UK Lean Summit 2025
UK Lean Summit 2025
The Lean Enterprise Academy returns to Liverpool on the 8-9 April for the third consecutive year following another sold-out event in 2024. The UK Lean Summit 2025 will feature the latest advancements, real-world case studies, and practical applications of lean thinking, presented by a diverse range of inspiring leaders, industry experts, and leading organisations.
Keynote presentations from thought leaders will showcase the latest developments in lean thinking, as well as how companies are successfully implementing lean practices. Additionally, in-depth learning sessions will explore how various companies have applied lean thinking to address the challenges of today.
Want to engage in discussions about your challenges and expand your network of lean professionals? Our summit is the perfect opportunity for both new and seasoned lean practitioners to connect with like-minded individuals.
UK Lean Summit 2025 Agenda
We have an exciting agenda lined up for the UK Lean Summit 2025 featuring lean experts, industry leaders, and practical case studies.
Venue for the UK Lean Summit 2025
The UK Lean Summit 2025 will be held on the 8th & 9th April 2025 at The Spine. Our Capability Development Workshops will also be held at the Spine on the 7th April 2024.
The Spine is located in Paddington Village at the heart of the Knowledge Quarter in Liverpool’s City Centre and is the new destination for events in Liverpool, offering world-class dynamic spaces for conferences, workshops and dining. It is one of the healthiest buildings in the UK, with a platinum WELL Standard accreditation.
The Spine Address: The Spine Building, 2 Paddington Village, Off Grove Street, L7 3FA Liverpool, United Kingdom
Hotel
Please note that accommodation is not included with your event ticket. Attendees are responsible for booking their own accommodation, and for convenience, we recommend the Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village. Featuring a fitness centre, bar and views of city, the Novotel is located directly opposite from The Spine.
Novotel address: Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village, 3 Paddington Village, Grove St, Liverpool L7 3FA
As the Spine is located outside of the City Centre, there are also other hotels to stay including the Hope Street Hotel, which is only a 4 minute taxi ride or a 13 minute walk from The Spine.
Travel to the Spine
By train:
- Nearest train station: Liverpool Lime Street – 19 minute walk – 6 minute taxi
- 35 minutes from Manchester
- 1 hour 20 minutes from Leeds
- 3 hours 30 minutes from Glasgow
- 2 hours from London
- 1 hour 40 minutes from Birmingham
By car:
From M6 on to M57, M62 or M58
Motorway connections put the majority of the UK cities within a four-hour drive time.
- 45 minutes from Manchester and Chester
- 2 hours from Birmingham
- 3 hours 40 minutes from Glasgow
- 4 hours from London
- 35 minute drive from Liverpool Airport
- 60 minute drive from Manchester Airport
Ticket Pricing
| Summit Ticket UK Lean Summit 2025 – Early Bird Ticket UK Lean Summit 2025 – Standard Ticket Early Bird and Standard tickets are for ONLY the UK Lean Summit on the 8th-9th April 2025, this includes access to all keynotes, learning sessions and networking activities over the 2 days. | Pricing £960.00 (excluding VAT) (Offer Ends 31st January 2025) £1,150.00 (excluding VAT) **Group discount available – buy 4 tickets and get a 5th ticket free!** |
| Summit + Toyota Visit Ticket UK Lean Summit 2025 – Early Bird Ticket + Toyota Plant Visit (Deeside or Burnaston) UK Lean Summit 2025 – Standard Ticket + Toyota Plant Visit (Deeside or Burnaston) This ticket type is for the UK Lean Summit on the 8th-9th April 2025, as well as a visit to either Toyota’s Engine Plant in Deeside (North Wales) or Vehicle Manufacturing Plant in Burnaston (Derby) on the 10th April 2025. | Pricing £1,285.00 (excluding VAT) (Offer Ends 31st January 2025) £1,475.00 (excluding VAT) **Group discount available – buy 4 tickets and get a 5th ticket free! (Please note: Toyota Plant Visit is excluded from discounts as proceeds support a charitable cause.)** |
| Capability Development Workshops Capability Development Workshop Our 1 day workshops take place on the 7th April 2025. If you would like to also attend the UK Lean Summit 2025, you must purchase a ticket for the event. | Pricing £460.00 (excluding VAT) **Group discount available – buy 4 tickets and get a 5th ticket free!** |
Want to attend the UK Lean Summit 2025, Capability Development Workshop and Toyota Plant Visit? Simply purchase a UK Lean Summit 2025 – Early Bird + Capability Development Workshop + Toyota Plant Visit (Burnaston or Deeside) Ticket here.
