Phone: 206-798-8486

Our Event Starts in

Celebrating 5 Years of Lean Summits

BUILDING A LEAN ORGANIZATION

17-19 September | Columbus, Indiana

Including Day 2 at the TOYOTA Material Handling Plant

Our Event Starts in

THE MOST ENGAGING LEAN SUMMIT OF 2024

Embark on a transformative journey into building a Lean Management System, where actionable results set a new standard in conference excellence. Bring your challenges, and let our expert speakers, dedicated staff, and fellow participants guide you towards the solutions you seek. Rooted in Lean principles, our focus is to ensure an unparalleled customer experience, empowering you to achieve the results you truly deserve.

Why You Should Attend

Experience
Toyota

Immerse yourself in a transformative day at Toyota Material Handling, where theory meets practice. Gain invaluable insights straight from the source and emerge ready to transform your organization.

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Optional Pre-Summit Workshops

Elevate your experience with  Pre-Summit Workshops. Learn from top industry experts, unlock insider secrets, and leave with career transformative knowledge. Get ready to dive deep, interact, and receive invaluable insights to elevate and sustain your Lean initiatives.

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Bring Your Team,
Catch the Vision

Bring Your Team, Catch the Vision

Teams that attend the summit together unlock unparalleled success in their Lean initiatives. Discover breakthrough insights alongside your colleagues and return with actionable strategies and shared unforgettable experiences.

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Where Fun Meets Networking

Expand your network in this intimate environment. Bring your questions and problems and collaborate with our amazing speakers and fellow attendees in our proprietary Challenge Connection Circles™ process.

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Engage and Explore

Join in a mix of leisure and excitement with our lineup of extra activities, including tours, waterfront dining, and a lively celebration event. Join us for unforgettable experiences and the opportunity to make new friends.

Craft Your Path to Success

Build a personalized Lean Management Roadmap alongside industry experts and tailored by you and your team to meet your organization’s unique needs and goals for sustainable growth.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

NEW TO LEAN

For those just starting on their Lean journey or those about to participate in process improvement efforts, this Summit will give you the context you need to be successful and to begin to embrace Lean Thinking.

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LEAN PROFESSIONALS

From earning continuous education credits for your certifications, to experiencing Toyota and building on your knowledge, personal development is key to helping your organization continuously improve.

Successful dream team, diverse business group of asian man and business woman smiling and looking at camera, colleagues with crossed arms outside office building, professionals investors and bankers

EXECUTIVES & LEADERS

From the C-Suite to managers wanting to improve their processes and increase the bottom line, this Summit offers you the strategic insights you need to inspire your team and implement Lean in your role.

UPGRADE YOUR SKILLS In Lean Management Systems Sustaining Lean Efforts Lean Leadership Problem Solving Strategy

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September 16th

Optional Pre-Summit Workshops:
Strengthening Your Competencies

Take advantage of these excellent workshops designed to help increase your knowledge and skills.

Price: $400 for an all-day pass on this bonus day.

Half-Day Workshops:

Full-Day Workshop:

This full-day workshop will focus on providing you with the knowledge to take your skills to the next level for sustainable success with Lean implementation by managing your efforts with an Obeya room.

GLOBAL LEAN SUMMIT

September 17th, 18th, & 19th

Focus on creating a Lean Culture, immerse yourself at Toyota, and craft a customized Lean Management System roadmap for transforming your organization.

DAY 1: Creating a Successful Lean Culture

See what’s working with Lean and how to overcome what’s not. Participate in our exclusive Challenge Connection Circles to creatively solve the obstacles you’re facing.

DAY 2: The TOYOTA Experience

A day you will always remember. See theory in practice as you explore the Toyota Material Handling plant for this behind the curtain exploration of Lean implementation.

DAY 3: Your Lean Management Roadmap

This will be an incredible day as you see other examples of successful Lean culture and design your own Lean management roadmap for actionable steps upon your return.

Our Speakers

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Jared Thatcher

Host of the Virtual Lean Summit, Author of Parenting the Lean Way

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Jared Thatcher

Jared is the host of the Global Lean Summit and the Virtual Lean Summit, which he started in 2020 as a response to help small business owners struggling as a result of the COVID lock downs. Demand for an in-person event has led to starting the Global Lean Summit. Jared has worked as a Lean consultant for companies like Nike, Mercy Corps, Alaska Airlines, Daimler Trucks, among others, and currently works in government applying Lean.

