Paul Holtrop

MA, Principal

Paul has worked within business and industry for more than 35 years, and has taught and implemented lean manufacturing techniques while leading teams at a Fortune 500 company. He has a broad range of operations experience, holding various roles in engineering, front-line supervision, materials management, logistics management, and production management.

As his career has progressed, Paul has had responsibility for operations, capacity management, production scheduling, and materials procurement. As a skilled change agent, Paul has worked through plant re-arrangements, major product moves, plant consolidations, and significant reduction in inventory and manufacturing space. Paul’s experience working with cost reduction strategies in downsizing organizations has given him unique understanding of the cultural impact that occurs with significant change.

More recently, his business consulting experience includes nearly 20 years as a principal and co-founder of Sage Performance Counseling. Paul’s analytical skills enable him to creatively help organizations construct, develop, and implement both strategic plans and operational improvements. As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), business transitions, including succession planning and leadership development are key areas of expertise.

Paul earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and Economics from Calvin University. While working full-time, he continued his formal education, completing a Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership and Human Resource Development from Western Michigan University. He has been actively engaged in teaching as adjunct faculty at multiple universities since 2002.