and Japanese language education at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, he began his professional career at Toyotetsu Otomotiv, the Turkey investment of Toyoda Iron Works, a Toyota group company.
During this period he experienced the Toyota Production System (TPS), Gemba Kaizen and Gemba Kanri practices directly on the production floor, and had the opportunity to work closely with Japanese managers such as Takahiro Takaki and Keiji Nakayama. He made not only the tools and techniques of the Japanese management approach but also the management philosophy behind the problem-solving and continuous improvement culture the foundation of his career.
He later took part in the establishment of Sekiso Industries Turkey, the Turkey investment of the Maruyasu & Sekiso Group, playing an active role in setting up production systems, shop floor Kaizen activities, daily suggestion systems and a Kanban-based production planning infrastructure.
Later in his career he took on the role of Purchasing Manager, establishing supplier selection, evaluation and development systems and spreading Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement practices across the supplier network. During this time he had the opportunity to work with JIPM–TPM consultant Tokutaro Suzuki and developed his experience in Total Quality Management and TPM. He also examined different production and management systems on site through shop floor work and training programs in Japan.
He continued his academic development with an MBA at Gebze Institute of Technology (GYTE) and completed his master's thesis on "Hoshin Kanri – The Japanese Way of Policy Management". During the same period he worked on FMDS – Factory Management Development System with Naoki Nozaki, former Vice President of Toyota UK.
After his work in production, continuous improvement and management, he was appointed Plant Manager and took on management responsibility for production performance, cost management, human resources and operational development.
In 2012 he founded Gemba Partner, in order to combine the approach he gained from Japanese management systems with the needs of companies in Turkey and turn it into a consulting model that delivers measurable and sustainable results.
Today, within Gemba Partner, he leads Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, Hoshin Kanri, shop floor management, cost-focused process improvement and organizational transformation projects. He also works jointly with Japanese experts, especially Tetsuya Yamazaki, integrating the traditional Japanese management approach with digital shop floor management and next-generation operational excellence practices.
Areas of Expertise
- Hoshin Kanri – Management by Strategy and Policy
- Gemba Kanri & FMDS – Daily Shop Floor Management and Development
- Operational Excellence – Operational Excellence and Transformation
- Lean Manufacturing & TPS – Lean Production Systems
- Cost Improvement – Cost-Focused Process Development
- QCC & Problem Solving – Problem Solving and Team Management
- Henkaten Kanri – Change Management
- Supplier Development – Supplier Development Systems
- Digital OPEX – Digitalizing Processes and Developing Digital Management Tools
Projects Carried Out
- İnci Akü - TPM and 5S Management
- AGT Antalya - Visual Management
- Özler Plastik - Lean Transformation
- Sanem Plastik - Lean Transformation
- Magna TR - Supplier Kanban System
- Volt Elektrik - OPEX Transformation
Atakan Zehir
General ManagerFounder and General Manager of Gemba Partner; for over 20 years he has been involved in the development of production systems and organizational transformation projects.
Who Is Atakan Zehir?
Atakan Zehir is a manager and consultant who has built his career in Japanese management systems, Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence and shop floor management, and has been involved in the development of production systems and organizational transformation projects for over 20 years.
He gained his first shop floor experience of Japanese management systems in 2001–2002 during his work in the Production Department of Honda Turkey. After completing Japanese Management Systems education at Saitama University and Japanese language education at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, he began his professional career at Toyotetsu Otomotiv, the Turkey investment of Toyoda Iron Works, a Toyota group company.
During this period he experienced the Toyota Production System (TPS), Gemba Kaizen and Gemba Kanri practices directly on the production floor, and had the opportunity to work closely with Japanese managers such as Takahiro Takaki and Keiji Nakayama. He made not only the tools and techniques of the Japanese management approach but also the management philosophy behind the problem-solving and continuous improvement culture the foundation of his career.
He later took part in the establishment of Sekiso Industries Turkey, the Turkey investment of the Maruyasu & Sekiso Group, playing an active role in setting up production systems, shop floor Kaizen activities, daily suggestion systems and a Kanban-based production planning infrastructure.
Later in his career he took on the role of Purchasing Manager, establishing supplier selection, evaluation and development systems and spreading Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement practices across the supplier network. During this time he had the opportunity to work with JIPM–TPM consultant Tokutaro Suzuki and developed his experience in Total Quality Management and TPM. He also examined different production and management systems on site through shop floor work and training programs in Japan.
He continued his academic development with an MBA at Gebze Institute of Technology (GYTE) and completed his master's thesis on "Hoshin Kanri – The Japanese Way of Policy Management". During the same period he worked on FMDS – Factory Management Development System with Naoki Nozaki, former Vice President of Toyota UK.
After his work in production, continuous improvement and management, he was appointed Plant Manager and took on management responsibility for production performance, cost management, human resources and operational development.
In 2012 he founded Gemba Partner, in order to combine the approach he gained from Japanese management systems with the needs of companies in Turkey and turn it into a consulting model that delivers measurable and sustainable results.
Today, within Gemba Partner, he leads Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, Hoshin Kanri, shop floor management, cost-focused process improvement and organizational transformation projects. He also works jointly with Japanese experts, especially Tetsuya Yamazaki, integrating the traditional Japanese management approach with digital shop floor management and next-generation operational excellence practices.
Areas of Expertise
- Hoshin Kanri – Management by Strategy and Policy
- Gemba Kanri & FMDS – Daily Shop Floor Management and Development
- Operational Excellence – Operational Excellence and Transformation
- Lean Manufacturing & TPS – Lean Production Systems
- Cost Improvement – Cost-Focused Process Development
- QCC & Problem Solving – Problem Solving and Team Management
- Henkaten Kanri – Change Management
- Supplier Development – Supplier Development Systems
- Digital OPEX – Digitalizing Processes and Developing Digital Management Tools
Projects Carried Out
- İnci Akü - TPM and 5S Management
- AGT Antalya - Visual Management
- Özler Plastik - Lean Transformation
- Sanem Plastik - Lean Transformation
- Magna TR - Supplier Kanban System
- Volt Elektrik - OPEX Transformation