Past Events

From one-day seminars and breakfast networking events to our virtual webinar series, COE maintains a busy slate of opportunities for members to hear from key business leaders on the latest in lean leadership, supply chain management, OpEx in technology, problem solving, and more. Our recent events have included:

 Virtual Event: Leadership reDEFYned

9/3/25: The best leaders are authentic and lean into their strengths and gifts, offering what they have versus focusing on what they don’t. In this webinar, Tami Chapek, founder and head coach of WeInspireWe, guided attendees to tap into authenticity to create a personal leadership vision and create an action plan to inspire transformational change for themselves and others. 

Virtual Event: Optimization Before Automation

8/20/25: To kick off the Lean Into AI series, Purdue Professor Ali Shakouri and Toyota Production System Support Center President Jamie Bonini presented a case study on challenges and opportunities when applying the latest advances in artificial intelligence in a manufacturing setting. They shared insights on the importance of eliminating waste and streamlining processes before applying AI technologies and automation. 

Virtual Event: Boosting Belief 

8/6/25: Fisher College of Business Senior Lecturer David Veech explored how fostering self-efficacy—the belief in one’s ability to achieve goals—can drive innovation, collaboration, and job satisfaction across an organization. Through engaging anecdotes and actionable strategies, participants gained insights on cultivating confidence and autonomy on their teams. 

 In-Person Event: Problem Solving and Creativity Workshop

7/23/25: The Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory (KAI) is a way to look at an individual’s problem-solving style and creativity. In this workshop, Dr. Mary Rodriguez shared about the KAI theory. Participants explored their own problem-solving style and brainstormed how to use these insights for improved team dynamics. 

Virtual Event: Managing on Purpose

7/9/25: In this webinar, Mark Reich shared practical insights on the Hoshin Kanri methodology from his new workbook, Managing On Purpose. The session addressed issues related to horizontal and vertical alignment in organizations when it comes to developing, clarifying, and executing on a strategic vision.

 In-Person Event: Crown Equipment & Agrana Fruit Tours

6/18/25: Crown is one of the world’s largest material handling companies with a reputation for award-winning product design, advanced engineering and technology, and superior after-sale service. Agrana is a world leader in converting agricultural raw materials into high-quality foods. On this special full-day tour, participants experienced operations in action at Crown Equipment and Agrana Fruit facilities in Northwest Ohio. 

Virtual Event: Prompt Engineering & Agentic AI

6/4/25: As AI becomes more integrated into workflows, the ability to craft effective prompts is an increasingly important skill. This webinar equipped business leaders with practical insights into leveraging AI effectively through prompt engineering and agentic AI. This session built on a foundational understanding of AI to focus on prompt frameworks and skillsets for the future.

Virtual Event: Insights from The Future of People at Work

5/28/25: The Future of People at Work (FPW) is a collaborative effort of seven organizations exploring how different improvement approaches can address today's evolving workplace challenges. In this session, lean leader Eric Olsen shared actionable insights from FPW’s monthly community discussions and recent symposium.

 Virtual Event: Dealing with Disruption

5/14/25: In this session, strategist Peter Grimm helped attendees learn how to anticipate disruptive shifts in their industry and capitalize on them. Attendees explored the “pathologies” of disruption, the recognizable patterns that can help you discriminate between them, and strategies to take advantage of them.

 Virtual Event: The Human-AI Partnership

4/29/25: In this webinar, data analytics expert Dr. John Draper focused on the uses and abuses of GenAI. Through interactive discussion and practical examples, this session explored some of the use cases of GenAI and examined ways in which GenAI can go terribly wrong without deeper contextual critical thinking.

 Virtual Event: Building an Intentional OpEx Culture

3/19/25: This webinar focused on developing an intentional culture capable of continuously adapting and evolving. OpEx experts Carol Christobek and Chhevi Sharma described their concept of Intentional Culture and illustrated the classic “culture quadrant” relative to OpEx initiatives. Further, they highlighted the four Culture facets of their OpEx model and discussed how each cultural characteristic fosters a continuously improving organizational culture.  

