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DISCOVER LEAN BUSINESS TIPS FROM 50+ WORLD CLASS BUSINESS & INDUSTRY EXPERTS TO HELP YOU WITH ACHIEVING A CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT CULTURE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION

  • FREE* ONLINE EVENT | JULY 20-22, 2022

Join people just like YOU from around the world and strengthen your ability to identify problems, creatively solve those problems, and then manage the implementation of your solutions to add customer value, process efficiency and effectiveness, and empower your teams TODAY!

* Every day during the 20th-22nd of July, 2022 Virtual Lean Summit®, you'll receive an email with the link to watch the free videos and LIVE sessions for that day. The videos will be locked after 24 hours. You will also be provided with the opportunity to purchase the "All-Access Pass" package for Lifetime access.

our Agenda with our Featured Experts 
Is still being developed
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To see who else we've added


DAY 1 - Embarking on Your Lean Journey

Jared Thatcher & Guests

LIVE SESSION: Wednesday, July 20th, @ 6:30-7:00 AM PST

The Virtual Lean Summit® Kick-Off Live Session (with live audience interaction)

Session Summary

Welcome to the Kick-Off Session of the Virtual Lean Summit!  We will be discussing the journey we will be taking over the next 3 days.  Previewing content, speakers, bonuses, and interacting LIVE with you, the audience.  Join us as we start off this amazing summit together.

Speaker Bio

Jared started his career working for his father’s steel fabricating business, and spent the next two decades working in the construction industry as a laborer, drafter, estimator, project manager, COO, and the owner of a construction consulting business. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an International MBA, and went to work for Daimler Trucks North America, where he was part of the PMO office that saved over $1 billion dollars and was part of the global effort to bring Lean to the office side of the business. Jared became expert in finding multiple million dollar improvement efforts while redesigning process flows. He was recruited by a management consulting firm where he used his Lean and Agile skills to consult with firms like Nike, Mercy Corps, Kinder Care, and multiple other organizations. Jared moved to Seattle in 2018 to work for Alaska Airlines in their Lean department before moving into government at the Port of Seattle, where he currently helps to manage their Lean journey.  This is his third year at hosting the Virtual Lean Summit, he is starting a podcast exploring how governments around the world are using Lean to continuously improve, and he is the author of the Amazon #1 best seller, "Parenting the Lean Way"


George Trachilis

LIVE KEYNOTE SESSION: Wednesday, July 20th @ 7:00-7:45 AM PST

KEYNOTE: The Harada Method: The People Side of Lean

Session Summary

George Trachilis shares his personal and professional journey to becoming a global Lean coach and leader. You will learn about his commitment towards building people to their fullest potential. George offers his insight into overcoming leadership and organizational challenges by building a culture of continuous improvement. He challenges attendees to think deeply about what *one* thing they are striving to achieve, and to remember that the driving force for any improvement effort must be aligned to a True North focused on adding value to the customer. He also shares the five steps of the lean leadership development model discovered by Jeffrey K. Liker. One of those five steps is committing to self development. George shares how the Harada method discovered by Norman Bodek (1932-2020) is the best system in the world for day-to-day management. Shohei Ohtani (a.k.a. Showtime) used the Harada method as a sophomore in Japan, he is now the best baseball player in the world.

Speaker Bio

George Trachilis started his Lean journey in 1994 as a manager. After 10 years of leading implementation efforts, he decided to start his own consulting firm. It grew to become one of Canada’s Fastest Growth Companies by 2006.The government of Canada asked George to create an online course to teach his methods to the entire country. The course became the book OEM Principles of Lean Thinking. By 2011, the course was offered globally and educated 100,000 students from 60 different countries.With twenty years of lean experience George embarked on a search for more knowledge on the topic. In 2012 he forged relationships with Dr. Jeffrey K. Liker, best-selling author of the Toyota Way, and Norman Bodek, the Godfather of Lean. Encouraged by both, he adopted a much deeper understanding of Lean which stretches back to Japan, the origins of Toyota, and with a greater emphasis on the people side of Lean and the process of thinking scientifically about change.Jeff Liker asked George to be his partner and co-founder of the Lean Leadership Institute (now the Global Leadership Institute). His coaching is based on the book and online course, Developing Lean Leaders at All Levels, which received the Shingo Research Award in 2016.


Professor Bob Emiliani

LIVE KEYNOTE SESSION: Wednesday, July 20th @ 8:15 - 9:00 AM PST

KEYNOTE: You Need Kaizen

Session Summary

"You Need Kaizen"How did Toyota create its management system? The secret is Kaizen, a practical combination of industrial engineering, trial-and-error, and scientific thinking that inspires human creativity to solve difficult problems in simple ways. This presentation will discuss the fundamental importance of Kaizen to any continuous improvement activity and provide a deeper understanding of Kaizen to inspire its daily practice.

Speaker Bio

Bob Emiliani is an engineer, researcher, author, teacher, and leadership trainer and coach. He worked in industry for 15 years and had management responsibility in engineering, manufacturing, and purchasing. Subsequently he works as a full-time professor for 23 years teaching various subjects related to progressive management.


DEBATE

LIVE SESSION: Wednesday, July 20th @ 9:30 AM PST

JOIN US AS WE DEBATE VARIOUS TOPICS:

ARE THERE 7 OR 8 WASTES?

ARE KAIZEN EVENTS FAKE LEAN?

AND MORE..


Jared Thatcher

LIVE SESSION: Wednesday, July 20th, @ 10:30-11:15 AM PST

Creating Collaborative Lean Networks

Session Summary

Welcome to the Kick-Off Session of the Virtual Lean Summit!  We will be discussing the journey we will be taking over the next 3 days.  Previewing content, speakers, bonuses, and interacting LIVE with you, the audience.  Join us as we start off this amazing summit together.

Speaker Bio

Jared started his career working for his father’s steel fabricating business, and spent the next two decades working in the construction industry as a laborer, drafter, estimator, project manager, COO, and the owner of a construction consulting business. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an International MBA, and went to work for Daimler Trucks North America, where he was part of the PMO office that saved over $1 billion dollars and was part of the global effort to bring Lean to the office side of the business. Jared became expert in finding multiple million dollar improvement efforts while redesigning process flows. He was recruited by a management consulting firm where he used his Lean and Agile skills to consult with firms like Nike, Mercy Corps, Kinder Care, and multiple other organizations. Jared moved to Seattle in 2018 to work for Alaska Airlines in their Lean department before moving into government at the Port of Seattle, where he currently helps to manage their Lean journey.  This is his third year at hosting the Virtual Lean Summit, he is starting a podcast exploring how governments around the world are using Lean to continuously improve, and he is the author of the Amazon #1 best seller, "Parenting the Lean Way"


Elisabeth Swan

LIVE SESSION: Wednesday, July 20th, @ 12:00-1:15 PM PST

The Art of Reflective Inquiry

Session Summary

As a leader or a facilitator, you are often tasked with shifting the hearts and minds around you. This workshop uses imagery, stories, and questions to spark discussion and reflection. The outcome is a fresh approach to engaging your colleagues. We know the kinds of mindsets underlying the most successful organizations—but how do we encourage them? Come join this 1-hour session to revitalize your transformational toolkit.