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Mark Graban

Author of “The Mistakes that Make Us”, Podcaster, Consultant

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Mark Graban

Mark Graban is an internationally-recognized consultant, author, professional speaker, podcaster, and entrepreneur. He builds upon a deep education in engineering and management with practical experience working with executives and frontline employees in multiple industries to synthesize and practice methods including Lean management, continuous improvement, statistical methods, and people-centered leadership approaches.He has learned, practiced, and taught these methodologies in settings including manufacturing, healthcare, and technology startups. Working independently since 2010 and in partnership with other consulting groups, Mark enjoys working with organizations looking for better ways to improve, with leaders willing to lead that charge. Mark is also a Senior Advisor to the software company KaiNexus

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Tracy O'Rourke

Co-Founder of the
Just-in-Time Cafe

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Tracy O'Rourke

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!

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Paul Akers

Entrepreneur, Business Owner, Author, Speaker, Lean Maniac

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Paul Akers

Paul is the founder and president of FastCap, a product development company with distribution in over 40 countries. FastCap, based in Ferndale, Washington, launches 30+ new innovative products each year and is regarded as a model Lean manufacturer.

The grandchild of Greek immigrants, Paul was born and raised in Southern California. At the age 14 he became an Eagle Scout, at 16 he built his own guitar and earned the attention of guitar builder Bob Taylor, who mentored and eventually put Paul to work for Taylor Guitars.

Paul graduated with honors from Biola University and then went to work in Pasadena restoring historic homes and teaching High school industrial arts.

In 2000, Paul discovered Lean manufacturing or Toyota Production System (TPS). This newfound knowledge helped him and his wife Leanne take FastCap from a small start up in their garage into the successful product development company it is today.

In 2010 Paul ran for the US Senate in Washington State on a Lean platform of transforming government by developing Lean thinking as a key strategy for all government organizations.

Paul is an avid outdoorsman and 2 time ironman that surfs, runs, swims, bikes, and has summited many 14,000 foot mountains, including Mt. Kilimanjaro, and trekking to Everest Base Camp. He is also an instrument-rated pilot and has flown his plane all over the world, including 3 North Atlantic crossings in a single engine aircraft.

Paul is an energetic speaker whose core passion is helping people discover their full potential and showing others how to implement Lean in their business and personal life. Paul’s passion for Lean has taken him around the world to over 70 countries to work and speak.

Paul has written 5 books, "2 Second Lean", "Lean Health", "Lean Travel", Lean Life, and "Banish Sloppiness".

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Sam McPherson

Founder – Lean Leadership Academy

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Sam McPherson

Sam McPherson retired in 2004 as the U.S. Army Special Forces director of training and private sector operational leadership in 2007. In 2011, he co-founded the Lean Leadership Academy to help organizations develop their organizational leadership pipeline and properly implement TPS as a comprehensive system to achieve business and organizational excellence.

 
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Sam Yankelevitch

Lean Consultant, Author, and LinkedIn Learning Instructor

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Sam Yankelevitch

Sam Yankelevitch maintains he is too old to grow up, too young to stop learning and delighted to give back.

As a former global operations executive in the automotive sector, Sam has a few lessons to share. Whether as a Linkedin Learning instructor, book author or speaker, Sam provides thought provoking experiences related to culture change, communication, project management and problem solving, from before the word Lean was coined. By bridging communication with Lean, Kaizen and quality principles, he opens a hidden gate to help reduce a common source of waste caused by human misunderstandings. Sam’s online courses have been viewed by almost 600,000 learners worldwide. BMW, John Deere, and GKN aerospace, are a few of the companies Sam has worked with. Walking the invisible Gemba, Lean Potion #9:
Communication - The Next Lean Frontier and An Interview with Failure are his latest publications, along with some new Linkedin Learning courses, which integrate Lean, communication and culture.

After publishing his first fiction novel, Sam is often thought of as the guy who interviewed failure. He has spoken internationally at conferences and corporate events and is fully bilingual in both Spanish and English

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Adam Lawrence

Author, Speaker, Lean Consultant

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Adam Lawrence

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.

 
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Jewelyn Harrington

Senior Director Operational Excellence at United States Postal Service

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Jewelyn Harrington

Currently working in the United States Postal Service in their Operational Excellence group, Jewelyn is working to change the culture to embrace Lean thinking. Jewelyn is an experienced senior leader with a demonstrated history in cultural transformation, structured problem solving, team development and operations. Skilled in Value Stream Mapping, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Black Belt, Quality Management, and Industrial Engineering. Strong operations professional graduated from The Ohio State University.

