About Alan Ichikawa – Leadership Rooted in Faith and Performance Excellence
I’ve spent my career helping leaders and organizations build clarity, alignment, and results. My work combines proven systems thinking (Baldrige, Lean, Six Sigma, EOS) with a people-centered, faith-informed approach that connects purpose and performance.
Golden Hills Community Church
For me, leadership and faith are inseparable. When guided by both, excellence becomes a way to serve people and purpose.
At Golden Hills Community Church, I helped guide the church from its early years to a congregation of more than 4,000 attendees. As a founding member, elder, and church chairman, I led strategic planning and leadership development to align the mission and support healthy growth.
MAP International
At MAP International, I served on the Board of Directors for six years, as Corporate Secretary and Chair of the Board Development and Strategic Planning Workgroup, aligning vision and execution for global impact.
The Dow Chemical Company
At Dow Chemical, I held key roles in engineering, research, manufacturing, IT, quality, training, and Human Resources, driving change initiatives that improved both system performance and organizational effectiveness. I spearheaded company-wide Six Sigma initiatives and Baldrige-based assessments, significantly enhancing operational reliability and productivity.
My guiding principle remains consistent: Leadership rooted in faith is the most sustainable form of excellence.
Baldrige Performance Excellence Leadership
Leadership across national, state, and regional Baldrige programs
In addition to my roles in organizational effectiveness, I have dedicated over two decades to advancing performance excellence through the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. My leadership spans national, state, and regional levels, where I’ve helped organizations improve their results, strengthen evaluation systems, and pursue excellence with integrity.
California Council for Excellence & CAPE
As Ethics Chair of the California Council for Excellence (2016–2023), I helped ensure the state’s performance awards were grounded in the highest ethical standards. I also led the California Award for Performance Excellence (CAPE) as Chair (2014–2016), promoting excellence across sectors including manufacturing, healthcare, education, and nonprofits. From 2010 to 2014, I served as a CAPE Judge and chaired the CAPE Judges Program, evaluating top-performing organizations statewide.
Baldrige Examiner & Trainer
I served as a senior examiner and team leader on national Baldrige examination teams, providing feedback and insight to organizations working to improve their performance across a wide range of industries. As a trainer, I helped equip new examiners with the tools and mindset required to identify and strengthen excellence.
Michigan Quality Council
As a Trustee for the Michigan Quality Council, I helped strengthen the state’s Baldrige-based performance excellence initiatives. I also served as an Examiner and Trainer for Michigan’s program, mentoring organizations and equipping new examiners to apply Baldrige principles in their improvement efforts. Through this work, I supported organizations in enhancing leadership systems, measurement practices, and overall performance results across multiple sectors.
The Dow Chemical Company – Integrating Baldrige and Lean/Six Sigma
During my 40-year career with Dow Chemical, I helped introduce and integrate Baldrige principles into the company’s global performance improvement system. As part of Dow’s original Master Black Belt group and the Six Sigma Expertise Center, I worked to align Six Sigma, Lean, and Baldrige frameworks into a cohesive business excellence approach that improved both results and culture.
I trained more than 1,000 Black Belts and mentored practitioners who delivered over $80 million in measurable improvements across manufacturing, supply chain, and marketing. Company-wide, Dow achieved more than $1.5 billion in value through Lean/Six Sigma. I also facilitated strategic planning and leadership sessions for Global Operations and site-level teams, supporting integration of data-driven improvement with organizational strategy.
Why I Do This Work
My consulting practice is grounded in both experience and purpose. I’m committed to helping leaders and organizations pursue excellence—not just in performance, but in values, service, and long-term impact. I believe that leadership rooted in integrity, clarity, and faith creates sustainable results and healthier teams.
This work allows me to bring together what I’ve learned across industries, roles, and frameworks—from Fortune 100 companies to local nonprofits. It’s about equipping others to lead well, grow wisely, and serve with purpose.
Let’s Connect
Whether you’re exploring AI transformation, clarifying strategic priorities, or improving team performance, I’d love to hear from you.