Virtual Event: Don't Skimp on the Hoshin

3/5/25: This webinar explored how a small investment in hoshin/strategic planning can pay tremendous dividends. Jason and Michelle Risser demonstrated—with evidence—how implementing hoshin helped a small business define its true north, refine its strategy, and observe exponential growth in identified KPIs after implementing a hoshin plan and accountability review.    

In-Person Event: DHL Multi-Use eCommerce Facility Tour 

2/19/25: On this tour, participants experienced a 650,000-square-foot DHL Supply Chain facility that supports three customers under one roof—Rodan + Fields, Lululemon, and Peter Millar. Tour participants had the opportunity to walk through the facility and learn about the unique complexities of each customer, including outbound operations, returns processing, embroidery technology, boxing and kit making automation, and more. 

Virtual Event: Reversing the Mental Health Crisis in the Workplace

2/5/25: In this webinar, clinical psychologist Dr. Andrea Mata explored the youth mental health crisis, its impact on the workforce, and what workplaces can do to take action and make a difference. Attendees learned how to create environments with high expectations and high support to set employees up for success. 

 In-Person Event: The Culture Playbook Workshop

1/22/25: The Culture Playbook Workshop empowered leaders to tackle culture challenges head-on. Participants identified their organization’s culture profile, mapped out cultural strengths and gaps, and explored targeted strategies to better align culture with strategic objectives. Through hands-on exercises, leaders developed practical, actionable plans to foster adaptability, enhance employee engagement, and build a customer-focused, results-driven culture. 

 Hybrid Event: Building Your Brand with Intention

1/8/25: At this event, esteemed nonprofit leader Nichole Dunn challenged attendees to assess the ways our personal brand shapes relationships, to strengthen our influence, and to align with our core values. When we approach our personal brand in this way, we’re empowered to lead lives filled with purpose and clarity. 

Hybrid Event: Human-Centered AI

12/6/24: This two-part event will featured updated research with a new focus on AI and its impacts on culture, people, and the future of the work. In the morning session, Prof. Nate Craig delivered research insights on deploying artificial intelligence. In the afternoon session, Shannon Skaggs, Quantum Health’s President and head of its innovation team, addressed the process the company has undergone as it’s begun to deploy GenAI, the learnings, and the unique opportunities as the company continues to evolve this transition of its technology platform.

 In-Person Event: Brick by Brick

11/18/24: Brick by Brick: Building OpEx Connections was a collaboration hosted by the Center for Operational Excellence and Fisher’s Office of Career Management. This dynamic gathering offered a unique opportunity to engage in a hands-on mini workshop with facilitated networking and Lego building activities to ignite creativity and foster friendly competition. 

 Virtual Event: Unlocking Your Brain's Hidden Superpowers

11/6/24: In this session, Lieutenant Colonel Tom Gaines spoke on problem solving during novel situations in volatile and uncertain environments. He shared groundbreaking neuroscience research and collected wisdom from U.S. Army Special Operations to help leaders understand how to use research-based techniques in their own organizations to compete and win no matter what life throws their way.

In-Person Event: Fundamentals of Lean Workshop

10/8/24: This interactive workshop leveraged a case study and simulation to highlight foundational principles, practices, tools, and techniques of lean that work in any industry. The simulation focused on how to create flow in any process through manageable change cycles. Participants emerged better equipped to apply and teach the basics of lean, including creating value, eliminating waste, workplace organization, redesigning processes for flow, and visual management. 

 Virtual Event: Crafting a Successful Onboarding Experience

10/2/24: In this webinar, HR leaders at Cardinal Health provided an overview of the organization’s approach to orientation and onboarding for various populations. Adam Zaller, VP, HR Services and Learning, and Jonathan Adams, Manager, HR Business Partner, shared about Cardinal Health’s “Orientation 2.0,” what’s changed since the pandemic, and where they’re heading next. 

 Virtual Event: Leveraging Your Middle Management 

9/11/24: In this webinar, Al Deutschendorf discussed the factors that put pressure on middle management and explored the compounding effect that can come from implementing operational excellence. He shared learnings from his 25 years of CI experience to encourage attendees to develop greater awareness and think differently. Finally, Al described how his current organization, Safelite, is leveraging learnings from experienced improvement professionals and modifying their approach for long-term success.