Speaker Bio

Elisabeth Swan is the president of Swan Consulting & Associates, Inc., and co-founder of the Just-In-Time Café. She’s the co-author of the “Problem-Solver’s Toolkit: A Surprisingly Simple Guide to Your Lean Six Sigma Journey: and a 30+-year veteran of the Continuous Improvement industry. She’s a Master Black Belt, Speaker, Coach and Lean Six Sigma consultant with a focus on boosting innovation, and leveraging people skills.


Ritsuo Shingo

LIVE SESSION: Wednesday, July 20th, 3:00 PM PST

Fireside Chat with Ritsuo Shingo

Session Summary

Years of practicing Kaizen has led Shingo-sensei to develop a simple yet powerful system for being a Lean Leader, Go to Gemba (the place where the work happens) and show your back. Would you like to learn what that means and how it is a powerful technique for leadership, then join us. Come learn from someone who knew all of the players involved in the creation of the TPS (Toyota Production System).

Speaker Bio

Ritsuo Shingo graduated from Waseda University, considered one of Japan’s “Ivy League” schools, with a degree in law in 1970, and joined Toyota Motors right after graduation. After more than ten years working in various positions at Toyota in Japan, Mr. Shingo was transferred to Detroit, Michigan, USA, where he worked as a purchasing manager for a few years. Mr. Shingo was then asked to help with the startup of the Toyota plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, USA. After a few years in Kentucky, Mr. Shingo helped with the startup of the Toyota plant in the United Kingdom. Mr. Shingo joined the China office in Japan where he worked on setting up potential ventures in China. Mr. Shingo’s experience in China started when he was appointed president of Toyota’s joint venture operation in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in early 1990. Mr. Shingo ran the joint venture company for three years before moving to Beijing to join Toyota’s China office. After a little over two years working in that office, Mr. Shingo was appointed president of Hino Motors in China, including the joint venture production facility in Guangzhou, China. Mr. Shingo’s final assignment in China was president of the Toyota Research and Service Center, also located in Guangzhou. He is currently leading the Institute of Management Improvement founded by his father TPS pioneer Dr Shigeo Shingo.


DAY ONE ROUND TABLE FORUM

LIVE SESSION: Wednesday, July 20th, 4:15 PM PST

JOIN OUR DISCUSSION GROUP OF INDUSTRY EXPERTS SHARING THEIR TOP TIPS FOR EMBARKING ON YOUR LEAN JOURNEY


MEET & GREET

LIVE SESSION: Wednesday, July 20th, 5:15 PM PST

COME AND MEET OTHER AUDIENCE MEMBERS FROM

AROUND THE WORLD AND DOWN THE STREET


PRE-RECORDED SESSIONS


Michael Ballé

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Lean Transformation: What Exactly Are We Speaking About?

Session Summary

When we speak of lean transformation, what exactly are we speaking about? What do we transform. Lean is the only management method that looks into what people think, not just how they behave. A sustainable lean transformation starts by 1/ transforming the mind of executives so they adopt the TPS as a success framework, then 2/ transforming the relational protocols in the company with Gemba, problems first and Kaizen,  3/ using visual tools to highlight learning opportunities and 4/ supporting people who step up in learning new ways of doing things and coordinating their discovery process into company-wide innovation. The aim is to focus the business on value for customers, to raise the level of officers’ thinking, to make sure that logistics work, in order to create the right environement for employees to thrive in their jobs and contribute value to the best of their abilities.

Speaker Bio

Michael Ballé is a business writer, executive coach and organizational researcher. He has studied lean transformations for the past 30 years and helped CEO to grow their own lean cultures. He is the co-author of the bestselling Goldmine trilogy - The Gold Mine, The Lean Manager, Lead With Respect - of The Lean Strategy, The Lean Sensei and Lead With Lean among other titles. His work has been translated in 10 languages and has received four Shingo Research and Publication awards. He is the co-founder of Institut Lean France and Business Dynamics collection director at L'Harmattan.


Keonda W. Buford

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Top 3 Ways to Build a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Session Summary

This session includes the Top 3 Ways To Build A Culture of Process Improvement: Data, Stakeholder Buy-In, Organizational Inclusivity. Data is the most valued source of truth as a Continuous Improvement professional. Review & Clean data to establish a baseline to maximize organizational knowledge base and decision making related to improvements, quality, and capacity.  Stakeholder Buy-In is the most important step to the success of a Continuous Improvement culture, win buy-in through establishing trust, being accountable and utilizing data as a tool to steer conversations. Organizational Inclusivity, involve employees at every level, value their opinions and use their knowledge as Subject Matter Experts. Offering Greenbelt/Blackbelt courses organizationally will help build the culture from the inside out vs. a continuous improvement professional building it from the outside in. As transitions are made in Executive Leadership the organization will be stabilized based on Continuous Improvement being a lateral thought process departmentally vs. top down.

Speaker Bio

Keonda Buford’s career path has been a winding path of experiences, one thing that has remained true is she’s always worked in Process Improvement one way or another. After earning her MBA at Northwood University in Midland, MI (December 2015), she obtained her Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt certification in September 2019. Her first introduction into Process Improvement was in the late 90’s where she worked for an Engineering Consulting firm, Trilogy International that had contracts with Ford Motor company. This is where she was introduced to process binders, process mapping and improvements. She would later use Lean Six Sigma methodologies in various industries such as home improvement, security, manufacturing and retail. Due to her work in Process Improvement that spanned across various industries Keonda has a high level of experience and knowledge could not have been achieved without her experiences. Her first venture after receiving her Black Belt certification was the creation of her company Sharpe Security Consulting where she used the knowledge she gained through her to serve her small business clients to help them improve their operations and increase profitability. In March 2020, Sharpe Security Consulting had to close its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The famous inventor, Alexander Graham Bell is quoted as saying, "When one door closes, another one opens." As the doors to her business closed, a new door opened that changed her professional trajectory.In June 2021, She was hired to work as a Lean Six Sigma Project Manager with the City of Detroit. Her first assignment was to assist with the COVID-19 effort. COVID-19 highlighted the health disparities within the minority community and the programs at the Community Health Corporation (a non profit/Detroit organization) are designed to help individuals and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic address their immediate short-term necessities while supporting their long terms needs through targeting inter-generational poverty. Her role is to assist the team in building their technology, data collection and improving their programs, processes & procedures to allow the Community Health Corporation to focus on serving their clients.


Samuel Crescêncio

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Safe Zones - Achieving Buisness Agility through Safe Zones in the Transformation Journey

Session Summary

In this talk we will explore the different aspects that need to be aligned during an organizational transformation process, in search of real business agility.
We will dissect the strategic, tactical and operational and engineering aspects of a company to understand how to elevate business agility through the creation of safe zones. We will explore common cultural clusters in modern organizations and understand how to leverage certain characteristics to increase the delivery of results.
We will also explore features of more structured transformation models that help the organization rise to a standard, as well as more open architecture transformation models where the focus is on implementing a transformation methodology, rather than a structured organizational model.
The use of this approach depends on the maturity stage of the organization being transformed, and on other characteristics imposed by the market, such as technology and business models. Safe Zones is a way to explore transformation following the best practices and seeking safety along the way.

