Empowering Lean Leaders with Purpose, Passion & Positivity
Agenda
| Time |
Session |
| 8:00 - 8:30 AM |
Check-in and Continental Breakfast |
| 8:30 - 8:45 AM |
Welcome |
| 8:45 - 9:30 AM |
AM Keynote: April Callis-Birchmeier |
| 9:30 - 9:45 AM |
Networking Break |
| 9:45 - 10:45 AM |
Breakout Session #1 |
| 10:45 - 11:00 AM |
Networking Break |
| 11:00 - 12:00 PM |
Breakout Session #2 |
| 12:00 - 1:00 PM |
Networking Lunch in the Atrium |
| 1:00 - 1:40 PM |
Group Session |
| 1:40 - 1:45 |
Transition Break |
| 1:45 - 2:45 PM |
Breakout Session #3 |
| 2:45 - 3:00 PM |
Networking Break |
| 3:00 - 3:45 PM |
PM Keynote: Eric Gatlin-Orchid Orthopedic Solutions |
| 3:45 - 4:00 PM |
Closing |
| 4:00 - 6:00 PM |
Networking Cocktail Hour (optional + cash bar) |
AM Keynote Speaker: April Callis-Birchmeier
Recipient of the 2024 Change Awards - Lifetime Award, recognized as a Global Guru in Organizational Culture (2020-2024), and bestselling author of READY, Set, Change! April Callis-Birchmeier is a dynamic speaker and a Certified Change Management Professional™ (CCMP) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
April has over two decades of experience leading organizational change implementations for government, higher education, and healthcare clients.
As a creator of the global standard for change management, she leverages her extensive expertise to help organizations achieve successful project outcomes. She is a Qualified Education Provider for the Association of Change Management Professionals and an instructor for PMI Training courses.
As CEO of Springboard Consulting, April prepares leaders, project managers, and HR professionals to effectively lead change by integrating change management activities into their project plans. Recognized as a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) by the National Speakers Association, she is an engaging and influential speaker.
April is passionate about the positive impact of integrating AI to enhance change management plans and utilizing the READY Framework to ensure that sponsors, stakeholders, and project teams experience higher adoption rates and successful initiatives.
Keynote Message:
"Get Ready; Inspire Leaders with Drive and Optimism"
Equip lean leaders with essential tools to embrace change and lead with purpose, passion, and positivity in today's evolving business landscape. Discover how the READY framework can enhance leadership effectiveness, reduce resistance, and drive positive organizational change.
Attendee Take-Aways:
- Apply the READY framework to organizational change and transformation.
- Develop change activities and tools to effectively assess, plan, execute, and measure change initiatives.
- Integrate change and project management plans to leverage momentum.
- Identify actionable strategies to navigate and embrace change.
PM Keynote Speaker: Eric Gatlin
Vice President, Operations, Forming and Coating at Orchid Orthopedic Solutions
As the Forming, Coating, and Additive Vice President of Operations at Orchid Orthopedic Solutions, Eric owns operational performance for six of Orchid’s ten manufacturing locations. This includes the deployment & execution of continuous improvement, leveraging best practices across sites, driving a culture of engagement and compliance through partnerships with Quality, HR, Finance, and partnering with the Commercial and NPI teams.
Eric has over 20 years of broad leadership experience who comes to Orchid from GE Aerospace where he spent the last 8 years. Most recently Eric was the Executive Business Transformation Leader for GE Aerospace’s Military Systems Operations (MSO) division. Eric was responsible for leading the enterprise transformation using Lean manufacturing and business process tools for the $5B MSO business. Prior to that he was the General Manager for the Additive Integrated Product Team (IPT), a role that was first of its kind within GE Aviation. He was responsible for the strategic direction and operational leadership for the Additive manufacturing supply chain. The IPT was responsible for the ambitious advancement of the use of additive for GE Aerospace. Prior to GE, Eric spent 18 years in the automotive industry at ZF TRW. During that time he held a variety of roles with increasing responsibilities in Design Engineering, Manufacturing Operations, Advanced Manufacturing, Quality, Corporate Staff, and Program Management, with the opportunity to lead the Asia Pacific electronics division where he was based in Shanghai, China for 3 years.
Eric holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Lawrence Technological University and an MBA from the University of Michigan - Dearborn. Eric is married to Dawn and has three sons, Jack, Connor and Chase. His family resides in Mason, Ohio. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and boating on Lake Cumberland with his family.
Keynote Message:
As the Vice President of Operations for Orchid Orthopedic Solutions Coating, Forming and Additive business, Eric Gatlin will share the next chapter in Orchid’s quest for organizational transformation using Lean. Join Eric as he walks through his learnings on implementing a culture of continuous improvement from time spent in the Automotive, Aerospace and Medical industries.
