Role: Change Manager & Program Deployment Leader (Contract)
- MKP site (former Monsanto), Bursa, 2 years
- Bayer Gebze site, Kocaeli, 2 years
Governance: Member of Steering Committee
1. Context
The engagement started at MKP, a former Monsanto site in Bursa, following its integration into Bayer.
After successful stabilisation and deployment at MKP, the mandate was extended for an additional 20 months to the Bayer Gebze site (Kocaeli) to replicate and adapt the Production System in a different operational and cultural context.
2. The Real Problem
The visible challenge was “production system deployment.”
The real problems were:
- Tools without behavioural ownership
- High risk of regression once the program ended
- Cultural friction between legacy Monsanto practices and Bayer expectations
- Leadership pressure for instant results without executable plans
In short: the system could be launched, but not sustained—unless the human side was addressed properly.
3. My Mandate & Authority
I was engaged specifically to own the human side of change.
My mandate included:
- Acting as SME for the Production System
- Designing and executing a step-wise implementation roadmap
- Delivering training and coaching across all levels
- Running cultural diagnostics and defining change enablers
- Proactively identifying and managing organisational clashes
- Ensuring sustainability after consultant exit
I operated as part of the Steering Committee, with direct access to site leadership.
4. What I Did (Concrete)
- Designed a phased deployment model instead of a big-bang rollout
- Defined cultural enablers through diagnostics and leadership alignment
- Delivered Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt training to the entire workforce
- Coached multiple Black Belt projects with direct P&L impact
- Built and led a Change Champion Network, selecting members based on informal authority rather than hierarchy
- Translated operational reality into actionable plans for leadership
- Embedded routines so the system could operate independently of external consultants
5. Results & Impact
Hard outcomes
- Employee engagement increased to 75% at MKP
- Multiple Black Belt projects delivered multi-million-euro savings
- Core operational problems were solved during deployment, not deferred
Structural outcomes
- 100% of employees trained to Yellow Belt level
- Sustainable internal Change Champion network established
- Production System embedded as a way of working, not a temporary initiative
- Leadership alignment shifted from pressure-driven execution to plan-driven delivery
6. Key Insight
A senior manager pushed to “fix everything in one day” — a clear sign of organisations used to presentations rather than execution.
I pushed back with a clear, staged plan and delivered against it.
Sustainable change takes time, discipline, and credibility.
Pressure without structure only creates relapse.
Speed comes from structure — not urgency.
Öner TANK 