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Dean Van Dyke

Dean Van Dyke

Vetted Operations operator

Fractional COO | 25+ Years in Operational Leadership (52)

  • Greater Sioux Falls Area
  • Available now
  • Operations leadership
  • Business process improvement
  • Lean Six Sigma
  • KPI dashboards and operating rhythm
  • SOP development
Work with Dean

About

Dean has more than 25 years of experience in operations management and business process improvement, and specialises in turning operational chaos into scalable, efficient systems. As Founder and Fractional COO of The Pillars Group and a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, he works with $1M–$100M companies to eliminate bottlenecks, optimise workflows and build teams that can execute independently, drawing on principles like Commander's Intent so businesses can thrive even in the founder's absence. Before that he held operations and program leadership roles at Microsoft, Gateway and iBridge. A Service-Disabled Veteran, he brings discipline and integrity to every initiative. With startups, he prefers technology companies with runway.

Highlights

Engagements

Education

  • Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Project ManagementColorado Technical University
  • Bachelor's Degree, Business AdministrationThe University of South Dakota

Certifications

  • Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
  • Fractional Business Partner Certificate
  • AIIM SharePoint PractitionerAIIM

Engagements

  • Cash control for a general contractor

    General contractor

    • $850K of A/R recouped in under 60 days
    • ~57% of the $1.5M balance
    Problem
    A general contractor had $1.5M tied up in receivables, and cash was stuck in collections.
    What they did
    Implemented a cash control plan with three parts: a weekly A/R aging review, tighter invoicing, and a named collections owner.
    Result
    $850K of A/R recouped, about 57% of the balance, in under 60 days.
    • Cash flow
    • Collections
    • Accounts receivable

  • Agile adoption across two product teams

    Client with two product teams

    • 45% improvement in release cycles
    • $1.1M in change orders recovered
    Problem
    Two product teams said they ran agile but were really working waterfall. Releases were slow, and change orders were going unsubmitted.
    What they did
    Implemented sprints and built a prioritized backlog for both teams. The new rhythm surfaced change orders the teams had never submitted.
    Result
    Release cycles improved 45%, and his client recovered $1.1M in change orders, all approved and paid before his engagement ended.
    • Agile
    • Change orders
    • Release cycles

Work history

  • Director, Veteran Affairs

    North Shore Business Alliance · Jan 2018 – Mar 2022

  • Community Organizer

    1 Million Cups Bellevue · Jan 2018 – Jun 2019

  • Founder and Fractional COO

    The Pillars Group · Jul 2017 – Present

  • Vice President, Global Services Division / Director, Information Governance Prac

    iBridge, LLC · Feb 2013 – Mar 2020

  • Senior Group Program Manager / Quality Engineer / Support Delivery Manager

    Microsoft · 2006 – 2012

  • Adjunct Professor

    Colorado Technical University · 2004 – 2006

  • Director Of Quality

    Sitel · 2004 – 2006

  • Fire Direction Chief

    South Dakota Army National Guard · Aug 1996 – Jul 2020

  • Senior Business Manager, Enterprise Operations and Support / Strategic Alliances

    Gateway · 1996 – 2004

  • Fire Control Technician

    US Navy · May 1989 – May 1995

  • Communications Specialist

    South Dakota Army National Guard · Jan 1986 – May 1989

Education

  • Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Project Management

    Colorado Technical University

    2001 – 2004

  • Bachelor's Degree, Business Administration

    The University of South Dakota

    1995 – 1999

Certifications

  • Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

  • Fractional Business Partner Certificate

  • AIIM SharePoint Practitioner

    AIIM

  • AIIM Electronic Records Management Practitioner

    AIIM

  • Microsoft Certified Professional

    Microsoft

Skills

Core expertise

  • Operations leadership
  • Business process improvement
  • Lean Six Sigma
  • KPI dashboards and operating rhythm
  • SOP development
  • Cash control and collections
  • Agile delivery
  • Leadership coaching

Paradigms and methods

  • Commander's Intent
  • Agile sprints

Deal terms

  • Equity for Delivery
  • Equity-First + Cash Floor
  • Pay for Results
  • Pay from Results
Minimum engagement
Flexible
Availability
Available now

How working with Dean works

  1. Post a role or invite them

    Describe what you need and invite Dean, or post the role and let Dean apply.

  2. Agree a proposal in a dealroom

    You and Dean settle scope, milestones and compensation in one private dealroom.

  3. Sign the agreement

    Capstacker turns the agreed terms into a contract you both sign online.

  4. Pay per milestone

    Work is tracked milestone by milestone, and Dean is paid as each one is delivered.

Work with Dean