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Member biographies

Over the years, he has:


Jim Ayers has extensive cindustry and consulting experience in operations improvement including, government agencies, utilities, and private industry. Environments include field crew support and all phases of capital project planning and construction. Jim specializes in process improvement in technical and professional environments including many paperwork intensive workflows with requirements for participant decision-making.

·         Jim has developed a two-day course called “Supply Chain Project Management” that is certified fully compliant with the Project Management Institutes Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®). The course is part of PMI’s R.E.P. ® program (Registered Educational Provider). He conducts supply chain management workshops and courses in Hong Kong and Mainland China, including an Executive MBA supply chain management course to Chinese executives under contract to UCLA Extension. This program includes a seminar developed for the Purchasing Management Association of Canada in 2007. Jim is also co-author of the supply chain management course offered by Sinclair Community College in Dayton under the sponsorship of the AIM Center (Advanced Integrated Manufacturing) funded by the National Science Foundation.

Jim is also the author or co-author of many books and articles on this website. He hold an MS in Industrial Engineering and an MBA from Stanford University,an a BS in Engineering (with distinction) for the US Naval Academy.  He is a  member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), the Project Management Institute, and the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC). He is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) by IMC, and serves on the national certification committee and as regional vice president for certification in Southern California. And he is a former nuclear submariner.

Over the years, he has:

 

Preston Smith began specializing in rapid product development in 1984 as an internal consultant, became an independent management consultant concentrating on time to market issues in 1986, and earned Certified Management Consultant (CMC) standing in 1990. Preston has consulted on highly effective new product development techniques and time to market over a wide variety of industries in many countries. He is known for adapting techniques that have proved valuable in one industry to another industry.

Prior to 1986, Preston gained broad engineering and technology management experience over a period of twenty years through employment with

Although Preston may be best known for his many publications, his daily activity centers on onsite consultation and training in new product development using a results-oriented approach that he has honed over the years. Consider how his consulting capabilities can benefit your organization.

For professional development, Preston participates in one  industry or professional conference per month, on average. He develops his consulting skills by participating regularly in meetings and conferences of the Institute of Management Consultants.

Some product development techniques Preston is best known for include

Preston Smith contributes to the product development profession while keeping up to date on its literature by serving as book review editor of the Journal of Product Innovation Management. He is a founder of the Agile Project Leadership Network (APLN).

Preston Smith holds a Ph.D. in engineering from Stanford University, and is a member of the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) and the Agile Project Leadership Network.

In off hours, Preston pursues his penchant for speed through alpine skiing and windsurfing.



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