Making Lean and Continuous Improvement Work with Darren Walsh

Peter A. Schein is the co-founder and CEO of OCLI.org in Menlo Park, California. He is a contributing author to the 5th edition of Organizational Culture and Leadership (2017). With Edgar H. Schein he is co-author of Humble Leadership (2018, 2nd ed. 2023), The Corporate Culture Survival Guide, 3rd ed. (2019), Humble Inquiry, (2nd ed. 2021 and 3rd ed. 2025), and Career Anchors Reimagined (2023).  Peter’s work brings 30 years of technology industry experience in marketing, corporate development, and strategy, at large and small IT companies including Apple, Sun Microsystems and numerous start-ups.  While forging new strategies and merging smaller entities into a larger company, Peter developed a keen focus on the organizational development challenges faced by innovation-driven enterprises. Peter was educated at Stanford University (BA in social anthropology with honors and distinction), Northwestern University (Kellogg MBA), and the USC Marshall School of Business (HCEO Certificate).Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact [email protected] if you have any questions about claiming credit.

I’ve spent my career helping teams and leaders navigate change—not by pushing harder, but by making the process easier, smarter, and, dare I say, even enjoyable. As the Operational Excellence Leader for two Viant Medical sites (New Hampshire and Michigan), I drive continuous improvement in high-stakes manufacturing environments. But my real passion? Helping change leaders like you overcome resistance and create lasting impact with less struggle and more confidence. That’s why I launched my coaching and consulting business—to help you break through obstacles and find the path of ease to real, meaningful change.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact [email protected] if you have any questions about claiming credit.

Darren Walsh is Director & Leadership Coach at Making Lean Work Ltd.  A leading management consultancy specializing in helping business leaders and managers unlock the transformative power of continuous improvement. He has over 30 years of experience, working with some of the best in automotive, aerospace, medical devices, energy, technology, financial services, and business improvement. He graduated with a master’s degree from Lean Enterprise Research Centre, and his insights have been featured in industry-leading publications and conferences.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact [email protected] if you have any questions about claiming credit.

Gemma started her career studying Mechanical Engineering at Cardiff University. She quickly discovered the world of Continuous Improvement and spent 20 years working to improve processes and systems within various manufacturing industries including Automotive, Pharmaceutical, Dairy, Cosmetics & Toiletries, Food, and Medical Devices. She has been a CI Manager numerous times and an Operations Manager running a factory of over 500 people.Gemma is hugely passionate about Improvement and developing people and processes. She gets such a kick out of coaching and facilitating, especially when she sees the lightbulb switch on in someone's head – when they solve a problem; when they realize they have the power to change; or when they get excited about all the improvements they could make.In 2019, Gemma left the world of employment to establish her own business, SPARK Improvement, aiming to switch on as many lightbulbs as possible. Her mission is to help organizations and individuals be the BEST they can be, by helping people SEE, helping people THINK, and helping people CHANGE.Gemma is based in Cheshire in the UK, working globally.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact [email protected] if you have any questions about claiming credit.

Jess Britt is an executive coach and consultant who partners with leaders across sectors to transform their organizations through systematic approaches to managing people and work. She specializes in empowering senior leaders and teams in complex, dynamic environments to build collaborative, high-performing, data-driven workplace cultures using a facilitative leadership approach. As recently featured on the Coaching for Leaders podcast, she joins us to share practical tips for leading engaging and effective meetings drawing from her executive leadership and nonprofit board chair experience. Learn more about Jess at www.jessbritt.com. Reach out to Jess at [email protected] sharing one thing you tried from this conversation and she’ll send you more of her tips for leading engaging and effective meetings.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact [email protected] if you have any questions about claiming credit.

James R. Korndorffer Jr., M.D., MHPE, FACS, joined the University of Texas Austin, Dell Medical School in January of 2025 and leads the continuum of medical education to train the next generation of physicians and health care professionals. In addition, he leads efforts across The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas System to support interprofessional education, curricular innovation, research and other learning activities.Korndorffer graduated cum laude from Tulane University with an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering. He received his medical degree from the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He completed his general surgery internship and residency at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he received the award for best resident teacher.With a strong interest in teaching, Korndorffer left a successful private practice after eight years and joined the faculty at Tulane University School of Medicine He became an associate professor of surgery in 2005 and professor in 2010. He served in numerous leadership roles at Tulane, including vice chair of the surgery department from 2012 to 2017, program director for the surgical residency from 2006 to 2017, assistant dean for graduate medical education and founding medical director for the Tulane Center for Advance Medical Simulation. Continuing his passion for education, Korndorffer completed his Master of Health Professions Education at the University of Illinois Chicago while working full time at Tulane.Korndorffer joined Stanford School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery as the inaugural vice chair for education in 2017. He assumed additional leadership responsibilities within the department, including director of the Goodman Surgical Simulation Center and the surgical education fellowship program.He was one of the early adopters of the use of simulation for surgical training and has been actively involved in surgical education research since 2003. Some of the early work using proficiency-based training instead of time base training for skill acquisition. This has now become the norm. He is now actively involved investigating the role simulation education has in patient quality and healthcare system safety.Korndorffer has published over 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals as well as 10 book chapters, and he has held over 150 presentations at national and international meetings.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact [email protected] if you have any questions about claiming credit.