Speaker Bio

Samuel is a software engineer, author, trainer, and entrepreneur with 28 years of professional experience. Passionate about technology, process and people development, Samuel facilitates cultural and organizational transformation in companies ranging from fast growing startups to large and globally distributed enterprises.
A frequent speaker and one of the founding leaders of the Brazilian and Latin American Agile communities, Samuel has served as a member of the board of directors of the Agile Alliance between 2010 and 2015. He is the author of the Lean Pyramid, a transformation framework that encompasses a deep set of Lean principles and tools to facilitate transformation processes, optimizing from strategic planning, to operations and software engineering.
He is the founder of Leanit101.com, a company that develops people, methods and technologies to accelerate business transformation with lean, agile, and digital.


Paul Deane

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

How to Engage Your Front Line Staff in Using Data for Daily Management Meetings

Session Summary

In our journey towards the goal of creating an operational excellence environment, we’re collectively not short of the tools and how to deploy them but the real challenge is to engage our front-line people in the journey. How do we “win the hearts and minds” of our most valuable asset, People, whereby they become eager to be part of the solution? What are the right tools and how do we empower them to grow using these tools? Monitoring & reviewing data daily, is the role of all operational staff (not just leaders) and provides clear direction for driving actions to effectively return to target or create a step-change improvement. The ability to analyse and interrogate data is critically important to mature systems. But conversely in young systems, managing and displaying the data correctly engages operational teams along a journey to maturity.

Speaker Bio

An innovative continuous Improvement practitioner, Paul has his strengths in operationalising LEAN systems, ISO9001, manufacturing best practice and DMAIC projects. CSSC/ISSP certified 6 Sigma Black and Green Belts. Over 15+ years implementing OPEX systems from zero base within global organisations with strong insight into engaging front line staff.25+ years working with large global organisations in Australia, NZ, Malaysia and UAE leading manufacturing and service operations of small and large teams, successfully deploying business improvement methodologies, working cross-functionally with sales/marketing, engineering & R&D teams.His operational, service and manufacturing experience has covered chemical, industrial and food industries.


Paul Dunlop

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Building Daily Management

Session Summary

Most organisations encounter similar challenges within their daily operations right through to their strategic focus and big picture planning. The number one impediment to effectiveness and improvement is, generally, poor communication. Our failure to communicate clearly, our failure to communicate consistently, our failure to be inclusive and consultative, our failure to be transparent and so on. Communication is regularly spoken about but all too often overlooked and undervalued in organisational life. We simply can’t move forward without changing the way we think about and deliver our communication. In a world of continuous improvement communication has some critical pillars: It is visual. It is frequent and consistent. It can flow freely through the organisation. It is highly structured.It is democratic. It is focused on learning and improvement. The bedrock of any organisation's Lean thinking is based around their DVM (Daily Visual Management) process. These daily communication structures happen at all levels of the organisation, across all stakeholder groups and disciplines. Continuous improvement is a practice. Practice requires a routine and it requires a particular form. A daily visual management routine helps us to establish this daily practice and, over the long term, the practice evolves into habit. It becomes muscle memory within an organisation.

Speaker Bio

Paul is a lean management consultant who has been running his consulting business for over four years. Paul's passion is to provide purpose and meaning for people in their daily work and to create high performing sustainable environments. Paul’s business pillars are based on People, Process, Profit and Play and are actualised through consulting, training, coaching and Lego serious play – among other things. Paul remains a humble learner in all facets of life and thrives on the principles of continuous improvement.


Dr. William Harvey

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Simplifying Continuous Improvement

Session Summary

Using a multi-disciplinary approach, William will share the benefits of the mentor-mentee relationship (e.g., apprentice, Toyota Kata, GROW methodology) to improve now without buzzwords. By integrating motivational interviewing, active listening, scientific thinking, adult learning theory, and the spirit of Kaizen, William will summarize his 2019 research findings and what he has learned by practicing the recommendations provided by his research participants through two continuous improvement journeys.

Speaker Bio

William Harvey is committed to the advancement of progressive management. William has been practicing continuous improvement for 20 years, spanning TPS, TQM, and TPM, and most enjoys leading transformation efforts in organizations with a long-term view. In addition to professional practice and a commitment to lifelong learning, William researched Toyota Kata for his doctoral program and has spent the most recent years practicing what he learned from his research. William integrated continuous improvement concepts into the courses he teaches at the University of Cincinnati with the overarching goal of developing learners through advancing critical thought.


John Hogg

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Evolution or Revolution? The Story of Lean & Continuous Improvement at the University of Strathclyde

Session Summary

This session will focus on the importance of building the foundations at the beginning of your lean journey. You will learn about the approach taken at the University of Strathclyde over the last 9 years, lessons learnt along the way and what the future holds.

Speaker Bio

A leader, coach, mentor and trainer with extensive experience of operating at an executive level and developing, leading and managing successful teams in the Higher Education sector. Also experienced in strategy development, alignment of operational delivery and leading complex organisational-wide transformation and continuous improvement projects, delivering significant quantifiable benefits. John operates at a national and international level in the field of continuous improvement, leadership development and benefits management. John is currently Chair of Lean in Higher Education Europe and is a member of the Lean HE Global Steering Group. John is also a non-executive board member at Glasgow Kelvin College and is also currently Chair of the College's Audit & Risk Committee.


Lee Houghton

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Using the Lessons of Comedy to Overcome Resistance to Change – No Jokes!

Session Summary

Comedians make us feel emotion far quicker than most professions, is there a secret to this? And could this help us overcome resistance? Getting fewer “That Won’t Work Here” or “We’ve Tried This Before” can be achieved by utilizing the lessons of comedy and it doesn’t require you to tell ANY jokes. Learn how the most important things in comedy and the 3 types of comic timing can help you deliver change more successfully.

Speaker Bio

Lee is the father of two amazing children. He is a business improvement coach who prides himself on helping people and teams make today better than yesterday, a lot of people can say these things about themselves though. So what makes Lee different is his random journey to get to where he has with, one pivotal moment in losing his best mate ‘Chris’ after his brave cancer battle that changed Lee’s life forever.Lee’s random journey has included writing 5 children books, owning a bouncy castle business AND DJ, including 18 months Dj’ing dressed as a monkey…. all these things have shaped his career from data input administrator to co-founding Get Knowledge in 2018. BUT, as a shiny object syndrome sufferer, it was losing Chris that has sharpened his focus and desire to help people confidently deliver change.


Tiago de Oliveira

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Gemba Walk as an Effective Tool

Session Summary

A critical component of practicing Lean is understanding and practicing the concept of the Gemba walk.  The concept of Go-and-See, is at the heart of gaining an in depth understanding of the process and finding solutions.  Join us as we have a conversation around the importance of embracing the Gemba Walk.

Speaker Bio

Tiago has a broad experience as a leader with manufacturing, industrial engineering, industrial cost and Lean Six Sigma background.  Experience gained leading high technology automotive manufacturers of bearings, transmission technology and home appliance high volume manufacturers of cooling and cooking systems. Involvement includes; continuous improvement (Lean Six Sigma), production fabrication, assembly, manufacturing planning, industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, production quality, industrial costing, plant operations, product design, machining technology and digitalization.