Mohamed Saleh

Mohamed Saleh, Ph. D

Lean Healthcare Executive

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Mohamed Saleh

Dr. Mohamed Saleh is a thought leader in shifting cultural mindsets by redesigning business systems.  He has a successful track record anchored in two decades of hands-on transformations with a strong interest in making a global difference by providing distinctive leading-edge Lean-inspired education and advisory services aimed at helping organizations in an array of industries achieve the highest levels of performance excellence.  Mohamed's roles in these companies were centered around Lean transformations with much of his career serving in senior level roles.  He has a PhD in Business Administrations from Northcentral University, with a specific interest in organizational sociocharacteristics, technical characteristics of Lean Implementations, and leadership mindsets in healthcare organizations.

 
 
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John Dyer

Author, Speaker, Teacher, Consultant in Team Based Continuous Process Improvement

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John Dyer

Please contact me if you are interested in learning how to experience significant, sustainable improvements within your company. I have had the opportunity over the years to work with many great global companies on a variety of Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence initiatives. I have also had the opportunity to assess and provide feedback to company leaders on their Lean and Six Sigma efforts (including as a judge for the IndustryWeek 'Best Plants' assessment process). Maybe my 30 years of experience in the Process Improvement arena could help your business achieve improved Customer Satisfaction and significant growth.

Also, be sure to read my articles on the Industry Week web site. www.industryWeek.com/author/john-dyer

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Karil Sampson

Director Of Process Improvement at Cuyahoga County, Ohio

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Karil Sampson

Karil has worked in the field of process improvement for 20 years. His journey has taken him through property insurance, information technology, academia, medical devices and public sectors. He has made a career of reminding people that complicated systems are made of  simple components.

 
 
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Dirk Fischer

COO at Huf Group – Germany

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Dirk Fischer

Dirk has 30 years experience in Automotive TIER 1 operations. He started learning TPS in 1996. Since then he has always been implementing TPS as a Plant Manager, a General Manager, a VP of Operations and as a COO. Dirk is always had a strong focus on improving QCDSM, to turn around and restructure environments. He is currently the COO of the Huf Group and has been transforming their global operations to embrace a Lean culture of continuous improvement thinking.

 
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Tom Jackson

GoodStrategy Consulting

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Tom Jackson

Tom Jackson is an economist, strategist and consultant. Tom has been a student of lean enterprise since 1988 when he copyedited Hiroyuki Hirano’s JIT Factory Revolution and Yasuhiro Monden’s Japanese Management Accounting for Productivity Press. In 1992, he abandoned his comfortable professorship at the University of Vermont to start an international joint venture with lean pioneer Norman Bodek. Tom returned to the U.S. to work for Norman as his Vice President of Strategy. He eventually became CEO of Productivity Press and Productivity Inc., Norman’s ground breaking lean publishing and consulting companies. In 2000, Tom left the Productivity family to work for private equity and start a couple more consulting firms, taktX LLC and Rona Consulting Group. Tom has traveled the four continents applying lean principles to the design and production of automobiles, automotive springs, gas products, athletic shoes and apparel, cardboard boxes, semiconductors, elevators, cell phones, window and door seals, refrigerators, washing machines, grain bins, chicken feeders, natural gas regulators and the delivery of healthcare and social services. In 2020, Tom retired to Louisville, Kentucky, where he launched a new venture, GoodStrategy, a consultancy focused on applying hoshin kanri to improve the leadership and management of public and private organizations. Tom’s publications include Hoshin Kanri for the Lean Enterprise, which was awarded the Shingo Prize for Research Excellence in 2006. He is also the series editor of six books of the Lean Tools for Healthcare Series, including Mapping Clinical Value Streams, which Tom authored himself. In 2024, Tom will publish the 2nd edition of Hoshin Kanri for the Lean Enterprise.

 
 
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Hide Oba
大庭英嗣

Operations Management Consultant and Toyota Production System Expert

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Hide Oba - 大庭英嗣

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 and executed a corporate-wide training program, which balances both On-Job Training & Off-Job Training.

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Jeff Gray

Speaker, Lean Consultant

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Jeff Gray

Jeff Gray is an American Society of Quality Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with over twenty years of experience managing successful process improvement projects. Jeff’s Project Management and Lean Six Sigma process improvement skills have been successfully applied within commercial construction, technology, gaming and hospitality, finance and many more. Jeff is currently the CEO of Lean Revisions, an operations management consulting firm in the greater Western Washington Region. Organization’s and clients have included Boeing, Microsoft, Silver Reef Resort Casino, Adidas, Custom Concrete, Marin General Hospital, Starbucks, Oregon State University, Chase, US Navy, Chevron / Texaco, and many more. Jeff possesses a Bachelor of Science BA Degree from City University of Seattle, WA.