Meet our Emcee: Kim Boudreau Smith
Kim Boudreau Smith is the go-to expert for professionals ready to elevate their communication confidence and take their presence—and profitability—to the next level. As an executive and leadership coach, facilitator, and dynamic speaker, Kim empowers high-performing leaders to CLAIM THEIR BOLD VOICE and show up with unwavering confidence.
Kim’s passion lies in helping individuals manage their critical internal voice, enabling them to speak with authenticity and truly connect with their audiences. She believes that when leaders overcome self-doubt and communicate from a place of genuine conviction, they don’t just deliver messages—they call people to action and inspire meaningful change.
Kim’s journey from leading high-volume sales teams in corporate America to becoming a communication coach is rooted in her own experience of staying silent to avoid being labeled or judged. After decades of faking it, she made a powerful shift to not only change her own life but to inspire others to confidently claim their seat at the table.
A pioneer in her field, Kim was the first person to create and launch an internet radio station, Bold Radio, and she’s a recognized leader in fitness, having owned a thriving company and developed successful programs. She’s also a co-author of several Amazon bestselling books and is a certified Step into Your Moxie® Speak Up and Influence Facilitator.
Meet our Group Session Presenter:
Melissa Sherman
Melissa has worked in the utility industry for over 27 years, both for an Investor Owned and Cooperative, gaining experience in Electric and Gas Distribution Engineering, Business Support for Pumped Storage, River Hydro and Renewable Generation, Online Scheduling for Fossil Generation, and Enterprise Change.
Session Message:
Melissa will guide attendees through a simulation that demonstrates how culture, leadership, and trust impact organizations.
Meet our Breakout Presenters: Lindsey Schiel
With over 18 years of experience in the utility sector, Lindsey has established herself as a visionary leader and change agent, committed to enhancing operational efficiency, strategic planning, and regulatory compliance. Throughout her career, she’s spearheaded initiatives that transformed organizational processes, fostered collaboration with regulatory authorities, and led cross-functional teams to deliver remarkable results.
One of her proudest accomplishments was implementing waste elimination methodologies and reducing invoice reversals and billing exceptions through innovative solutions. Lindsey’s dedication to employee engagement, coupled with a focus on continuous improvement, led to higher engagement scores and successful transitions for displaced employees, thanks to a cross-training program she developed.
After achieving corporate success, Lindsey felt a deeper calling to share her experiences and empower others. Today, as a purposeful leadership coach, she works with successful women leaders and entrepreneurs to help them clarify their purpose, enhance their leadership effectiveness, and build high-performing teams. Lindsey’s coaching approach is empathetic, outcome-driven, and transformational, anchored in three pillars: Career, Leadership, and Purpose.
Lindsey is passionate about helping others discover and leverage their full potential, guiding them through her four-step program to unlock their leadership capabilities and drive lasting change in their organizations. Beyond her professional work, she stays engaged in youth development, volunteering in her community, and supporting future leaders through her involvement on the school board and as a parent of four children.
Breakout Message: "Leadership Beyond Bias: Tailoring Your Approach for Diverse Teams"
"Leadership Beyond Bias" is an innovative workshop crafted specifically for leaders dedicated to elevating their leadership abilities through the recognition and embrace of diversity within their teams. In today's multifaceted workplace, understanding and valuing the unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of each team member is more crucial than ever. This workshop challenges the traditional "treat everyone like you want to be treated" mindset, which often overlooks individual differences, and introduces a more nuanced and effective approach: treating each individual according to their unique needs, strengths, and motivations.
Learning outcomes for participants:
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1) Evaluate Personal Biases: Identify and assess your own biases and how they may impact your leadership style and team interactions.
2) Tailor Communication Strategies: Develop tailored communication techniques that resonate with diverse team members, fostering a more inclusive and productive environment.
3) Implement Inclusive Leadership Practices: Apply inclusive leadership practices that recognize and leverage the diverse talents and perspectives within your team.
4) Increase Team Collaboration: Facilitate improved team collaboration by understanding and addressing the unique contributions and needs of each team member.
5) Foster a Culture of Respect and Belonging: Create and sustain a workplace culture where all team members feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best work.
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Kris Liebau
Kris Liebau, ACC, CMQ/OE, CQE believes it’s possible to act with impact.
As the founder of Action & Ease Leadership Coaching, Kris helps engineering executives and managers propel themselves and their teams forward. She’s best known for her innovative 2-part coaching program empowering you to identify the most valuable actions to take to grow yourself, lead with ease, communicate effectively, and guide your team to reach their potential.
