TOCICO

In his early career, Simon spent 8 years in microbiology laboratories in the brewing industry, before moving into Quality Assurance in the Pharmaceutical industry at GSK in 1999. He has worked in a number of roles at GSK, including laboratory management and business Improvement, before moving into project management where he has worked for the last 13 years in both New Product introduction, Site Strategy, and PMO functions. These roles involve liaising closely with multiple teams both on and off-site and leading a team of project managers and planners to project manage the technology transfer and commercialization of new medicines. Simon has an MSc in Industrial Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Manchester and is currently in the final year of an MSc in Industrial Project Management at the University of Birmingham – where he first came across critical chain. Simon lives in the northeast of England. He enjoys hill walking and is a daily gym goer and he and his wife go sea swimming every weekend throughout the year (which can be a bit of a challenge in January in the UK’s North Sea!).

Alka Wadhwa is an experienced consultant and process improvement expert with over 24 years of expertise in the Theory of Constraints (TOC), Lean Six Sigma, and organizational performance optimization. She has successfully led projects in healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing, driving significant improvements such as a 67% boost in hospital operations and a 140% increase in outpatient visits. Previously, Alka Wadhwa spent 17+ years at GE Global Research Center, where she led initiatives to enhance various GE businesses through advanced technologies, process redesign, and system optimization. Founder of Better Solutions Consulting, LLC, she specializes in using TOC, Six Sigma, and data analytics to streamline operations and build high-performance teams. Her work has earned her multiple accolades, including the Empire State Award of Excellence in healthcare.

Dr. Gary Wadhwa is a Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon with extensive experience in the field. He completed his Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery training at Montefiore Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY, and has served as an Attending at prestigious institutions like St. Peters Hospitals, Ellis Hospital, and Beth Israel Hospital in NY. With a career spanning over two decades, he was the former CEO and President of a group specialty practice in NY from 1994 to 2015. Dr. Wadhwa holds an MBA from UT at Knoxville, TN, and has undergone additional training in System Dynamics at MIT, Health System Management at Harvard Business School, and Entrepreneurship and healthcare innovations at Columbia Business School. Committed to expanding access to Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery care, he is currently engaged in a meaningful project to provide healthcare services to underserved populations in inner city and rural areas through non-profit Community Health Centers.