The 2025 Northeast Lean Conference at a Glance

The 21st Annual Northeast Lean Conference, held October 27-28, 2025 in Manchester, New Hampshire, brought together hundreds of Lean and continuous‐improvement practitioners across manufacturing, services, and administrative arenas. The theme—“Transforming Together: Paving a Unified Path to Excellence”—set the tone for two days of inspiration, networking and actionable learning.

Attendees were treated to three compelling keynote addresses, a variety of breakout sessions (including my own), and plenty of peer‐sharing time to connect and learn from fellow Lean journeys.

Keynote Highlights

Derek Volk – Opening Keynote

Derek Volk kicked off the event with a high-energy talk rooted in his leadership of Volk Packaging Corporation and his experience coaching girls’ softball. He used the sports metaphor to underscore what sustainable improvement really looks like: purpose, team alignment, culture, and execution. His key messages included:

• Don’t treat Lean just as tools—think of it as “team sport”.
• Aim for “third base” not just first or second—meaning go beyond incremental wins and aim for system-wide alignment and culture.
• Engage people not just processes: trust, communication and continuous learning matter.
  Attendees left with a renewed lens: how are we doing on team dynamics, not just on process metrics?

Jordan Peck – Day One Closing Keynote

Jordan Peck (of MITRE Corporation) delivered the closing keynote on Day 1, titled “Transforming Together: Set a Vision, Learn & Evolve.” In his session:

• He emphasized the importance of setting a shared vision to guide improvement efforts across functions.
• He discussed how learning loops and reflection mechanisms embed improvement beyond “kaizen events”.
• He challenged participants to evolve their systems and culture continuously—and not just chase the next tool.
  What resonated: improvement isn’t finished when a metric improves; it’s ongoing adaptation.

Miles Arnone – Day Two Keynote

On Day 2, Miles Arnone of Re:Build Manufacturing delivered a talk focused on building resilience and innovation in Lean transformation. Major take‐aways:

• Build systems expecting variability: supply chain, staffing, market change—resilience matters.
• Embed innovation into day-to-day operations, not as a separate program.
• Culture is the engine of Lean: tools alone won’t sustain change if culture doesn’t adapt.
  So the message: your improvement system must be dynamic, not static.

My Presentation – “Our Path to Transformation & Operational Excellence”

On Day 1, I shared Mirion’s Lean transformation journey. The session offered a practical look at how a global organization is aligning strategy, systems, and culture to build sustainable operational excellence.

The talk centered around the Mirion Business System (MBS) — our structured approach to deploying Lean thinking across the enterprise. MBS is built on five key enablers: Organization and Talent, Strategy Deployment, Market Driven Strategy, Innovation Driven Strategy, and Lean, all working together to drive execution excellence and deliver customer value.

Key highlights included:

• Strategy Deployment (Hoshin Kanri): A seven-step process connecting company vision and long-term breakthrough goals with annual objectives and tactical improvement priorities. I emphasized how Mirion uses tools like the X-Matrix, TTI Bowler charts, and structured monthly reviews to ensure alignment and accountability.
• Daily Management & Problem Solving: We discussed the relationship between Strategy Deployment (SDP) and Daily Performance Management (DPM)—how breakthrough goals translate into daily behaviors. Visual boards, standard work, and tiered huddles enable teams to identify and act on problems in real time.
• Kaizen and Flow Improvement: Using examples from Mirion’s value streams, I shared how systematic kaizen cycles have shortened lead times, improved flow, and boosted productivity.
• Cultural Transformation: The session highlighted Mirion’s improvement philosophy—S.O.L.V.E.: See Opportunities, Own Resolution, Learn to Adapt, Value Add, Engage Everyday. This mindset anchors every level of the business in continuous learning and engagement.
• Results: The transformation is producing tangible outcomes—double-digit improvements in on-time delivery, inventory reduction, gross margin, and employee engagement—all tied to Lean fundamentals and leadership commitment.

I concluded by encouraging attendees to focus on building capability and culture, not just chasing cost or metric gains. Sustaining Lean success requires aligning purpose with process, empowering people, and embedding reflection into daily work.

Looking Ahead: Next Year & Your Invitation

Mark your calendar now for the 22nd Annual Northeast Lean Conference, taking place September 29-30, 2026, at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The theme for 2026 is “People & AI: The Future of Continuous Improvement.”

This signals a bold step into how organizations can harness both the human side of Lean—and emerging tools like artificial intelligence—to accelerate improvement, build resilience and deliver greater value.

Register by the Wicked Early Bird deadline (Nov 30, 2025) to save significantly $1,895.00 $895.00. Together, we’ll keep paving that unified path toward excellence.

Final Thoughts

The Northeast Lean Conference remains one of the premier Lean learning events in the country—an energizing mix of real stories, practical lessons, and genuine community. This year’s speakers—Derek Volk, Jordan Peck, and Miles Arnone—each offered powerful perspectives on leadership, culture, and resilience, while the breakout sessions and discussions connected those ideas to everyday practice.

As we reflect on 2025’s theme of Transforming Together, let’s remember that Lean is not a solo journey. Progress happens when we learn, share, and grow—together.

Let’s keep that spirit alive in our organizations and on our Lean journeys. See you in Springfield next year!