International Thought Leaders

Peter Palmér, LPPDE and Juha Tammi, Lean Association of Finland

Peter and Juha represent the two organization who organize these virtual online events and will moderate the Virtual Summit.

Norbert Majerus, Norbert Majerus consulting

Workshop: Don't Forget the People Side of Lean Innovation

Achieving People Excellence - Managing the people through a lean innovation transformation

In order to be sustainable, a lean transformation requires a change in company culture. And the culture does not change unless the people change. A successful lean transformation is not only about implementing lean principles but also about engaging the people in the process. Changing the people is the more difficult part and it does not happen by itself. I personally found the people transformation a lot more challenging than the process implementation. I learned that the best opportunity to engage the people is to make them part of the change process itself. It starts when the initiative starts and it does not end, just like the lean journey never ends. In this workshop I will share what I learned about:
• Using a proven roadmap
• Motivation and engagement
• Respect for people
• Leadership change
• Sustaining the gains

I found that people who took this workshop were able to use what they learned immediately when they got back to work, regardless of how far along they were in their transformation.

Norbert Majerus is a Lean Champion, Speaker, Consultant, Coach, Book Author and Shingo Prize Winner.

Beginning in 2005, Norbert implemented a principles-based lean product development process at the three global innovation centers of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. For more than a decade he was Goodyear’s lean champion in research and development. Norbert has worked in most of the disciplines in the Goodyear innovation centers in Luxembourg and Akron. In 2016, his first book Lean-Driven Innovation was published. Also in 2016 the Goodyear R&D organization applied for and received the AME Excellence Award. Norbert has spoken at many conferences in the United States and other countries. Since retiring from Goodyear in 2017, he continues to share his extensive lean expertise.

Norbert Majerus, norbert majerus consulting –Don ́t Forget the People Side of Lean Innovation

A high tempo presentation on the same theme that Norbert ran the day before. You can expect a presentation updated over night with his learnings and insights from the workshop. Norbert is never satisfied and always want to learn more.

Matt Albin, Spark Performance Solutions

The thinking and behaviors needed for a successful change to how innovation is done

This is a fresh, newly developed presentation about managing change and the corresponding behaviors to succeed in delivering innovations to the market.

Matt’s career spans over 20 years as a global business leader where he worked in new product development, project management, marketing, procurement, supply chain management, and continuous improvement. He has successfully developed people and implemented Lean practices and human-centered design methods in knowledge-based work and operations across the globe including 2 1⁄2 years in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Matt is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Human Centered Design facilitator, holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology, and an MBA in Supply Chain Management and Leadership and Change Management from Michigan State University.

Matt works for Spark Performance Solutions, LLC whose purpose is to help organizations achieve their goals by unleashing the knowledge and creativity of their staff through effective solutions for eLearning and talent development

Bob Stavig, Retired from HP

Cadence Pull and Flow Management – Enabling Lean Startup

Cadence Pull and Flow Management – Enabling Lean Startup – Bob Stavig The session will cover the basic cadence pull and flow methods and LPPD tools for the typical development work of “new product to an existing market” then expand that flow to encompass a “new product into a new market.”

Cadence Pull and Flow Management is a critical principle within LPPD, in which through visible knowledge and other LPPD tools maps out the flow of learning through the use of integration events and other decision points, this enables the process of build-test-learn in order to deliver the highest value to the customer. The methodology of Lean Startup establishes an approach to begin that pull in the general area of: “new product to a new customer”. This methodology focuses on a learning process that guides the developers and effectively the customer, with short learning cycles, towards a solution that maximizes the value to the customer.

Bob Stavig is a R&D Project and Program Manager. Experienced in Lean Product and Process Development and Scrum/Agile. Bob spent 35 years at HP, the last 20 as R&D Project and Program Manager in Vancouver, WA.

Bob is an experienced Research and Development Project Manager with strong technical skills, a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Skilled in Product Development/Management, Vendor Management, Engineering Management, Business Process Improvement, Factory Operations, and Cross-functional Team Leadership. Strong background and experience with the use of Lean Product and Process Development (16 years) and Lean Manufacturing. International business experience (Asia) in the areas of supplier development, factory operations, and technical management. Program and project management professional with a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Washington State University. Certified Six Sigma Black Belt- ASQ, Certification in  Lean Development from University of Michigan, and Certified Scrum Master through Scrum Alliance.

Durward Sobek, Professor at Montana State University

LPPD and coronavirus vaccine development

To challenge himself as well as the audience Durward chooses to apply LPPD on the development of the vaccine for the corona virus. He discusses if the development could go faster if they apply the knowledge of Lean Process & Product Development. A true application of the theories on a real, and high priority, challenge. This will be a real “must attend” presentation.

Durward K. Sobek II is a Professor at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT, and Program Coordinator of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering. He holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan, and an A.B. degree in Engineering Sciences from Dartmouth College. Dr. Sobek has been researching lean product development and lean healthcare for nearly two decades, focusing on how organizations can increase their performance capacity through the application of lean principles. He is a co-founder of the Lean Product and Process Development Exchange, Inc., and has published numerous articles in publications such as Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, and IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management. He is also co-author of two books: Lean Product and Process Development, 2nd edition; and Understanding A3 Thinking: A Critical Component of Toyota's PDCA Management System.