Patron Sponsor
Keynote Speakers
We will feature seven Keynote Speakers in Calgary 2009. At this time, we have confirmed; Jayson Myers, President of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Association; Bob Kerr, founding partner in one of Canada's leading Lean organizations; Mike Lipkin, President of Environics/Lipkin, the specialist motivation and persuasion company in the Environics Research Group; Richard J. Schonberger, Ph.D, raising Lean's stature against global economic malaise; Tim O'Shea & Kris O'Shea turn conventions into memorable experiences through their hilariously insightful Keynote & Convention coverage, Tom Hartman, sharing what Autoliv refers to its "Secret Weapon", and Dr. Nick Bontis, recognized internationally as a leading strategy and management guru. Reason enough to join us in Calgary!
Dr. Nick Bontis
Dr. Nick Bontis is recognized internationally as a leading strategy and management guru. With humour and passion, he empowers individuals, teams and organizations to build their brainpower for high performance and sustainable competitive advantage. With wit and enthusiasm, Bontis captivates and enlightens audiences with his unique ability to cleverly disguise critical business content with an entertaining delivery. He provides audiences with the tools, inspiration and impetus to accelerate their performance.
Bontis’ expertise has been tapped by several Fortune 500 companies and even the United Nations who hand picked him for a high profile initiative. His ground-breaking doctoral dissertation is the #1 selling thesis in Canada, in all fields of study. He is an award-winning tenured professor of strategy and Maclean’s magazine has identified him as one of McMaster University’s most popular business professors for six years in a row! He has won dozens of teaching and research awards and is a 3M National Teaching Fellow, an exclusive honour only bestowed upon the top university professors in the country!
Tom Hartman
Thomas Hartman will share what Autoliv refers to its "Secret Weapon": its culture of Continuous Improvement. He will review how Autoliv is using its culture of Continuous Improvement to not only survive today's threatening automotive climate, but to thrive by leveraging its greatest strength, its people. He will share some of the impressive facts and figures illustrating Autoliv's broad-brushed approach to building a robust organization, just as capable of driving aggressive improvement in finance or product design as it is in operations or logistics. He will show how an organization that recognizes its responsibility to "raise the skill and ability of its people" and one that develops management where "all leaders are teachers" will have a sustainable competitive advantage over its competition in any market, with any product.
Mike Lipkin
Mike Lipkin is a Toronto-based speaker, author, motivator and persuasion coach, who has worked in 22 countries with over 1,000,000 people. He is also the President of Environics/Lipkin, the specialist motivation and persuasion company in the Environics Research Group, one of Canada's largest and most sophisticated research houses.
Born in the UK and raised in South Africa, Lipkin immigrated to Toronto in 1987. By combining Environics' Social Values Research with his personal expertise and experience, he provides people with the confidence and insights to connect with others at the deepest level. He makes the complex simple. He helps people "get it" immediately. Specifically, Lipkin provides people with The Personal Best Practices to embrace change while motivating others to do the same.
Lipkin has also authored four best-selling books: "Your Personal Best: The 12 Personal Best Practices to Help You Live at Your Highest Level" (2002); "Luck Favours the Brave: How the Five Social Super Trends Can Make You Very, Very Successful" (2003), "On Fire: The Art of Personal Consistency "(2004), and "Keeper of The Flame: How to Inspire Others on the Cusp of Change" (2006). His newest book is, "One Life, One Meeting - How to Achieve Preeminence One Conversation at a Time.
Richard J. Schonberger, Ph.D.
Raising Lean's Stature Amid Global Economic Malaise
As the global economy contracts, the benefits of Lean expand. Primarily, effective Lean acts to preserve valued customers while generating cash flow through reduction of inventories and other excess resources. Yet, long-term research shows a strong tendency for Lean to lose its way and regress.
High on the list is downplaying Lean's usual operational definitions. Instead, promote Lean for what it does for customers all along the value chain, namely, deliver flexibly quick response with high quality and value. Presenting Lean this way - competitively - is the surest path to gaining and retaining active attention from executives, boards, and investors. Related issues taken up in Schonberger's presentation include the following:
- Lean finance
- Simplification in all things
- Joint inventory
- Internal/External Lean Linkage
- Tough love
Dr. Schonberger's presentation highlights these and related topics, while also reviewing major Lean trends, with rankings by region and by business sector.
The O’Shea Report
Comic Relief for Meetings & Conventions
A little bit 20/20. A little bit Saturday Night Live. All bursting with comedic chemistry.
Through their hilariously insightful Keynote and Convention Coverage, Tim O’Shea and Kris O’Shea turn ordinary conventions into memorable experiences that last far beyond the plane ride home.
The O’Sheas energize meetings through their live, innovative, and humorous evening-news format, “The O’Shea Report.” And this makes all the difference in keeping your attendees engaged.
Fresh, fun, and unforgettable.
Get the edge at your next meeting. Do something a little more fun than normal…see what happens.
The O’Shea Report will:
Jayson Myers
For manufacturers around the world, who knows what is next? Never before has there been such a dynamic time of change in industry. Hear from a leader of Canadian industry, one of the world's most respected economists, considered by many to be Canada's most accurate economic forecaster on the condition of the engine that drives North America's economy and what's in-store for us around the bend in 2009.
Jayson Myers is one of the world's leading economic experts in the manufacturing world. He is President of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, Canada's largest industry and trade association. He is also the Chair of the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition, a coalition of over 30 industry associations that has come together to speak with a common voice on priority issues for Canada's manufacturing sector. As CME's Chief Economist, he has been widely published in the fields of Canadian and international economics, technological and industrial change.
Bob Kerr
Who will lead and who will follow? It's survival of the fittest in today's economic reality. We need Lean leaders to step up to the plate. Lean leadership is the key to creating the significant cultural changes required in Canadian and US companies to survive these tough times. Only through changing our culture can we successfully compete in today's global economy. Bob Kerr will provide us with valuable insights into the need for sustainable change.
Senior Partner of High Performance Solutions, a consulting firm that specializes in assisting manufacturing companies along the road to "World Class". Bob's career started as a Tool and Die Maker, progressed through supervision and has held most management and engineering management positions through to Vice President of Manufacturing of two leading North American companies. Over the past eight years, Bob has been instrumental in the formation and development of consortia of manufacturing companies across Canada. His approaches to the application of Lean principles have included most manufacturing sectors. His exemplary achievements in the seafood-harvesting sector has appeared in international publications.