Kris comes to this work having trained hundreds of people across her 20+ year career in leadership roles in engineering, quality, manufacturing, and the National Ski Patrol. She holds a master’s degree in engineering management, multiple key quality and engineering certifications. In 2023 she was selected as one of the Top 15 Coaches in Detroit and has earned several top coaching and change leadership certifications including ones from Cornell University, International Coach Federation (ICF), and Positive Intelligence. In all that she does, Kris is passionate about guiding you to be able to trust yourself, reach others, and act with impact together.
When she’s not coaching leaders and their teams, you’ll find Kris skiing the snowy slopes near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her daughter and her husband, Brian. Beyond being on her skis, she finds joy in a hot fresh brewed cup of loose-leaf English breakfast tea, the opportunity to lay in her hammock with a great view, and sharing a cold Michigan microbrew with friends.
Breakout Message: "Leadership Mindset: Managing Energy for Greater Resilience"
Do you often find yourself striving for better time management, only to end up feeling drained and overwhelmed? The real issue might not be time, but rather managing energy levels and maintaining composure under pressure.
In this session we explore:
- Impacts on Team Dynamics: Understand how energy levels and stress management directly affect your team's cohesion and productivity.
- Revamping Your Relationship with Your "To-Do" List: Learn techniques to approach your tasks in a way that maximizes efficiency and reduces stress.
- Managing Priorities and Stress: Discover how to identify true priorities and manage stress, leading to better decision-making and team leadership.
Session Takeaways:
- From Micromanagement to Trust: We’ll share strategies to help shift your approach from micromanagement to empowering your team through trust and delegation.
- Wellbeing for You and Your Team: Gain insights into maintaining high energy levels and promoting a healthy work environment, enhancing overall team wellbeing.
- Resilience in Times of Change: Learn how to build resilience, enabling you and your team to adapt to changes and bounce back from setbacks more effectively.
Katie Labedz
Katie Labedz is the President/CEO of Learning to Lean, a process improvement consulting firm. Learning to Lean helps companies to embrace the concepts of continuous improvement, leading to REVOLUTIONARY results through coaching, training and kaizen events.
Katie is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Project Management Professional (PMP), certified Emotional Intelligence Coach, and sought after keynote speaker. She has been practicing Lean, Six Sigma and Project Management concepts for over 20 years. Katie is the epitome of perseverance. She has also authored three books, "How to Improve Absolutely Anything-Continuous Improvement in Your Home, Office and Family Life," "How to Improve Absolutely Every Process-Kaizen for process improvement and fun" and the "Learning to Lean CI Planner."
Breakout Message: "Emotional Intelligence in Continuous Improvement"
What is emotional intelligence (EQ)? What role does it play in continuous improvement? We have all been there...we are trying to roll out changes within our organization and there are some people that we just can't get on board. It can be so extremely frustrating! You can clearly see the benefits of these changes, but they cannot for some reason. In this session we will explore the role that emotional intelligence plays in our continuous improvement efforts.
In this session you will learn:
- Where you are on the emotional intelligence scale
- Key signs to understand where others are on the scale
- What to do when you are trying to roll out changes to a group with varied positions on the EQ scale
Sponsorship
Sponsor the Summit!
Thank You To Our Silver Sponsor!
Thank You To Our Bronze Sponsor!
Hotel Block
Candlewood Suites Located on MSU's Campus
The Candlewood Suites® East Lansing hotel is located on the beautiful campus of Michigan State University and is attached to the James B. Henry Center for Executive Development and the prestigious University Club of MSU.
All hotel reservations at Candlewood Suites must be made by calling (517-351-8181 before the designated cutoff date of September 27, 2024 and be accompanied by a credit card deposit. Reservations are subject to the group’s room block availability. Please request the Michigan Lean Consortium Room Block when contacting Candlewood Suites. Changes in arrival date must be made by 4:00 PM, 24-hours before the arrival date, by calling the hotel directly or a charge of one night’s lodging plus applicable tax will apply to the credit card. Additionally, a change affecting the length of stay requires an advance notice of 48-hours.
Room Block Rate: Studio Suite $95
MLC Membership—Why Join?
✔️ To grow your network
✔️ To be supported and mentored in your Lean journey
✔️ To continuously learn how to be a Lean systems thinker
✔️ To share your passion, successes, and failures with others
✔️ Attend MLC events at the member rate
MLC Yearly Individual Membership: $120.00
Learn more about joining the MLC!
Apply for Membership!
We understand that plans change. In the event you are unable to attend an event, refunds will be issued in full for cancellation refund requests received in writing via the events@michiganlean.org email at least seven (7) days before the event. Refunds will not be issued when less than a seven (7) day notice is provided. After submitting your cancellation refund request via email, please allow up to ten (10) business days for your refund to be processed. If the event is rescheduled, all purchases will be honored for the rescheduled event date. If the event is cancelled, all purchases will be refunded in full.
