John W. Gunkler, Senior Associate & Director, Six Sigma Training & Process Improvement

Creator of Simplicity Theory™, a revolutionary business modeling approach to managing the complexity of organizations, and co-creator of OptionFinder®, wireless keypad software for assisting teamwork, John Gunkler is President of Excelsior Group, an international strategic change and process improvement consulting firm.

Since 1976 John has devoted himself to helping companies understand their dynamic structure, identify opportunities for strategic improvements in service and production processes, and implement change efforts that alter the corporate culture and enhance market value. His clients have included more than 25 percent of the Fortune 1000 in a wide variety of industry segments including high technology and telecommunications, financial services, transportation, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and medical. He has worked in all regions of the United States as well as in Canada, Japan, Germany, and China.

John holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Reed College; his doctoral studies at the University of Minnesota concentrated on educational evaluation and the behavior of people in organizations. He has authored several articles and book chapters in the organizational behavior literature. A member of the System Dynamics Society and the American Society for Quality, John is in demand as a speaker on Simplicity Theory, service quality improvement, organizational culture change, and related topics.

Having previously worked with Scott Sedam at Wilson Learning, John claims to be delighted to be re-associated with him at TrueNorth. As an accomplished musician, John plays trumpet with the St. Paul Symphonic Orchestra.

Interesting Facts:

Favorite Place: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (wasn’t there with Jean)
Like : Fried clams, music (especially classical, blues, and jazz), being on the beach with his wife
Random Fact: He stopped playing trumpet his first year of college and didn't pick it up again for 32 years, and when he did, could only play for three minutes… and the sound was not pretty. It took three years of practicing every day for him to be able to say "I play trumpet" again.
Favorite Tool: Paintbrush (and he loves his cordless drill)