Discounts
Groups of 4 or more: For every 4 tickets you purchase for the UK Lean Summit 2025, you’ll receive a complimentary 5th ticket! This discount also applies to the Capability Development Workshops.
To receive your discount, please contact [email protected]
Invoicing
Should you require an invoice, please contact [email protected]
Please note that an invoice must be paid in full within 30 days of receipt.
Delegate Information
Please supply the names, email and job title for each delegate upon ticket purchase, as well as any dietary requirements. Please contact [email protected] to discuss any other specific needs.
Confirmation, Cancellations and Substitutions
Once registered, you will receive a confirmation by email.
Substitutions may be made at any time.
In the event of cancellation, cancellation charges apply (see Summit Terms & Conditions).
Terms & Conditions
Download the full terms and conditions for the UK Lean Summit 2025 here.
Capability Development Workshops
Our Capability Development Workshops are on the 7th April (the day before the summit) at the Spine, Liverpool, UK. The workshops are designed to advance your understanding, skills, and capability development in targeted subject areas. These include; Applying Lean Thinking & Practice, Core Leadership Skills, Hoshin Kanri, Lean Product & Process Development and Management Systems.
Following the incredible success of the sold-out visits to Toyota’s Deeside Engine Plant and Burnaston Vehicle Manufacturing Plant in 2024, we’re thrilled to offer another opportunity to partner with Toyota UK in 2025! This year, participants can choose to tour either the Engine Manufacturing Plant in Deeside, North Wales, or the Vehicle Manufacturing Plant in Burnaston, Derby.
This year, participants can gain exclusive insights into how Toyota develops team member capabilities at their Deeside or Burnaston plants. All proceeds will go towards Toyota’s Charitable Trust. In 2024, we raised over £24,000! To secure your place, click my tickets and select the UK Lean Summit 2025 Ticket + Burnaston or Derby Plant Visit you’d like to attend. Places are limited and can only be purchased with a UK Lean Summit 2025 ticket. Book early here to avoid disappointment!
The Purpose, Process & People
What is the Purpose of the Summit?
The purpose of the Summit is as follows:
- Share how lean thinking can be used to solve the problems of today and tomorrow.
- Raise consciousness of the latest developments in Lean Thinking and Practice.
- Provide insight into practical ways to get started, deepen or enhance your Lean journey and transformation.
- Enable participants to build their own network of Lean Thinkers.
The Process – How do we Organise the Summit?
How can lean thinking and practice help us navigate the key problems facing us today?
- The productivity challenge.
- Supply chain disruption.
- The environmental crisis.
- The growing use of digital.
- Managing inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.
- Talent development and retention
- Developing new products and services to deliver value for customers.
The People – Who Should Come?
Anyone trying to apply Lean Thinking & Practice to their unique situation or organisation. Our summit helps develop your lean network because we:
Assemble the best Lean practitioners, sensei and participants to learn and share together.
Build time into the programme for participants to network and reflect.
Provide a variety of learning situations. This includes Pre-Summit capability development workshops on leading edge topics, keynote talks, interactive learning sessions and panel discussions.
Enable groups from the same organisations to come to the Summit to learn and assess their situation.
What Attendees Loved About Last Year’s Summit
“The Latest Lean Insights to Support Organisation Change “
“Each year brings fresh insights from the Lean world, helping you identify and address gaps within your organisation, empowering you to make impactful changes.”
“Connect and Learn from Lean Thought Leaders“
“The perfect opportunity to be inspired, learn from experienced members of the lean community, and engage in meaningful conversations with them.”
“Inspiration that gave me a Fresh Perspective“
“The content and culture of the event was inspirational. The exchange of ideas across a whole range of sectors helped me to think more creatively about our challenges.”
UK Lean Summit 2025 Tickets
Join us at the UK Lean Summit 2025! UK Lean Summit 2025 – Early Bird Tickets provide full access to the two-day event on April 8-9, 2025, at The Spine, along with an exclusive evening networking activity. The Early Bird offer is available until January 31, 2025—be sure to book now to secure your spot and avoid disappointment!
Should you require an invoice, please contact [email protected]. Please note that an invoice must be paid in full within 30 days of receipt.
Want to develop your capability further in Applying Lean Thinking & Practice, Core Leadership Skills, Hoshin Kanri, Lean Product & Process Development or Management Systems? Join our Capability Development Workshops on 7th April 2025, a key part of the UK Lean Summit experience..
UK Lean Summit 2025 Agenda
Click Day 1 or Day 2 below to view the agenda for each day
Introduction and Welcome
Kicking off the Summit, David will outline the agenda and highlight the key themes that will shape the event.
