Honorary Chairpersons

Dr. Noriaki Kano Mr Janak Kumar Mehta
Dr.-Noriaki-Kano

Dr. Noriaki Kano

Professor Emeritus
Tokyo University of Science
kano_n@kqro.jp

Dr. Noriaki Kano is one of the most prominent leaders in theory and application of quality management around the world in variety of businesses. His contribution has been recognized by his election as Honorary Member by the International Academy for Quality (IAQ), the American Society for Quality (ASQ), the Japanese Society for Quality Control (JSQC),the Indian Society for Quality(ISQ), the Singapore Quality Institute(SQI) beside others. He is the developer of The Theory of Attractive Quality and its Creation, a concept widely used around the world and popularly referred to as the Kano Model.

Read More

After his receiving his doctorate in engineering from the University of Tokyo under the supervision of Professor Kaoru Ishikawa, the career of Dr. Kano was dedicated to teaching in prestigious universities and supporting the work of quality professionals in both industrial organizations and professional associations. He is current Professor Emeritus of the Tokyo University of Science. Dr. Kano was Visiting Professor of the University of Miami(U. S).and Aarhus School of Business( Denmark), and Visiting Chair Professor, Chungyuan Christian University (Taiwan).

Dr. Kano is the former president of Japanese Society for Quality Control, the former Chairman of Deming Application Prize Committee and iscurrently the chairman Selection Committee for the Deming Prize for Individuals, the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE). He is a board member of JUSE. He was a Board Member of The Overseas Human Resources & Industry Dev’t Association (HIDA/AOTS). He is Foreign Honorary Advise of China Association for Quality (CAQ).

He is a founder and first Chairman of the Asian Network for Quality (ANQ) and has been named its Honorary Chairperson.

Ishikawa Kano Award was established in his honor by ANQ in 2010 and the Kano Quality Award was introduced by the Technological Promotion Association (TPA) in 2009 to recognize his contributions to quality promotion in Thailand.

Dr. Kano has been best owed many awards by organizations around the world, including the Deming Prize for Individuals from JUSE and the Distinguished Service Medal, E. L. Grant Medal、and E. and Jack Lancaster Medalfrom American Society for Quality(ASQ), Deming Lecturer from American Statistical Association (ASA), A. V. Feigenbaum Lifetime Achievement Medal-Asian Pacific Organization for Quality(APOQ), and Dronacharya Award from Indian Society for Quality He has been the author of over 300 papers and books including “Attractive Quality(Kano Method / Kano Model)”,“Guide to TQM in Service Industries” (in English) and “Way to Breakthrough and Creation” (in Japanese).

Dr. Kano is an invited keynote speaker in various countries around the world and has promoted quality in over 50 countries

Read Less

Janak Mehta

Janak Mehta

CMD, TQM International Pvt. Ltd, India

On 17th October 2023, during the board meeting of ANQ, Prof. Wan Seon Shin, Director of ANQ proposed nomination of Janak Mehta as ANQ Honorary Chairperson. The proposal was unanimously accepted by the board members of ANQ.
To read the proposal presented to ANQ by Prof Wan Seon Shin, click here

In 2012, Mr Janak Kumar Mehta became the first Indian to receive the Deming Distinguished Service Award for Dissemination and Promotion (overseas) from JUSE. The Deming Award citation called him ‘the father of TQM in India.’ This is particularly appropriate as the word ‘Janak’ means progenitor.

Read More

Mr Mehta is an internationally recognized leader in the field of quality. He has many firsts in India. He pioneered the Indian Quality movement in 1983 through the Association of Indian Engineering Industry (now CII), with what is famous as the Nashik Experiment. He founded the TQM Division of CII in 1988 and created the National Committee of Quality, a genuine CEO Forum that was led by Dr V. Krishnamurthy. In 1989, he started the practice of sending a Mission of top executives for two weeks every year to learn TQM from JUSE, in Japan.

After his CII stint, Mr Mehta started his consultancy firm, TQM International, which he continued to lead.

Mr. Mehta was a member of the Task Force formed by the Government of India in 1992 for establishment of national infrastructure for Quality, Standardisation and Conformity Assessment that resulted in the formation of the Quality Council of India (QCI).

In 1996, Mr Mehta founded the Indian Society for Quality, and was its President until 2003. ISQ has become the face of India in the world of Quality. It was among the first group of organizations to associate with the newly formed Asian Network for Quality in 2003 and join its Board. Mr Mehta served a stint as its chairman. He was instrumental in establishing he ANQ values.

In 2000, Mr Mehta became the first Indian to be invited to the annual Global Quality Futures Workshop, in Alaska, USA.

In 2009, the International Academy for Quality elected Mr Mehta as Academician, the first India-located person to win this distinction. He went on to become the President of IAQ in 2011, its chairman in 2014 and its Honorary Member in 2017. Here too, he led the articulation of the purpose and operating principles of IAQ.

In 2012, the American Society for Quality conferred the Lancaster Medal on Mr Mehta.

Read Less