Meet Our Affiliates

José Roberto Ferro is the president of Lean Institute Brasil, a non-profit organization founded in 1999, whose main purpose is to disseminate the principles and practices of Lean Thinking in Brazilian companies.

Dr. Ferro is the author of chapters for the Brazilian edition of the following books, all published by Editora Campus, Rio de Janeiro: Lean Thinking, Mentalidade Enxuta nas empresas, by James Womack and Dan Jones, 1998; Collision, Colisão – GM, VW e Toyota, by Maryann Keller, 1994; The Machine That Changed the World, A máquina que mudou o mundo, by James Womack, Dan Jones and Roos, 1992. He is also the co-author of “Brazil: a New Pattern of Industrial Relations” in After Lean Production, coordinated by MacDuffie, Kochan and Lansbury (Cornell University Press, 1998). In addition, Dr. Ferro has written many articles in Portuguese and English for academic journals, international congresses, and business newspapers and magazines.

Dr. Ferro received Ph.D. and Master’s degrees in Business Administration – Getulio Vargas Foundation, Production Engineer from the University of São Paulo in São Carlos.

Currently Professor, Economics Department at the School of Business Administration at São Paulo, Getulio Vargas Foundation (since 1992), Dr. Ferro has also held positions as Professor at the University of Campinas, Statistics and Computer Science Institute Master’s Course in Quality Management (1992-1998); and Visiting Scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1988-1990).

In the public sector, Dr. Ferro has been Sectorial Chamber of the Autosector, a revolutionary tripartite institutional arrangement (labor, industry and government) that resulted in substantial benefits for the auto industry. Brasilia, 1992. He has also worked with ANFAVEA (National Association of Automotive Manufacturers), ABEIVA (Brazilian Association of Vehicle Importers), Sindimetal (Union of Metallurgy Companies) and the State of Bahia Government.

In addition, Dr. Ferro made significant contributions to the following projects: PREALC/ILO, “Technology Innovations and Labor Market in South America” (1992-1993); UNIDO, “Policies for Sustainable Competitiveness and Entrepreneurial Development of the Venezuelan Automobile Industry” (1999); UNDP and the Paraguayan Ministry of Industry and Commerce, “Industrial Policy for the Support Program of Sectorial Investments – Automobile Industry” (1998-1999); and World Bank/Getulio Vargas Foundation, “Science and Technology Policies for Brazil” (1994).