Creative and result oriented professional, with mindset for excellence. Flexible for new cultures, work methods and high-pressure environment. International experience in Brazil, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Mexico and USA creating and redesigning value streams bottom line through lean six sigma techniques. Expertise supported by Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Mechanical Engineering, Master’s Science Degree in Production Engineering and Specialization degree in Business Administration. Certified in MTM1, Black Belt and REFA.


Horia Slușanschi

PRE-RECORDED SESSION: TBD

The Magic of Chartering Teams

Session Summary

When embarking on a new journey, good preparation is essential. A lean journey in particular requires inspiring everyone on the team to engage and commit emotionally and intellectually to the journey ahead. This session will explore some of the typical challenges involved in starting teams well, and will offer a range of countermeasures (overall referred to as Team Chartering) that have been demonstrated to achieve excellent results in many cases.

Speaker Bio

Horia is passionate about finding joy in work and delighting customers. He enjoys practicing curiosity and learning to change his mind about many things.


DAY 2 - Establishing a Lean Culture Change

George Trachilis

LIVE KEYNOTE SESSION: Thursday, July 21st @ 6:30 - 7:15 AM PST

KEYNOTE: Developing Lean Leaders at All Levels: A Practical Guide

Session Summary

George Trachilis shares his learnings from coaching and developing executives in a remote settings. You will learn about what a good lean coach must know. You will also learn about the core values each lean leader must have. He shares key learnings from his trips to Japan with global leaders such as Karl Wadensten, Paul Akers, Norman Bodek (1932-2020) and others. George hosted two leadership summits in Santorini Greece where he invited Ritsuo Shingo, the son of Shigeo Shingo. George deconstructs his amazing learnings from a Gemba walk of a wine factory. He challenges attendees to think about applying these lessons in their day-to-day business. The one key skill that every lean leader must master is the ability to go and watch at the Gemba. George shares exactly what that means and how to deconstruct this activity for any business.

Speaker Bio

George Trachilis started his Lean journey in 1994 as a manager. After 10 years of leading implementation efforts, he decided to start his own consulting firm. It grew to become one of Canada’s Fastest Growth Companies by 2006. The government of Canada asked George to create an online course to teach his methods to the entire country. The course became the book OEM Principles of Lean Thinking. By 2011, the course was offered globally and educated 100,000 students from 60 different countries. With twenty years of lean experience George embarked on a search for more knowledge on the topic. In 2012 he forged relationships with Dr. Jeffrey K. Liker, best-selling author of the Toyota Way, and Norman Bodek, the Godfather of Lean. Encouraged by both, he adopted a much deeper understanding of Lean which stretches back to Japan, the origins of Toyota, and with a greater emphasis on the people side of Lean and the process of thinking scientifically about change. Jeff Liker asked George to be his partner and co-founder of the Lean Leadership Institute (now the Global Leadership Institute). His coaching is based on the book and online course, Developing Lean Leaders at All Levels, which received the Shingo Research Award in 2016.


Ravi Rao

LIVE KEYNOTE SESSION: Thursday, July 21st @ 7:45 - 8:30 AM PST

KEYNOTE: Emotional Excellence in Operational Excellence

Session Summary

In many organizations embarking on Lean, a fundamental prerequisite is missing – Trust. In this session, a scientific definition of Trust will be reviewed as well as leadership strategies to embed emotional excellence alongside operational excellence.

Speaker Bio

Ravi Rao has supported organizations in five continents in implementing Lean and other operational improvement initiatives. A former McKinsey consultant, he is the author of the bestselling book “Emotional Business”. He is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and did his postdoctoral work at Harvard.


Stephen Cary

LIVE SESSION: Thursday, July 21st @ 9:00 - 10:15 AM PST

Lean Tools for the Trades: Prefabrication and Kitting

And

GEMBA WALK

Session Summary

Coming Soon...

Speaker Bio

Coming Soon...


MEET & GREET

LIVE SESSION: Thursday, July 21st, @ 10:45 AM PST

COME AND MEET OTHER AUDIENCE MEMBERS

FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND DOWN THE STREET


DAY TWO ROUND TABLE FORUM

LIVE SESSION: Thursday, July 21st @ 12:30 PM PST

JOIN OUR DISCUSSION GROUP OF INDUSTRY EXPERTS SHARING THEIR TOP TIPS FOR ESTABLISHING A LEAN CULTURE CHANGE


Patrick Adams

LIVE SESSION: Thursday, July 21st @ 1:45 - 2:30 PM PST

Title TBD

Session Summary

Coming Soon...

Speaker Bio

Coming Soon...


Tracy O'Rourke

LIVE SESSION: Thursday, July 21st @ 3:00 - 3:45 PM PST

See Lean, Hear Lean, and Speak Lean!

Session Summary

What is one of the biggest reasons why people don’t want to improve? They don’t see the waste; they don’t hear process pain; they don’t ask the right questions. For some people seeing the world with Lean eyes is easy. For others, it’s not so easy. In this one hour session, we’re going to train our ears, eyes and mouth to See Lean, Hear Lean and Speak Lean! Join me for this one-hour session if you want to see, hear and speak differently forever!

Speaker Bio

Tracy O’Rourke is the Co-author of "The Problem-Solver's Toolkit"; Co-Founder of the Just-in-Time Cafe, The SoCalLeanNetwork Chair, A member of the AME Western Region Board, an instructor at UC San Diego for the Green Belt and the Lean Six Sigma Leadership Course, and lastly, Tracy is a self-proclaimed process improvement ZEALOT!


PRE-RECORDED SESSIONS


Jennifer Ayers

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Sowing the Seeds of Lean

Session Summary

You can't implement lean overnight.  In fact, you shouldn't try to implement lean at all.  Lean won't "stick" unless it is integrated into your organization and people believe in the new way of thinking and acting.  This takes patience, persistence, and participation.  In the gardening world, you can't just throw a bunch of plants in your back yard (literally) and expect them to grow and flourish.  Success goes beyond even preparing the soil. The best gardeners plant a seed in a controlled environment so they properly germinate, then acclimate them before they are transferred to the garden where they continue to care for them daily.  Gardening provides a great metaphor for introducing lean to an organization.  Organizational culture change requires people to understand, buy-in, and participate.  This requires leaders who are prepared to nurture, celebrate, and adjust along the way.  In this presentation, you will learn how to "prep the soil" for people to embrace lean, which includes:        

• The important distinction between implementing and integrating lean      

• Why should people care?            

• It's not about the tool! It's about behaviors, relationships, and engagement. 

• How to create initial pockets of people who get it, embrace it, and go for it.

Speaker Bio

Jennifer Ayers is the Executive Director for the Northwest High Performance Enterprise Consortium (NWHPEC), a nonprofit lean learning organization in Portland. In this role, Jennifer is responsible for organizing continuous improvement learning experiences and coordinating bench-marking and sharing between consortium members.  Jennifer has a B.S. Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering and has spent her career implementing lean principles in both manufacturing and administrative settings. She loves engaging with people, coaching, creating and executing strategy, and developing learning programs.  Jennifer is also a proud Kata Girl Geek and a member of the Women in Lean community.