Testimonials

What Our Attendees Are Saying

5/5

“It is most definitely going to be a great learning event across several days.”

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Tracey Richardson

Founder of Teaching Lean Inc. - USA

5/5

“WOW! – That was a great week spending time with great minds in my field. Well Done! Thank you for inspiring me.”

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Amy Flores

Continuous Improvement Manager - USA

5/5

“We have seen some really great presenters and there has been so many great takeaways!”

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Krista Antonowicz

Lean Facilitator - USA

5/5

“The Global Lean Summit is one of the best conferences I’ve been to. I thought I knew this stuff, but there was something new I took away from each session.”

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Victoria Jones

Process Improvement Practitioner - USA

5/5

“I am blown away by the caliber of the presenters, and I am super energized and excited by the immediate applicability or what we learned.”

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Alyssa Elliot

Government Performance Coordinator - USA

5/5

“Great presentations, great people, great day.”

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Ari Väisänen

Lean Manager - Finland

5/5

“GREAT TO HEAR FROM EXPERTS IN THE FIELD OF LEAN AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. THE ICING ON THE CAKE WAS JOINING THE FIRESIDE CHAT WITH RITSUO SHINGO. LOTS OF NOTES TAKEN.”

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Lesley-Anne Gourlay

Continuous Improvement Lead - Scotland

5/5

“This Summit is one of the Greatest I attended. For people who want to “Grow” it is more than incredible.”

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Austėja Stankūnaitė

Head of Operations - Lithuania

5/5

“Loving the conversations and being able to network and connect with Lean practitioner’s from around the world.”

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Thomas Lencki Jr

Senior Process Engineer - USA

5/5

“Being part of the Summit was so much fun and a great learning experience. It was my pleasure to meet Lean enthusiasts across the world. I appreciate the way you structured the Summit to make it more interactive.”

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Meghana Mahesh

Director of Operations - India

5/5

“You have made this a hugely successful Summit, coordinating so much value from so many thought leaders.”

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Mike Denison

Founder Lean Mentor International - UK

5/5

“No better way to learn about Lean than to hear directly from people who have dealt with the challenges, resolved the issues at the front lines, and have achieved successes in their respective #LeanTransformation journeys.”

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Sandeep Batra

Director of Continuous Improvement - Germany

5/5

“It was a fantastic experience, really good being around people this passionate about Lean! I highly recommend that you consider next year’s summit, because this will benefit you, I promise!”

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Karil Sampson

Director of Process Improvement - USA

5/5

“I love this summit so much! I suggest that everybody try and be part of this event, you will be rewarded for it.”

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Arlinda Vaughn

Project Manager - USA

5/5

“The Summit was super instructive and fun!”

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Silvia Diniz Carneiro Leão

Process Improvement Consultant - Portugal

Attendees of our past summits have worked for some of the following companies

ADM
Adobe
ADP
Advance Auto Parts
Adventist Health
Alameda Health System
Albertsons
ALVANCE Aluminium Group
Amazon
American Family Insurance
AstraZeneca
BASF
Bosch
Bristol Myers Squibb
Cambridge University
Campbell Soup Company
Catepillar
Chicago Transit Authority
Cigna
City of Denver
Coca-Cola
COSTCO
Daimler Trucks North America
Danaher
DRÄXLMAIER Group
EATON
Eli Lilly and Company

Equinor
Exxon Mobile
Fannie Mae
FastCap
FedEx
Firstsource
FLIR Systems, Inc.
Florida Power and Light Company
Ford Motor Company
FUJIFILM
Fujitsu
GE Aviation
General Dynamics
GEODIS
GlaxoSmithKline
Government of Canada
Harvard University
HILTI
Huff Group
IKEA
INTUIT
iObeya
JELD-WEN, Inc.
JH Construction
Kaiser Permanente
Kimberly Clark

Lean Revisions
L’ORÉAL
Marriott International
McKinsey & Company
Menlo Innovations
Mercy Corps
Michigan Technological University
Microsoft
Morrisons
Moss Adams
Motorola
Nationwide
Nestle
NHS
Nike
NZ Post
Oracle
Parker
Project Management Institute
Qualtrics
Safeway
SAMSUNG
Saskatchewan Workers’ Comp. Board
Scotiabank
Shell