David Marriott - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Academy
Keynote: Lean Practice – Key Questions and Practical Application of Lean to your Situation
Dave will explore the fundamental questions at the heart of lean practice and provide actionable insights on how to apply lean thinking & practice effectively to your unique challenges.
David Brunt - CEO, Lean Enterprise Academy
Keynote: Obeya and Lean IT
With extensive experience as the Chief Global Strategy Officer at Toyota Systems Corporation in Japan (3 years, 4 months), Pierre has also served as Vice President of Information Systems for over 15 years and IT Director for nearly 6 years at Toyota Motor Europe in Belgium. His career also includes roles at Europcar International and Volkswagen, offering him insights into the automotive and mobility sectors. More information on Pierre’s sessions will be available soon.
Pierre Masai - President, Lean Institute Belgium | Founder, Hakuba SRL
Morning Learning Session Speaker Introduction
Peter will start off the morning learning sessions on Day 1 by introducing the speakers and providing a brief outline of what each session will cover, setting the stage for an engaging start.
Peter Watkins - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Academy
Coffee, Tea & Networking
Learning Session: Obeya and Lean IT
Confirmed Speakers for the UK Lean Summit 2025. Further details on this session will be provided soon.
Pierre Masai - President, Lean Institute Belgium | Founder, Hakuba SRL
Haiyan Bai - Lean Institute Belgium | Co-Owner, Hakuba SRL
Learning Session: What is your Value Driven Purpose – What Problem are you Trying to Solve?
If we understand the Value Driven Purpose, we can then ask “What problem we are trying to solve?” More specifically this is defined by asking:
- “What is the purpose?”
- Of the organisation?
- Of the activity or process in question?
- “What is the problem we are trying to solve?”
- What is the gap in performance?
- What is the gap in capability?
- “What is the organisation’s capability for change?”
- At each level – senior management, middle management and front lines and horizontally along the process.
David Brunt - CEO, Lean Enterprise Academy
David Marriott - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Academy
Peter Watkins - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Academy
Learning Session: Lean Product and Process Development
Last year Josh gave some fantastic examples in his Design Thinking & Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD) sessions. Josh will be showcasing LPPD in a follow-up learning session at this year’s event. For those who attended Josh’s previous sessions, or are interested to learn further about LPPD, we’d recommend you attend. Josh is a Professor at National Cheng Kung University and Director at the Center for Lean Product Development.
Professor Yu-Hsiu (Josh) Hung - Professor | Director, Center for Lean Product Development at National Cheng Kung University
Learning Session: Sharing Session - Transforming Healthcare Through Lean
Discover how King’s College Hospital has applied Lean principles to improve healthcare delivery. This interactive session will explore the journey of identifying and eliminating waste, fostering collaboration among multidisciplinary teams, patients, and carers. Engage in discussions on how these efforts have driven improvements across services, prioritised value, and created sustainable, patient centred change.
Andrea Cortes - Improvement Deputy Director Quality Improvement & Innovation, NHS King's College Hospital
Alister Notridge - Senior Improvement Manager, NHS King's College Hospital
Cheryl Levy - Assistant Improvement Manager, NHS King's College Hospital
Learning Session: Sharing Session with KRUK Italia
In 2022, Kruk set out to transform from a traditional ‘fire-fighting’ organisation into an army of problem solvers and a self-learning organisation. Inspired by the 2023 UK Lean Summit, where they developed ideas for their Kruk Pro program, the team has since created a robust problem-solving culture.
By 2024, they’ve empowered managers and team members to become skilled problem solvers through internal capability development. Join this session to learn about Kruk’s Lean Learning Journey and their process for building a sustainable problem-solving culture.
Fernanda Fernandes - Lean Leader, KRUK Italia
Danilo Puce - Process Optimisation Specialist, KRUK Italia
Lunch, Networking & Meet the Speakers
Keynote: Different Approaches to Capability Development
Confirmed Speaker for the UK Lean Summit 2025. Further details on this keynote will be provided soon.
Steve Nelson - Group Leader/Lean Coach, Toyota Lean Management Centre
Keynote: Lean Clusters Programme – Key Learnings
Confirmed Speaker for the UK Lean Summit 2025. Further details on this keynote will be provided soon.
Oliver Conger - Owner & Managing Director, British Rototherm Group
Afternoon Learning Session Speaker Introduction
Peter will open the afternoon learning sessions on Day 1 by introducing the speakers and giving an overview of what each session will cover, setting the tone for an insightful and thought-provoking afternoon.