Ovidiu Contras

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Building Engagement and Commitment to Change

Session Summary

Few Lean Transformation efforts achieve the expected business benefits that were hoped for at the beginning. Although there are plenty of reasons to why, lack of engagement and lack of commitment to change are frequently quoted. This is even more true for working environments where several functions are required to transform the product, where the product is hard to see, hidden in multiple information systems, where confusion is ever present and office politics flourish. In this session, Ovi will answer some questions related to this reality, based on his experiences: “How do I engage management and employees?”, “What makes them to commit to change?”, “Do I need a Change Management program?”, “How do I expose office politics?”… and more…

Speaker Bio

Ovidiu Contras (Ovi) started his career as a design engineer for high temperatures industrial equipment. Since 2000 he is actively involved in Lean Transformation efforts as a continuous improvement employee, working for companies in Aerospace, Consumer Goods and Research & Development. Ovi’s experience covers all the business aspects, from developing new products to servicing them, including the support functions like Finance, IT, HR… Ovi is specialized in the application of Lean principles in  complicated multifunctional environments where the product is hard to see, and the work is non repetitive. He wrote two books “Navigating the Lean Transformation” and “Untangling with Value Stream Mapping”, both reflecting his experiences.


Paul W. Critchley

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Using Storytelling to Build Support  Lean Culture Change

Session Summary

Telling stories is one of the most powerful methods that leaders have to influence, teach, and inspire people. Beyond numbers, goals and KPI’s, stories help to convey the culture and the values that can unite and inspire everyone within the workplace. In this workshop, we’ll learn more about how storytelling can help garner support for Lean by making it more tangible and more relatable for those faced with practicing it.

Speaker Bio

Paul Critchley is a recognized thought leader on employee engagement and continuous improvement, and has helped businesses around the world achieve greater levels of success through the application of Lean techniques. A frequent speaker, he has keynoted at numerous corporate events, as well as at international conventions such as AME’s annual Lean conference and at OpEx Week. He’s also the host of “The New England Lean Podcast”, a weekly show that features management thought leaders, TED speakers, world-renowned authors and university professors. Paul is also a regular writer and contributor to publications such as Industry Week and Quality Magazines.Paul is a former Board Member of the Northeast Region of AME, holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, a M.S. degree in Management and a M.S. in Organizational Leadership. He is a proud supporter of CT’s “Skill up for Manufacturing” program.He is passionate about Lean and creating organizational cultures that are sustainably engaged. He co-authored his first book - The Whole Professional, A Collection of Essays to Help You Achieve a Full and Satisfying Life to bring a fresh perspective on Work/Life Balance and how individuals and organizations can work together to achieve greater levels of attainment.


Andy Fieldhouse

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Getting Teamwork Right – The Key to Happy, Successful, and Resilient Teams

Session Summary

In this session we explore issues that might frustrate you as you work on or lead teams.  Andy and Jared discuss tips and suggestions to help your people to develop the teamwork skills to become high-performing, happy, successful, and resilient teams.

Speaker Bio

Team coach and author Andy Fieldhouse is a man with a mission: To help people get teamwork right. Andy has spent 25 years working in and with teams in the UK and the Middle East and uses his experience and expertise to help work teams create the culture and practices necessary for them to achieve success. In 2020, Andy published his first book ‘Getting Teamwork Right – the key to happy, successful and resilient teams’ which became an Amazon #1 best seller. Andy has been working for 134years in the field of team development, and has extensive experience training, advising and coaching teams from a wide range of sectors and companies. Living and working in the UAE for over a decade also gives Andy extensive experience of the particular challenges that highly diverse and multicultural teams face. He qualified as an ORSC™ (Organization & Relationship Systems) ICF (International Coach Federation) coach in 2017. Originally from the UK, Andy is in his 13th year living in Dubai with his Australian wife and their two children. When not working or enjoying time with his family, Andy enjoys the odd round of golf or catching up on read¬ing history books.


Dennis Gawlik

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Are Dr. Deming’s 14 Points Are Still Relevant?

Session Summary

This presentation will unite the operational approaches and philosophies of Dr. Deming’s system and management thinking that promote and transform the advancement of systems thinking from a mechanistic to a systemic, continuously improving thinking method.  When coupled with a renewed attention on the means vs. ends approach of Dr. Deming’s 14 Points and PDSA, and its foundational respect for the individual, leaders will be able to apply and realize a new sense of the importance of continually improving interrelationships and interactions within all systems.

Speaker Bio

Dennis Gawlik, MS has acquired extensive continuous improvement knowledge during 40 years in operations, logistics, procurement, and supply management; initially as a logistics and transportation supplier to Toyota in Georgetown, KY in the early 1990s.  Dennis has worked in lean and with Toyota Way process enhancements at a variety of Fortune 500 organizations, most recently as a senior lean coach at The Standard Insurance Company.  He is a speaker and lecturer and has taught sustainable lean operations and supply management at several universities with an emphasis on Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s work – most recently at California State University – Northridge and Portland State University.  Dennis received a BA from Northwestern University, a MS from Penn State University, and a graduate degree from the University of Toronto. He lives on scenic Bainbridge Island, WA with his wife.


Valorie Hendrix

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Why Cost Efficiency Creates a Better Work Culture

Session Summary

Coming Soon...

Speaker Bio

Coming Soon...


Ingrid Morbelli Kotvan

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Conducting Online Training with Virtual Gemba Walk at Lean Academy – Volkswagen Wolfsburg

Session Summary

When we talk about Lean, we think how important it’s to be onsite, watch the process. The challenge here is how can I teach Lean Principles with Simulation Process online and to guarantee that the participants have the same Learn Process and Aha Moments! like on the shop floor.I want to prove to you that’s possible to reach 95% positive feedback with those Training’s techniques and the participants will we able to implement those methods in their companies or processes. In this presentation I will show you step by step how we can support the learn process and to help people to structure the content and  recognize the tools. Another important element is the storytelling to engage and create empathy. They can have an understanding from procedures, remember highlights and to identify the method.Now I have a good news! Those Training techniques you can use to all Lean Trainings you developed. That’s the reason I’m here, to prove to you that online training have also an advantage.With online Trainings you can reach more people at the same time and prepare people to apply those knowledge’s in real life.

Speaker Bio

Ingrid has spent the last 12 years as a Lean Consultant and Trainer at Volkswagen Brasil and Germany. She holds a Masters in Project Management and postgraduate degree in Lean Manufacturing.  She works at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg, Germany.


Katie Labedz

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Lean Innovators Group-Keys to Your CI Culture Success!

Session Summary

Can you relate to this question: How I can get my team motivated, engaged and excited about Continuous Improvement?  And this one…. How do I get them to really believe that this isn’t just another “flavor of the month” initiative that will disappear after a quarter?  This one is also popular... What do I do with the perpetual “nay sayers” who can’t seem to get on board with anything? Sound familiar? Of course it does!  We have all heard those comments or excuses.  Are you getting frustrated with the level of engagement in your organization in your continuous improvement initiative? Do you try to motivate people into CI by telling them things like “It will enhance your career” or “Its required”? But have you ever sat back and really listened to what people are saying?  There are probably a few people in your organization that are really interested in CI and/or are already practicing these concepts (whether they know it or not). Let me let you in on a little secret…involve your team members early and often and create a team of people to help you along the way.  In this session you will learn:

•  The benefits of creating a Lean Innovators Group in your organization

•  How to identify team members that would benefit for participation in this group

•  Processes for training 

•  Examples of team member engagement events

Speaker Bio

Katie Labedz is the President of Learning to Lean, LLC.  She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Project Management Professional. She has been practicing Lean and Six Sigma concepts for over 20 years. She has a diverse background that includes manufacturing, materials, supply chain, HR and IT in the automotive and electronic industries.  Katie has spent the last 15 years of her career focusing on how to teach the application of Lean/Six Sigma concepts in a non-manufacturing environment.  Katie makes it her professional goal to expose the genius in all of her students.  She has also authored a book, "How to Improve Absolutely Anything-Continuous Improvement in Your Home, Office and Family Life."  You can reach Katie on LinkedIn, via her website www.learningtolean.training or via email info@learningtolean.training.


