Biography: Ian was born in Sheffield, England and obtained a B.Sc. in Mathematics from UEA and a Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Birmingham, England before coming to the U.S. He spent 4 years teaching statistics at UT Dallas and Oakland University, Michigan, and 7 years leading GM Powertrain's engine design quality effort before joining Peaker Services, Inc. (PSI) as President in 1997.

Ian acted as trustee for the first leveraged ESOP transaction in 2000 and PSI is now a 100% employee owned company. PSI's historical core for over 40 years has been service and upgrade of EMD engines and controls in locomotive, marine and power generation. Since joining PSI, Ian had led the effort to diversify the company into controls for other diesel, natural and biogas engines, steam and gas turbines.

He obtained an MBA from the University of Michigan in 2003. Ian is a member of ASME and ASQ and serves on the W. Edwards Deming Institute advisory board. He is Chair of the ASQ Deming Medal and LMOA Diesel Mechanical Maintenance Committees.

Ian and his wife of 22 years, Kathy, are both keen mountain bikers and craft beer consumers. Kathy teaches yoga and 'enhance fitness' as well as smoking a mean brisket. They have two sons - James (21) and George (18). James plans to pursue automotive journalism, George, illustration and graphic design.

Contact: Ian can be reached via email at isb@peaker.com for additional information about this pre-conference session.

Biography: Dick Steele founded Peaker Services, Inc. in June of 1971 with two other guys, three service vans and a two-car garage.  Dick is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors.  Peaker Services, Inc. has two main lines of work: rebuilding the diesel engine that normally goes into locomotives or large boats and designing electrical systems for power control applications.  We have approximately 70 people employed producing about $20 million annual revenue.

Dick became familiar with Dr. W. Edwards Deming in August of 1988 and started his study of the philosophy at that time.  Performance appraisals were eliminated the Monday after getting back from the first of several 4-day Deming seminars.  Dick is a member of the Board of the W. Edwards Deming Institute, Chair of the Fall Deming Conference and is active with the Deming Study Group of Greater Detroit.

Dick has been a board member of Old Kent Bank of Brighton, McPherson Hospital and Habitat for Humanity Huron Valley.  Dick has