Michael is the Founder & CEO for CoachFoss LLC and passionate about Finding Optimal Solutions for Success. As a speaker, trainer, consultant, coach, and author, he thrives on inspiring and motivating leaders, teams, and individuals to achieve and sustain transformational success! He leads large global teams to be enthusiastic, embrace innovation and disruption, seek relentless improvement, never give up, & never settle for mediocrity! He moves you from where you are to where you want to be!

Michael is a strategic executive logistics & supply chain operations leader with extensive global experience and success in cutting costs and improving performance, processes, and people for premier companies including Advatix, Archway, Flexport, CloudSort, Walmart, Caterpillar, Amazon, Cameron, Weir, and FedEx. He is a dynamic and energetic change agent, recognized for driving business transformations and optimizing operations. He is a skilled relationship builder, well-known for inspiring and empowering high-performance teams.

Michael holds a BS degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas Tech University (TTU) and earned his Lean / Six Sigma Black Belt from the University of Villanova.

Michael is a Past President & CEO, Fellow, and Past IAB chairman of the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers (IISE).

Michael is a member of the Texas Tech University Industrial Engineering Academy, is the Past President of the TTU Whitacre College of Engineering Dean’s Council and was awarded the Texas Tech Whitacre College of Engineering Distinguished Engineer’s award, the highest award given from Texas Tech. Michael is one of ~230 Engineers, one of only 27 Industrial Engineers ever awarded.

Michael is certified to train The Power of Positive Leadership & The Power of a Positive Team by Jon Gordon and is an active Executive Program Director John Maxwell Leadership Certified Speaker, Trainer, and Coach.

What audiences you speak for?

I have spoken to university students and professionals in the Industrial & Systems Engineering profession for ~25 years. Additionally, over that same timeframe, I have spoken to global logistics, transportation, and supply chain professionals. Over the past 5-10 years, my audience has expanded to any group seeking inspiration and motivation to change their mindset to become the best versions of themselves.

What led you to this career?

I have been passionate about leading people to improved levels of performance since middle school as the starting quarterback on the football team. I have always been attracted to finding a better way to perform and systemizing the process to ensure an expected outcome and never settling for anything less.

What’s one professional skill you’re currently working on?

I am working on my speech delivery (tone, verbal emphasis, and the pause).

What’s your go-to productivity trick?

Mechanisms (process and systems). A mechanism is a complete process to convert inputs to outputs using tools, adoption, and inspection. As James Clear states, “people don’t rise to the level of their goals, they fall to the level of their systems.”

Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?

Jesus Christ. Jesus’s approach to leadership and compassion to others drives me. Additionally, I am a student, not a follower. I study great leaders who challenge the status quo, are possibility thinkers, are driven to succeed, and care deeply about others.

What’s a mistake you made early on in your career, and what did you learn from it?

Early in my leadership career following a promotion, I assumed a seasoned Operations Executive I just began to support would see benefit to significant operational improvements that I could see, without developing the relationship. Once time to do so was given and report was established, great changes occurred.

What’s a work-related accomplishment that you’re really proud of?

I led a large team within Amazon to see a solution that did not exist through a proven continuous improvement approach that saved lives, improved efficiency, increased productivity, and won the innovation of the year award!

What being a member of NSA-NT means to you (testimonial) 

While speaking to audiences is not new to me, earning pay for doing so is. The content received from our guest speakers has been vital in building my speaking business.

Something personal you want us to know- can be about family, a vacation, a favorite food- anything you care to share.

Michael has made a life-long study of leadership. At a very young age, Michael observed what John C. Maxwell has studied and written about for years is true: “Leadership is influence and everything rises and falls on leadership.”

Michael is a motivational speaker and passionate about leadership, positivity, enthusiasm, and continuous improvement. He is an avid learner from thought leaders in business and football where he played quarterback into college.

Contact info and Social Media info (full URLs please):

Michael Foss

Mobile Phone: 817.304.4876

Email: michael@coachfoss.com

Website URL: https://coachfoss.com

LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachfoss/

Linktree URL: https://linktr.ee/CoachFoss

YouTube URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZgjLhkFYj55CYJClpdcn_g

Instagram URL: https://www.instagram.com/CoachFoss11/

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/coachfoss

Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/CoachFoss