Tim Kiefer
Ensuring shared context that leads to lasting outcomes and better performance.
Program leader and Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. For 25+ years I’ve led large projects and change efforts, helping organizations plan and collaborate to deliver complex work. I help teams understand how their work really runs, guide the improvements, and coach people to grow while improving outcomes.
About
A plan stalls when the people carrying it out don’t know why it matters or what changed last week. A process breaks in the places nobody wrote down. Most problems are context problems: my work is finding that context and making sure everyone who needs it has it.
In program and project management, it means giving executives, leaders, and project teams the context to decide and act. I’ve done that throughout my career leading major implementation projects for Fujitsu Consulting, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, StorageTek, and Level 3, including portfolio management at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, and with Empactful Partners leading a multi-year implementation and launch of a new business for a client.
In Lean work, that means understanding how the work actually happens before changing it. I built and ran the Lean program at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, facilitated and coached 60+ process improvement efforts, and trained 150+ people to see their own processes clearly and make meaningful improvements to those processes.
AI raises the stakes. A model is only as good as the context it’s given. My recent agent work started with mapping a finance process in detail, and the agent built from that map cut 4 to 8 hours of daily manual work to under 15 minutes.
Outside of client work I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, life on our lake, hosting concerts in my living room, reading, mentoring through TeamMates, and helping raise money for arts and music education. I also love international travel. We lived in the Netherlands, and I interned in Japan and studied in Spain.
Testimonials
“If I were launching a new project or product and needed a strong leadership partner to drive change, Tim would be the first person I would call.”
I have had the pleasure of working with Tim Kiefer for 7+ years across multiple organizations. Tim has the unique ability to organize complex, strategic projects (both new programs and new products) and align numerous internal and external stakeholders to the mission and roadmaps, ensuring delivery against key milestones, timelines, and outcomes. Tim is a valuable ‘unicorn’ because he tackles difficult projects with optimism and clear pathways forward, while also grounding teams in the realities of the difficult decisions and actions inherent in every enterprise initiative. Plus he’s a genuinely great person and super enjoyable to work with. If I were launching a new project or product and needed a strong leadership partner to drive change, Tim would be the first person I would call.
“I brought him in for operational excellence work that delivered 25 improvements across the organization. Tim is a strong facilitator, a sharp process reviewer, and an excellent project and program manager.”
I have built a lot with Tim Kiefer over the years: at Triage Staffing, on Ready Health, at Empactful, and at MedPro Healthcare Staffing. At MedPro, I brought him in for operational excellence work that delivered 25 improvements across the organization. Tim is a strong facilitator, a sharp process reviewer, and an excellent project and program manager. If you get the chance to work with him, take it.
“I’ve come to value his thoughtful guidance, steady leadership, and collaborative approach. He’s helped me understand myself better and encouraged me to pursue my goals with greater emotional intelligence and insight.”
I’ve had the privilege of working with Tim Kiefer in many different ways—as a mentor, leader, and coworker. Across those experiences, I’ve come to value his thoughtful guidance, steady leadership, and collaborative approach. He’s helped me understand myself better and encouraged me to pursue my goals with greater emotional intelligence and insight. I’m grateful for his influence, happy to recommend him, and would welcome the chance to work with him again.
“He brings thoughtfulness, curiosity, and a genuine interest in helping people and teams be successful. I appreciate his collaborative style, the perspective he brings, and his ability to build strong working relationships.”
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Tim in several roles over the years, and I’ve always valued our partnership. Most recently, we worked together on design sprint facilitation and Working Genius initiatives, which gave me another opportunity to see his strengths in action. Tim is someone I enjoy working with because he brings thoughtfulness, curiosity, and a genuine interest in helping people and teams be successful. I appreciate his collaborative style, the perspective he brings, and his ability to build strong working relationships. I would welcome the opportunity to work with him again.
“He brought the same care to managing us as people as he brought to the product. Any team would be lucky to have him.”
Tim was our product manager at Steadii. He was exceptionally good at asking the right question at the right moment, scanning the world for methods and technologies we could put to use, and catching the small details the rest of us all missed. Beyond that, he brought the same care to managing us as people as he brought to the product. I miss working with him dearly. Any team would be lucky to have him.
Professional Experience Summary
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2026
Consultant, AI Process Automation
Improved a client’s finance process through process engineering and AI agent implementation.
Result: The agent cut 4 to 8 hours of daily manual work to under 15 minutes.
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2022 – 2026
Program & Product Manager
Empactful Partners
Served as program manager for Steadii, a new business built and launched for a client, leading the consulting team that ran it day to day and the product team that built its platform. Led process improvement workshops for a medical staffing firm. From March 2026, led operations. Started as a contractor in 2022, then converted to a full-time role in December 2023.
Results:- Led the Steadii program implementation and platform development team from 2022 through 2026.
- Launched Steadii, which supported more than 200 family caregivers as they cared for their loved ones.
- Delivered 25 improvements across a medical staffing firm through process improvement workshops.
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2019 – 2022
Director, Operational Excellence
Triage Staffing
Led a multi-phase, multi-year replacement of core business applications. Built and led the internal operational excellence teams that delivered the new applications and provided operational support for all internal applications. Started as a contractor in 2019, working remotely from the Netherlands, building program delivery capability ahead of the replacement, then converted to a full-time Director role in 2021.
Results:- Stood up an internal support organization and delivery practice.
- Integrated an acquired company into Triage’s technical environment and processes mid-program without delaying the platform replacement effort’s delivery date.
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2017 – 2019
Product Manager
Avantas
Matured project delivery and portfolio management at a healthcare workforce management company while leading technology and process improvement work.
Results:- Took Agile from one pilot to every delivery team and delivered a client-critical build ahead of schedule with more scope than planned.
- Implemented a cross-functional stakeholder input process to prioritize platform issue resolution.
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2007 – 2017
Project Manager to Director, Health Network Operations
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
Multiple roles focused on implementing critical programs and process improvements: project manager, project portfolio manager, Lean program manager, Director of Health Network Operations, and enterprise Lean consultant.
Results:- Built the Lean program, facilitated and coached 60+ process improvement efforts, and trained 150+ employees in Lean fundamentals.
- Led a 20+ person Health Network Operations team responsible for reimbursement, credentialing, and provider network administration.
- Directed enterprise project prioritization and portfolio management.
- Led a critical partner integration program.
Earlier career
- 2006 – 2007Level 3 Communications, Product Development Manager. Led customer-facing project delivery and handled customer disputes and escalations.
- 2004 – 2006StorageTek, Program Manager. Led a $5M+ product development program with teams in three global locations. Managed offshore vendor relationships and saved $1M+ by resolving a vendor dispute.
- 2002 – 2004Tivis Ventures, Associate. Analyzed investments and led a small business turnaround.
- 2002Fujitsu Ltd., Global Business Group Intern, Kawasaki, Japan. Developed wireless service concepts presented to Fujitsu executives and the Singapore Tourism Board in Malaysia, Japan, and Singapore.
- 1998 – 2001Fujitsu Consulting, Management Consultant to Client Executive. Owned engagements with $10M+ in sales.
- 1994 – 1997US West, Legislative Review. Automated a process from three people to one.
Education
- MA, Global Finance, Trade & Economic IntegrationUniversity of Denver, Graduate School of International Studies · 2003
- BA, English & General Business CertificateCreighton University · 1992
Certifications
- Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt 2011
- ICAN Focus Program Class of 2010 – 2011
- ICAN Bringing Spirit to Leadership Class of 2011 – 2012
Focus areas
- Program & portfolio management
- AI adoption
- Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt
- Agile delivery
- Change management
- Operational excellence