Peter Watkins - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Academy
Learning Session: Toyota Lean Management Centre
Confirmed Speakers for the UK Lean Summit 2025. Further details on this session will be provided soon.
Steve Nelson - Group Leader/Lean Coach, Toyota Lean Management Centre
Ian Spencer - Group Leader/Lean Coach, Toyota Lean Management Centre
Learning Session: What is the Work to be Done?
Our approach is always to start with the value creating work for the firm, function or individual. Here we are asking:
- What is the work to be done (the process?)
- At either individual (Standard Work) or system (value stream or total enterprise) level.
- What is the current state?
- What do we want or need to achieve – a future state or target condition?
- What are the steps and experiments we need to undertake to achieve the future state?
David Brunt - CEO, Lean Enterprise Academy
David Marriott - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Academy
Peter Watkins - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Academy
Learning Session: Upgrade! – Applying Lean Thinking & Practice in the Hotel & Service Sector
Confirmed Speakers for the UK Lean Summit 2025. Further details on this session will be provided soon.
Oriol Cuatrecasas - Development Director, Instituto Lean Management
Elsa Vidal - Junior Lean Specialist, Instituto Lean Management
Learning Session: Lean, AI and Kaizen
Mike Moore – Following his highly rated keynote on Kaizen: Using No-Code and AI at last year’s event, Mike will be facilitating a learning session based around, Lean, AI and Kaizen. Mike specialises in IT related projects and the provision of Virtual IT Director services. For those of you who have a strong interest in AI, this learning session will be one not to miss!
Mike Moore - Managing Partner, Mike Moore & Associates
Coffee, Tea & Networking
Keynote: Jim Womack
Confirmed Speaker for the UK Lean Summit 2025. Further details on this keynote will be provided soon.
Jim Womack - Founder and Senior Advisor, Lean Enterprise Institute
Day 1 Close
Close remarks for Day 1 of the UK Lean Summit 2025 and details of the evening activity.
David Marriott - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Academy
Evening Activity
Introduction
The second day of the UK Lean Summit 2025 begins with a warm welcome back to all attendees.
David Brunt - CEO, Lean Enterprise Academy
Keynote: Lean in Legal: Applying Lean to Virtual Processes
Learn how Weightmans transformed its new legal case intake process using the Lean Transformation Framework. As lean newcomers, Weightmans identified inefficiencies, eliminated bottlenecks, and built a management system to enhance their team’s capabilities and deliver greater value. They’ll share insights on improving both business operations and people development, showing how any organization can adopt lean principles for meaningful, impactful results.
Stephen Hepplestall - Business Change Project Manager, Weightmans
Keynote: Self-reliant problem solving using Rapid Problem Solving
Self-reliant problem solving using Rapid Problem Solving: the journey of moving from Containment to Root Cause Analysis
“Can you provide some problem-solving training for the site?” – When the site director asked for problem solving training, the first question asked was “What problem are you trying to solve?”. Asset downtime was an issue impacting the business causing longer than planned lead times. He observed that although flow disruptions were rapidly contained, the site was experiencing reoccurring problems. He concluded that we were not getting to the root cause of the problems.
Learn how TechnipFMC Umbilicals Ltd approached problem solving capability development, how we made problem solving ‘a new way of working’ and of course, learn about the challenges we faced along the way.
Brian Chilton - Business Excellence Manager, TechnipFMC Umbilicals Ltd
Keynote: Upgrade! – Applying Lean Thinking & Practice in the Hotel & Service Sector
Confirmed Speaker for the UK Lean Summit 2025. Further details on this session will be provided soon.
Oriol Cuatrecasas - Development Director, Instituto Lean Management
Morning Learning Session Introduction
David will open the morning learning sessions on Day 2 by introducing the speakers and outlining what each session will cover, setting the tone for another insightful and engaging day.
David Marriott - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Academy
Coffee, Tea & Networking
Learning Session: Lean in Legal: Applying Lean to Virtual Processes
Learn how Weightmans transformed its new legal case intake process using the Lean Transformation Framework. As lean newcomers, Weightmans identified inefficiencies, eliminated bottlenecks, and built a management system to enhance their team’s capabilities and deliver greater value. They’ll share insights on improving both business operations and people development, showing how any organization can adopt lean principles for meaningful, impactful results.
Stephen Hepplestall - Business Change Project Manager, Weightmans
Learning Session: Toyota Lean Management Centre
Confirmed Speakers for the UK Lean Summit 2025. Further details on this session will be provided soon.
Steve Nelson - Group Leader/Lean Coach, Toyota Lean Management Centre
Ian Spencer - Group Leader/Lean Coach, Toyota Lean Management Centre
Learning Session: How do we Develop the Capabilities we need?