Stanley Black and Decker
State of Colorado
State of Nebraska
State of Vermont
State of Washington
Statistics Canada
Target
Tata Consulting Engineers Limited
Tata Steel
Texas A & M University
The National Gallery London
The Standard
The Wonderful Company
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Toyota Motor
UC San Diego Health
UCT Prague
University of Colorado
University of Illinois
University of Nottingham
US Airforce
US Marine Corps
Wells Fargo
Whirlpool
XTO Energy
Zurich

ADM
Adobe
ADP
Advance Auto Parts
Adventist Health
Alameda Health System
Albertsons
ALVANCE Aluminium Group
Amazon
American Family Insurance
AstraZeneca
BASF
Bosch
Bristol Myers Squibb
Cambridge University
Campbell Soup Company
Catepillar
Chicago Transit Authority
Cigna
City of Denver
Coca-Cola
COSTCO
Daimler Trucks North America
Danaher
DRÄXLMAIER Group
EATON
Equinor

Exxon Mobile
Fannie Mae
FastCap
FedEx
Firstsource
FLIR Systems, Inc.
Florida Power and Light Company
Ford Motor Company
FUJIFILM
Fujitsu
GE Aviation
General Dynamics
GEODIS
GlaxoSmithKline
Government of Canada
Harvard University
HILTI
Huff Group
IKEA
INTUIT
iObeya
JELD-WEN, Inc.
JH Construction
Kaiser Permanente
Kimberly Clark
Lean Revisions
L’ORÉALMarriott International
McKinsey & Company

Eli Lilly and Company
Menlo Innovations
Mercy Corps
Michigan Technological University
Microsoft
Morrisons
Moss Adams
Motorola
Nationwide
Nestle
NHS
Nike
NZ Post
Oracle
Parker
Project Management Institute
Qualtrics
Safeway
SAMSUNG
Saskatchewan Workers’ Comp. Board
Scotiabank
Shell
Stanley Black and Decker
State of Colorado

State of Nebraska
State of Vermont
State of Washington
Statistics Canada
Target
Tata Consulting Engineers Limited
Tata Steel
Texas A & M University
The National Gallery London
The Standard
The Wonderful Company
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Toyota Motor
UC San Diego Health
UCT Prague
University of Colorado
University of Illinois
University of Nottingham
US Airforce
US Marine Corps
Wells Fargo
Whirlpool
XTO Energy
Zurich

Find The Ticket For Your Needs

Act Now! Space is Limited

GROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE: You and your team will gain the most out of this Summit if you come as a group. As an incentive to encourage you to bring your team we offer the following discounts: From 3 to 9 team members you receive a 10% discount (use code: GROUP10 at checkout); for 10+ team members you receive a 20% discount (use code: GROUP20 at checkout).

Ticket Information

Summit Ticket Only

$2,400 /Ticket

Global Lean Summit

SEPT. 17-19

PRE-SUMMIT WORKSHOPS
& SUMMIT TICKET

$2,800 /Ticket

Global Lean Summit

SEPT. 16-19

Cancellation, Postponement, Substitution, and Video and Photography Policies:

We understand that things can change and you can receive a full refund if requested before April 30th. After that date and before August 1st a 10% cancellation fee will apply, with no refunds available after that date.  Substitutions are available at any time.
   The Global Lean Summit (GLS) is not responsible for any loss or damage as a result of a substitution, alteration or cancellation/postponement of an event. GLS shall assume no liability whatsoever in the event this summit is cancelled, rescheduled or postponed due to a fortuitous event, Act of God, unforeseen occurrence or any other event that renders performance of this summit impracticable, illegal or impossible. For purposes of this clause, a fortuitous event shall include, but not be limited to: war, fire, labor strike, government authority, extreme weather or other emergency.
    Please note that while speakers and topics were confirmed at the time of publishing, circumstances beyond the control of the organizers may necessitate substitutions, alterations or cancellations of the speakers and/or topics. As such, the Global Lean Summit reserves the right to alter or modify the advertised speakers and/or topics and workshops if necessary without any liability. Any substitutions or alterations will be updated on our web page as soon as possible.
    By attending the event you grant permission that your image may be captured and used in print, video, and/or electronic medium for commercial, promotional and educational purposes without compensation.  No photography inside the Toyota Material Handling plant will be allowed.

Partners

Main Partner

Partners