Niklas Modig

CEO of Hups, Niklas Modig, is a renowned authority in the theory and implementation of lean. His first steps in this journey began as a professional dance and aerobics instructor. Using lean thinking in his teaching methods made it possible to instruct advanced choreographies to beginners simply and efficiently. His teaching method, ‘value-added aerobics,’ was so groundbreaking that he received a sponsored contract with Nike, making it possible for him to travel worldwide, teaching dance instructors how to teach. Niklas’ formal studies began at the Stockholm School of Economics and continued at the Manufacturing Management Research Center - University of Tokyo. While studying with leading Toyota researcher Professor Takahiro Fujimoto, Niklas gained exclusive access to the Toyota Motor Corporation’s most high-performing service systems. After his in-depth study of the company’s superb functionality, Niklas was inspired to make the processes and techniques he learned accessible to the rest of the world. He achieved this in 2011 when he released his book, 'This is Lean – Resolving the Efficiency Paradox,' which has since been translated into 18 languages and sold to over 300,000 readers, making it one of the best-selling books about lean of all time.