In addition to designing a good process we need to develop people in two dimensions. Here we ask:
- What capability is required to be able to do the work ?
- What capability is required to be able to improve the work? – Developing kaizen mind and systematic problem-solving capability.
- Kaizen mind, challenging spirit – never-resting, always challenging
- Problem-solving capability – what is a “problem” and what is your problem-solving process?
David Brunt - CEO, Lean Enterprise Academy
David Marriott - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Academy
Peter Watkins - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Academy
Learning Session: Upgrade! – Applying Lean Thinking & Practice in the Hotel & Service Sector
Confirmed Speakers for the UK Lean Summit 2025. Further details on this session will be provided soon.
Oriol Cuatrecasas - Development Director, Instituto Lean Management
Elsa Vidal - Junior Lean Specialist, Instituto Lean Management
Lunch, Networking, & Meet the Speakers
Keynote: Managing on Purpose: Using Hoshin Kanri to Develop Strategy, Align Teams, Grow Leaders, and Innovate the Enterprise
Using Hoshin Kanri, Mark Reich explains how organisations can effectively develop strategy, align teams, grow leaders, and innovate. While most organisations have plans, they often fall short in execution due to three challenges:
1.Defining Strategy: Crafting a realistic strategy that considers internal and external factors requires rigorous engagement across all levels, which often leads to misalignment.
2.Executing Strategy: Even with a sound direction, organisations lack repeatable systems to engage teams and ensure progress toward objectives.
3.Adapting Strategy: Organisations struggle to adjust plans when unexpected challenges arise, lacking systems to pivot effectively.
Hoshin Kanri, a system widely adopted by Toyota, addresses these issues by aligning every part of an organisation toward a shared direction, enabling proactive engagement and adaptability.
In Managing on Purpose, Reich shares proven Hoshin Kanri practices from his experiences at Toyota and as Chief Engineer, Strategy, at the Lean Enterprise Institute. Through detailed case studies, readers will learn how to, develop and align strategy annually, engage teams through top-down and bottom-up collaboration and build systems for tracking progress and solving problems in real time.
This workbook is an essential guide for leaders looking to set direction, achieve goals, and engage teams for long-term success. The workbook will be available to purchase at our UK Lean Summit 2025.
Mark Reich - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Institute
Afternoon Learning Session Introduction
David will kick off the afternoon learning sessions on Day 2, introducing the speakers and highlighting what’s in store for each session, building on the momentum of the summit’s second day.
David Marriott - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Academy
What Management System and Leadership Behaviours are Required to Support the New Way of Working?
The design of the management system and leadership behaviours is key to designing the work and developing the capability. They are intrinsic to sustaining / progress improvement. Here we are asking:
- What does the current management system look like?
- How do you want it to be?
- What leadership behaviours are required to achieve the shift?
Answering these questions engages leadership to:
- Understand the value creating work.
David Brunt - CEO, Lean Enterprise Academy
David Marriott - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Academy
Peter Watkins - Senior Lean Coach, Lean Enterprise Academy
Learning Session: Lean, AI and Kaizen
Following his highly rated keynote on Kaizen: Using No-Code and AI at last year’s event, Mike will be facilitating a learning session based around, Lean, AI and Kaizen. Mike specialises in IT related projects and the provision of Virtual IT Director services. For those of you who have a strong interest in AI, this learning session will be one not to miss!
Mike Moore - Managing Partner, Mike Moore & Associates
Learning Session: Sharing Session - Lean vs Traditional Management
Learn about Thales UK’s quest navigating the obstacles of Traditional Management during a Lean Transformation.
Ewan Gilmour - Lean Performance and Continuous Improvement Leader, Thales UK
Sam Beckman - APRU Manager, Thales UK
Learning Session: Sharing Session - Speaker Announcement Coming Soon
Further details on this learning session will be provided soon.
Lean for Youth
Confirmed Speakers for the UK Lean Summit 2025. Further details on this session will be provided soon.
Nick Rich - Professor, Swansea University
Alisha Gibbons - PhD Student & Senior Teaching Assistant, Swansea University
Coffee, Tea & Networking
Pulling the Lessons from the Last 2 Days Together
This keynote explores the central themes and critical questions raised throughout the Summit. What insights have we gained? What actions will each of us take to apply these learnings?
David Brunt - CEO, Lean Enterprise Academy
Day 2 Closing Remarks
As we conclude the second day of the UK Lean Summit 2025, join us for a summary of the day’s key takeaways, insightful discussions, and a look ahead to what’s next.
David Brunt - CEO, Lean Enterprise Academy