Waleed Mazen

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

How to Drive Business Impact & Engage Employees Through Kaizen Culture

Session Summary

One of the big challenges is how to link the kaizen culture to results through people empowerment. In many cases the lean transformation ends up as an aesthetic front with some tick in the box documentation for the company. In this webinar session we will dive into the concepts of how to drive results through behaviour change using a lean transformation case study.

Speaker Bio

Waleed Mazen holds more than 17 years’ experience in training and coaching company personnel at all levels in lean management, a Japanese discipline designed to eliminate factors that waste time, effort or money. He has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and best practices by serving client organisations throughout a variety of industries, geographies and cultures – saving them many millions of dollars in the process. Waleed has been a long-term champion of kaizen in the Middle East and has regional experience across Europe, Middle East & North Africa.  Waleed is a British Arab, fluent in both languages and cultures. He constantly seeks to empower Arab enterprises – to the point of translating Shigeo Shingo’s books “Kaizen and the Art of Creative Thinking” and “Fundamentals of Lean Manufacturing into Arabic.


Fabian Mukanzi

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Sustainable Lean Project Implementation

Session Summary

Contrary to what most lean consultants might believe, the implementation phase of lean projects is by far the most crucial phase in the cycle of a lean project. In a normal consultant led improvement project, the task/ responsibility of implementation is often left to the process or function owner. There is a believe that handing over a  fancy theoretical PowerPoint deck with “mostly” superficial implementation plan will be sufficient to reap the fruits of investing money, time and effort in problem diagnosis and solution design. In this session, we will decipher these “myths”, look at what to do and what not to do in order to avoid flushing away all the hours spent in diagnosing problems and creating countermeasures. We will also look at the role that the lean consultant/ practitioner has to play in the implementation stages in order to realize sustainable benefits from lean projects.

Speaker Bio

Fabian is an experienced and driven lean management consultant with a solid background driving sustainable multi-million optimization projects. He is adept in dealing with complex issues and challenges using lean concepts and philosophy. Currently a working as a lean consultant at Japan’s largest soft drinks manufacturer (Coca Cola Bottlers Japan Inc.), Fabian brings forth proven expertise in guiding cross-functional operations, management and strategy towards enhanced and sustainable efficiency.


Austeja Stankunaite

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Finding Your Own WHY in Your “Lean Lifestyle” Journey

Session Summary

In this presentation I’ll talk what helps us to create a foundation for establishing a lasting continuous improvement culture – shifting towards becoming a learning organization. We will touch on the importantace of leadership commitment and on the application of change management as well as how to pursue your first roll-out steps.

Speaker Bio

I am a fan of continuous improvement from Lithuania. My current Lean journey started rather early. I have always been asking never ending WHYs and never limiting myself with existing norms. Having a background as mathematician, I have started my professional journey as an actuary in a Scandinavian non-life insurance company, and then shifted rather quickly into a more dynamic business controller position. Being a speaking partner for top management from my early days, standing close to business and validating emotions with facts (numbers), has helped to build a strong career foundation. After I gave birth to my twin girls, 8 years ago, business processes‘ development, including Lean, and holistic thinking came into my radar. I still find it fascinating! Over the last 17 years of experience in a highly regulated finance sector (mainly non-life insurance, and most recently in the banking industry), the organisation I worked for didn‘t go 100% in the Lean way, rather they found results by applying principles that were suitable for OUR solving problems. Gaining knowledge in change management has widened my perspective even more! Engaging all employees and creating an army of empowered problem-solvers, so my organization would be a little bit better daily, is my passion.


Jennifer Tankanow

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

How to use Communication Systems  to

Influence Engagement, Trust, and a Lean Culture

Session Summary

Communication represents all of the ways we send, receive and process information.  Communication is what we say, what we don't, what we do, and how we react.  Have you ever taken the time to understand how your business infrastructure, policies, or formal channels impact your employees?  Are they sending mixed messages or causing confusion?  This session will introduce the communication system and help you understand how to use it to drive engagement, support a lean culture, and ensure people know how they contribute value to your company every day.

Speaker Bio

Jenn Tankanow has built on her years at Toyota to bring her Lean sensibility to the business world. She’s a teacher, a leader, and a facilitator helping clients apply Strategic Planning, Change Management, Operational Excellence, Project Management, and Continuous Improvement. She partners with companies to solve problems, create executable plans so they can reach their goals. She’s a veteran of personalized, repeatable solutions that stick, so companies take ownership of the change and maintain the improvement.


Sam Yankelevitch

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

How to Boost Your Culture Change with A3 Thinking

Session Summary

The word “culture” can mean many things. It can be fuzzy and abstract, making it hard to grasp how it is impacting your execution. This session will provide an actionable definition of culture, so attendees can better understand what to look for and effect a change to improve performance and results. The speaker will present how A3 thinking can drive culture change and will illustrate with examples of A3 principles that can boost your culture-change efforts.

Speaker Bio

Sam is the CEO of Xpress Lingo Solutions, dedicated to helping organizations and their leaders align their teams to meet or exceed strategic goals. How? by introducing effective daily work practices that help tie execution to results, in projects, operations and supply chains. Sam helps organizations see the cause-and-effect relationships between communication, behaviors and organizational results. In his most recent corporate role, Sam was the interim Operational Excellence Director at an Aerospace company in California,  GM of an industrial pump manufacturer in England and prior to that the VP and General Manager of a German global automotive supplier. Sam has spoken to over 5,000 people globally and has presented at conferences like the Kaizen Institute Congress in Mexico, BMW Supplier Diversity Conference, and the World Congress of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) in Seattle and Charlotte.To help get his message out, Sam has published: Walking the Invisible Gemba, Lean Communication, Global Lean and Lean Potion #9- Communication: The Next Lean Frontier.  Sam is also a Linkedin Learning instructor with courses on project team communication and culture, A3 Problem Solving, Lessons Learned and Root Cause Analysis. Sam holds a BSc in Industrial Engineering and an Executive MA in Finance. He is fluent in Spanish and English and well versed in other languages.


Jeremiah Sugarman, Elizabeth Taylor

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Building Lean Culture in the Construction Industry

Session Summary

Lean principles have been applied in the design and construction industry for several decades. Hear how JE Dunn Construction has implemented a lean culture shift by training high performing teams, coaching lean champions, implementing lean tools at the pull of the customer and creating accessible learning opportunities.