Dr. Julie M. Smith is a trailblazer in large-scale organizational behavior change. Her methods have garnered global awards and are backed by a wealth of case studies featuring organizations of all types and sizes.She has helped organizations identify and execute a wide variety of Vital Behaviors, from key behaviors related to executive decision making for a global oil company to front-line behaviors of flight attendants for a global airline. She’s seen it all while helping her clients produce unrivaled results.As CEO of Performance Ally, her mission is to share her life’s learning about the most efficient path for leaders at all levels to transform best practices into common practice so they can reliably deliver promised results and create a top workplace culture.Dr. Lori Ludwig is renowned for her extraordinary skill in guiding organizations to align strategy with processes, roles, and behaviors, resulting in high-impact, meaningful results.With 20+ years of consulting experience across diverse sectors, ranging from Fortune 500s to nonprofits and small businesses, Lori’s work has had a transformative impact on a global scale. Her projects have elevated productivity and delivered tremendous value for her clients.Serving as Chief Performance Architect at Performance Ally, her mission is to disseminate the science of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) to create large-scale positive change. Lori simplifies its application, empowering organizations to unleash human potential, amplify impact, and navigate complexity effectively.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact [email protected] if you have any questions about claiming credit.

Gemma started her career studying Mechanical Engineering at Cardiff University. She quickly discovered the world of Continuous Improvement and spent 20 years working to improve processes and systems within various manufacturing industries including Automotive, Pharmaceutical, Dairy, Cosmetics & Toiletries, Food, and Medical Devices. She has been a CI Manager numerous times and an Operations Manager running a factory of over 500 people.Gemma is hugely passionate about Improvement and developing people and processes. She gets such a kick out of coaching and facilitating, especially when she sees the lightbulb switch on in someone's head – when they solve a problem; when they realize they have the power to change; or when they get excited about all the improvements they could make.In 2019, Gemma left the world of employment to establish her own business, SPARK Improvement, aiming to switch on as many lightbulbs as possible. Her mission is to help organizations and individuals be the BEST they can be, by helping people SEE, helping people THINK, and helping people CHANGE.Gemma is based in Cheshire in the UK, working globally.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact [email protected] if you have any questions about claiming credit.

Julie Simmons, now retired, worked with her husband Scott as part of the Scott Wade Simmons & Associates, LLC providing leadership coaching and training in Strategy Development and Deployment, Leadership Development, and the Improvement Kata & Coaching Kata. Julie always had a passion for helping others develop their skills, capabilities, and confidence to solve complex challenges in their organizations using scientific thinking. Julie had the honor to be a frequent speaker and presenter at KataCon. Julie retired as the Executive Director for the Northwest High Performance Enterprise Consortium (NWHPEC) in January 2018 after leading the organization for fifteen years. As the Executive Director, Julie was responsible for promoting the vision, mission, and purpose of the consortium within the Portland and Vancouver business area.  Prior to joining NWHPEC in 2004, Julie worked at the The Boeing Company for 14 years as Flight Line Expeditor, Shortage Controller, Supply Chain Analyst, and Manufacturing Process Analyst. She developed her skills as a Continuous Improvement practitioner while working as a Manufacturing Process Analyst where she became a Certified Accelerated Improvement Workshop leader and supported several Shingijutsu led Kaizen events. In retirement, Julie spends her time planning future travel, cooking for family and friends, and spending time with her husband Scott in all of their shared hobbies.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact [email protected] if you have any questions about claiming credit.

Mark Reich spent 23 years working for Toyota, starting in 1988 with six years in Japan in the Overseas Planning Division, where he was responsible for Product Planning and collaborated with Chief Engineers to define vehicle specifications for overseas markets. This pivotal time was when Toyota introduced the Lexus to the world.In 1994, Mark returned to the United States and transitioned to the Toyota Supplier Support Center (TSSC), a non-profit organization Toyota in North America established dedicated to the practical application of the Toyota Production System (TPS) across various sectors. While at TSSC, he worked to extend TPS beyond manufacturing into healthcare and non-profits, which remains a key focus of TSSC's mission.Mark joined Toyota's Corporate Strategy group in North America in 2001, serving as Assistant General Manager. He managed Toyota’s North American hoshin kanri process during a period of significant growth that saw sales and production nearly double over the next decade. Hoshin kanri was essential for aligning the organization during this transformative time.In 2011, Mark transitioned to the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) and has held several positions, including Chief Operating Officer and, since 2018, Senior Coach and Chief Engineer, Strategy. He has led lean transformations and coached executives in hoshin kanri across various industries, with clients including Freeman, GE Appliances, Legal Sea Foods, Michigan Medicine, Nucleus Software, and Turner Construction.Mark is now the author of Managing on Purpose, published by LEI in March 2025. This workbook is vital for leaders looking to implement hoshin kanri effectively within their organizations. It provides practical insights into developing corporate and departmental hoshins while fostering leadership development and innovation. The book includes a fictional case study featuring TrueMowers, allowing readers to apply hoshin kanri concepts in a relatable context.Mark earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and specialized in Japanese studies at Nanzan University. He resides outside of Cincinnati with his wife and daughters. He is fluent in written and spoken Japanese.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact [email protected] if you have any questions about claiming credit.