Oleg Zakharov
Expert

Oleg Zakharov

ERG

Director of Operational Excellence

About the expert

Oleg Zakharov has spent more than 15 years working at the intersection of industrial operations and efficiency transformation. His focus has consistently been on making production systems work better in practice—through lean tools, disciplined processes, and a culture that supports continuous improvement rather than one-off initiatives.

Since 2020, he has been leading the development of the ERG Production System, a program that brings together 12 of Kazakhstan’s largest industrial enterprises. In this role, he is shaping a shared approach to operational excellence across the Group — introducing common standards, embedding lean principles, and rolling out practical tools that help teams improve productivity on the ground.

A significant part of his perspective comes from direct exposure to other industries and geographies. Over the years, Oleg has visited more than 50 partner companies across Russia, the CIS, and Europe, studying how mature production cultures operate in real settings. He draws on this experience to adapt international practices to local realities, ensuring they are not just adopted, but actually take root within ERG’s operations.

His work sits at the intersection of strategy and execution. Alongside system development, he is involved in shaping operational culture, working with management teams on leadership capabilities, and building an environment where change is sustained rather than episodic.

Oleg also contributes to the professional community, speaking at industry events and sharing practical insights drawn from ERG’s experience. His cases resonate with companies that are navigating large-scale transformations and looking for approaches that hold up beyond theory.

Expert articles

Three Pillars of Manufacturing Efficiency: What Companies Need for Sustainable Growth

Three Pillars of Manufacturing Efficiency: What Companies Need for Sustainable Growth

How do companies achieve tangible efficiency gains without new equipment or large-scale capital investments? What helps them move from individual initiatives to systemic change? These questions are addressed by Oleg Zakharov, Director of Operational Excellence at ERG, who shares hands-on experience of which elements of a production system actually work — and how these approaches […]

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