Jeremiah's Speaker Bio

Jeremiah Sugarman is a Lean Services Manager with more than 20 years of experience in both Design and Construction. He started his lean journey as an architect on ground up hospital project with lean contract structure. Since then he has lead multiple project teams in their lean journey. Jeremiah now works for JE Dunn Construction building lean culture by coaching project teams on lean practices, internal process improvement, and small group or one-on-one coaching of lean champions.

Elizabeth's Speaker Bio

Elizabeth Taylor serves as Senior Lean Services Manager for JE Dunn’s East Region. In this role, she manages a team of four lean coaches and supports project teams by leading and coaching strategic planning sessions, implementing the Last Planner® System, Target Value Delivery, Choosing by Advantages, Value Proposition Canvas, High Performing team sessions and various other lean practices. She has spent her entire professional career at JE Dunn, where she began as a Project Engineer 15 years ago, working her way up to Project Manager, then Lean Specialist and eventually moving into her current role.Elizabeth’s experience spans a wide range of project type, including commercial, healthcare, aviation, industrial, education and institutional clients.Elizabeth is a 2007 graduate of Minnesota State University at Mankato, where he earned dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Interior Design & Construction Management.A native of Minneapolis, MN, Elizabeth currently resides in Atlanta. When not at work, Elizabeth loves spending time with her dogs, practicing and teaching mindfulness-based meditation and is an active volunteer, recently starting her own non-profit, The Sacred Transition, supporting people impacted by cancer.

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DAY 3 - Embracing Lean Thinking

Tamar Nelson

LIVE KEYNOTE SESSION: Friday, July 22nd @ 7:00 - 7:45 AM PST

KEYNOTE: Future Proofing Lean Cultures


Professor Bob Emiliani

LIVE KEYNOTE SESSION: Friday, July 22nd @ 8:15 - 9:00 AM PST

KEYNOTE: Understanding the Past State

Session Summary

"You Need Kaizen"How did Toyota create its management system? The secret is Kaizen, a practical combination of industrial engineering, trial-and-error, and scientific thinking that inspires human creativity to solve difficult problems in simple ways. This presentation will discuss the fundamental importance of Kaizen to any continuous improvement activity and provide a deeper understanding of Kaizen to inspire its daily practice.

Speaker Bio

Bob Emiliani is an engineer, researcher, author, teacher, and leadership trainer and coach. He worked in industry for 15 years and had management responsibility in engineering, manufacturing, and purchasing. Subsequently he works as a full-time professor for 23 years teaching various subjects related to progressive management.


Megan Williams, Nathaniel Bradley III, Ajanae Cannady, Katie McCune, Benjamin Purificacion, Kayleigh Vocca, Drew Brown, Isheia Williams

PRE-RECORDED SESSION: TBD

Building a Culture of Innovation in Local Government

Megan's Speaker Bio

Telling stories is one of the most powerful methods that leaders have to influence, teach, and inspire people. Beyond numbers, goals and KPI’s, stories help to convey the culture and the values that can unite and inspire everyone within the workplace. In this workshop, we’ll learn more about how storytelling can help garner support for Lean by making it more tangible and more relatable for those faced with practicing it.

Nathaniel's Speaker Bio



DAY TWO ROUND TABLE FORUM

LIVE SESSION: July 22nd, Friday @ 11:15 AM PST

JOIN OUR DISCUSSION GROUP OF INDUSTRY EXPERTS SHARING THEIR TOP TIPS FOR ESTABLISHING A LEAN CULTURE CHANGE


Andrew Koenig

LIVE SESSION: July 22nd, Friday, @ TBD

Title TBD



PRE-RECORDED SESSIONS


Dr. M (Mohan-Parameswaran), Mike Carnell

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Lean Thinking: Synchronicity with the CADENCE of TECHNOLOGY Interface


Jamie Flinchbaugh

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

The Leader’s Role in Problem Solving

Session Summary

Problems are showing up every day with your customers, your supply chain, in your inbox, in your metrics...how do you deal with it all? The role of the leader is to help bring some order to the landscape of problems, including how we manage and prioritize the landscape of problems, and how we help frame problems for others. We also must develop the right behaviors that surround problems, ranging from how we cultivate our creativity to how we drive with initiative. In this talk, we will explore these many ingredients and more to help make you more effective and focused as a problem-solving leader.

Speaker Bio

Jamie Flinchbaugh is the Founder of JFlinch and author of People Solve Problems and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean. He has helped purpose-driven leaders craft effective, resilient organizations at over 300 companies.


Steve Halpin

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

TBD

Session Summary

Coming Soon...

Speaker Bio

Coming Soon...


Ben Hoseus

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Creating Systems of Continuous People Development

Session Summary

Beat the Great Resignation! Never before in history has it been more critical to engage your team members. Demographic and technological shifts and a global pandemic have intensified the challenges of engaging and developing employees. Team members are searching for more. They want to have a clear purpose to work as part of a team to be fully engaged to develop professionally and to feel fulfilled in their work. The answer to this problem is simple yet not easy. It is found by creating systems of continuous people development.

Speaker Bio

Ben Hoseus is the COO of Adaptive a software platform designed to enable productive engagement and development. Ben finds fulfillment in learning teaching and applying principles of servant leadership collaboration and problem-solving in order to help address issues of today and the future. He has wide experience in the functions of Operations Supply Chain Human Resources and Project Management within a variety of sectors. As a consultant and advisor Ben has worked with multinational enterprises small and medium-sized businesses and non-profit organizations across the globe.


Daniel Zepeda

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Title TBD


Professor Steven H. Jones

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Transforming Your Organization to Establish a Lean Culture

Session Summary

In this session, Transforming Your Organization to Establish a Lean Culture, Professor Steven H. Jones discusses the critical elements necessary for an organizations successful transformation to adopt a Lean culture.  He calls upon his personal experience leading these cultural transformations in global organizations and 30+ years of Lean experience to point out common pitfalls and opportunities with Lean transformations.

Speaker Bio

Steven is an Assistant Professor in the Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati.  There he leverages 30+ years of real world experience to teach in the Department of Operations, Business Analytics and Information Systems. He has been an executive leader specializing in Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence practices in global organizations. Skilled and certified in Scrum, ITIL, Lean Six Sigma and Project Management frameworks. He has used these skills in global process improvement projects that realize cost savings and increased revenue performance. External to the College of Business, Steven is a member of the International Society of Six Sigma Professionals, the American Society for Quality and the Project Management Institute. He earned a B.A. in Communications from The University of Cincinnati, an Executive MBA from Xavier University of Ohio and completed his international business studies at Sophia University in Tokyo.


Kiran Kachela

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Barriers to Achieving a Lean Culture Change

and How to Overcome Them

Session Summary

Since the emergence of Lean Manufacturing, many organisations have strived to implement it. Nonetheless, achieving a Lean Culture Change is no mean feat. There are so many aspects to consider and several barriers to overcome. Creating a Lean enterprise needs a tremendous change in culture, habits and attitudes – all of which pivot around people rather than a set of tools for efficiency.  In this session, Kiran shares her experience of organisations seeking to adopt a Lean Culture and analyses the common trials and tribulations, and how to overcome the barriers to truly drive a shift in culture.

