VorwortSeveral years ago, after a visit to TRUMPF Headquarter in Ditzingen I was given a small gift, a copy of the life story of Berthold Leibinger1. It was a story of personal commitment and dedication to his company, his region and country and to his family. It was a story of challenge and thankfulness for a wonderful life as a gentleman and an engineer. It also was the story of TRUMPF, full of effort, challenge, success and the relentless pursuit of trying to do, make and be [...] own story with TRUMPF is itself a strange one. As an engineer I obviously knew of the TRUPMF machines. I was very impressed by them before I ever visited a plant or met any TRUMPF people. Once I visited the Austrian plant together with Hans Kostwein and his World Class Manufacturing Circle activity. We were asked to help, identify any areas for improvement in the plant after a factory [...] work is helping people improve. For nearly 20 years I have supported the EU Japan Centre for Industrial Co-Operation, helping people see ways to improve, to understand opportunities for development. I "see" things - a bit like the Matrix! "Who is this crazy Irisher?" I am sure went through the mind of the plant manager in Austria. I saw brilliant effort, systems and people - but I also saw and shared further opportunities for "pushing on". I shared what I had [...] years later I was in Ditzingen, again with the Kostwein Circle activity. Dr. Mathias Kammüller and some plant managers asked me what I had seen and we spent some very interesting and challenging time together. We discussed the "Chicken & Pig" concept and I believe this has contributed in some small way to the development of SYNCHRO PLUS. The questions that I asked was: Were people committed like the pig in the Irish breakfast or just interested, like the chicken, donating an egg for the breakfast.TRUMPF is an amazing organization. I don't believe they fully understand the progress they have made since the early days. The TRUMPF management team is open to challenge. They look for and go after opportunities, constantly asking "Is it possible to build upon what has gone before?"I have had the pleasure to know and engage with TRUMPF for many years now. As an engineer it has been a great professional experience and challenge to contribute in some small way to such an excellent organization. As a person it has been a highlight of my life to engage with such capable, dedicated and committed people - people who continue to develop the vision of Berthold Leibinger. People who continue to develop and create solutions for problems that many others can't even imagine. People who share and spread their knowledge and expertise for the betterment of society at [...] book on SYNCHRO is a core part of their latest sharing. Enjoy!Dublin, November 2017Richard Keegan