Speaker Bio

Kiran Kachela is the Founder of Continuous Improvement Projects Ltd based in the UK, a Business Solutions Enterprise specialising in enhancing customer experiences, driving organisational change and achieving sustainable efficiencies and profitability. She is an experienced and qualified Black Belt Lean Six Sigma Practitioner, Change Management Practitioner and Project Manager. With experience of working with large corporations, leading academic institutions, Central Government and Healthcare, Kiran brings with her a wealth of experience across a variety of sectors and is able to truly comprehend and execute sustainable organisational change.


Nihat Karaoglu

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

The Power of Kaizen in Creating a Culture of Excellence


Adam Lawrence

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Chartering Events to Guarantee Winning Results

Session Summary

1.The story of the partnership between City Furniture and Process Improvement Partners and how we reenergized the Kaizen Culture in an established Lean Organization.
2. What must be done to ensure a winning experience for any Kaizen team. The four critical elements of Chartering that guarantees the win.
3. Real life examples of the application of the Wheel of Sustainability during Kaizen events that illustrate how each element was utilized to create lasting results.

Speaker Bio

Adam Lawrence is the Managing Partner of Process Improvement Partners, LLC. He has 30+ years of experience in process improvement activities, targeted at manufacturing and business processes. Having facilitated 300+ Kaizen events in multiple industries around the world, Adam aligns with leadership, engages teams, and creates sustainable results. Adam has mastered the use of many different process improvement methodologies, allowing him to implement the best strategy for each organization’s goals and objectives. He develops sessions that are fun, engaging, and laser-focused. Adam is 100 percent committed to ensuring the team has a winning result and a fantastic experience. Married to his wonderful wife, Peggy, for over 30 years, they have one son (Tyler, his IT department). Adam grew up in the Washington, DC area and received his BS in Industrial Engineering from Virginia Tech. He earned Lean certifications from the University of Michigan. Adam enjoys time with family and friends, loud music, traveling, the many great clients he has worked with (his extended family), and his many business adventures. The Wheel of Sustainability is his first book.


Evelina Markauskė

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Title TBD


Derek McIntire

REPLAY SESSION: July 22nd, Friday, @ 10:00 AM PST 

The Turnaround of a 40 Year Old Manufacturing Facility – 
The 3 Phases Utilized

Session Summary

Moving from Private Ownership to PE Investors & being brought in to turnaround the manufacturing facility. The first thing I recognized was great people – but lacking real leadership and direction. By Listening then setting out a phased approach the team transformed the facility and became an integral part of the Sales & Marketing story. My Rule of Thumb is – for each past 10 years of an organization, it will take ~ 2 years of work to positively alter that history.

Speaker Bio

Derek is an experienced Operational Executive who is as at ease with day-to-day operational issues as he is working on Boards. With 30 + years’ experience ranging across various Technologies i.e. Semiconductors/Hybrids/Flex-Circuits/Mobile-Phone/Medical Pulp Moulding/Fibre Optics, Automotive. He has also worked in Italy, Austria, USA, Mexico and Hungary as part of these assignments. Laterally within these roles Derek has been involved in turnaround roles and offered support to management teams during private ownership sell-out to Private Equity and Mergers & Acquisition integration of newly acquired organisations into the new ownership. Derek focusses on assessing the issues, working with team members and key stakeholders to ensure that through a systematic, approach the final result is delivered in a timely fashion. This will focus on operational and financial measures to deliver tangible results. Derek has led and been involved in achieving The Queens Award for Excellence in Innovation, Best Factory Award for Judges special award for – Leadership/Culture Change/Engineering capability improvement, Best Process plant [Highly commended] plus Manufacturer of the Year Award for SME [>125Employees], Highly commended. Derek is now a Judge and site assessor for the TMMX
[Manufacturer of the Year Awards] for the last 5 years, focusing on Operational Excellence.


Hide Oba (大庭英嗣)

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Engineering a Lean Culture

Session Summary

Many engineers have developed the Toyota production system. They approach any problem with this engineering mindset, including “culture.” In this session, I want to share a framework for analyzing the shop floor so that we can engineer TPS culture:

  • a. Introduction 
  • b. Explanation of the framework (Understanding the “structure”)
  • c. The “structure” of culture

Speaker Bio

Hide Oba is a passionate practitioner, implementing Toyota Production System (TPS) philosophies to drive change in the organizations to accomplish business results for 20+ years. He has worked with many kinds and sizes of operations in different industries, such as automobiles, energy, food, etc. He has consulted in diverse countries by deepening his understanding of each culture and is skilled at managing and leading cross-functional teams. Developed, implemented & executed a corporate-wide training program, which balances both On-Job Training & Off-Job Training.


Arnout Orelio

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

The Story of the Boat: a 30 Minute Lean Transformation


Paul Smith

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Maintaining Focus and Awareness through Visual Management
– Lessons from Japan

Session Summary

Visual Management is considered fundamental to kaizen and lean management culture in Japan, allowing issues to quickly be identified and addressed. Further, visual management is an effective tool for maintaining the focus and awareness of front-line staff with respect to key performance areas which a company is targeting, often with powerful results. Through photo and video examples, Paul will share simple, low-cost visual management applications from Japanese industry and society, and the thinking and psychology behind their use. The principles behind these examples can readily be adapted for use in your own organization, to improve safety, quality and productivity within your
workplace

Speaker Bio

Paul’s expertise spans Japanese management practices, process analysis and optimization. He completed a Masters and PhD at Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Engineering as an awardee of a Japanese Government scholarship. Paul is Director and co-founder of Shinka Management, a consulting firm specializing in the transfer of Japanese management know-how to global industry. Shinka Management runs the Lean Japan Tour several times annually, showcasing the best that Japan has to offer in Lean management culture. The Shinka Management team has grown over the past decade to comprise a consulting team consisting of former Toyota factory managers from Japan and international experts with Japanese industry experience. The team spans Australia, Japan, North America, Latin America and Europe, and the company supports clients in over 60 countries.


Sannah Vinding

PRE-RECORDED SESSION

Is Lean marketing Really a Thing? My Personal
Journey when Establishing a Lean Marketing Team

Session Summary

Lean focuses on improving the systems as a whole:

- Lean marketing strategy is the solution to immeasurable results. We all know that if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it

- A lean marketing model maximizes value for customers while running lean with your resources.

- The lean marketing framework is primarily focused on iteration, testing, and measurement as they are the core tenants of the Lean methodology.

- Frequent status meetings - share learnings - stay focused (my learnings: weekly meetings, team, data collection, feedback, learnings)

Speaker Bio

Sannah Vinding is an engineer, B2B marketing strategist, and a process excellence executive who believes that curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking are the key skills to being innovative in today's fast-paced world. She is a creative business professional with about 20 years of experience in innovative product development, digital marketing, and agile/lean methodologies. Sannah is forward-thinking with a proven track record of driving results in revenue, new product growth, and productivity, she is a naturally strategic thinker and creative problem solver equipped with an engineering know-how mindset.


Business Strategies For
Achieving a Successful Lean Culture
As Revealed By The 
Top Business Leaders In The World


If you’re looking for the top BUSINESS strategies that are working right now TO HELP YOU
Visually Solve Problems, 
then you’re AT THE RIGHT home.

© 2022 Virtual Lean Summit® is curated by Jared Thatcher.

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