[VIDEO]: John Shook, A Pioneer of Lean Manufacturing Speaks

John Shook is recognized as a true sensei who enthusiastically shares his knowledge and insights within the Lean community. Shook learned about Lean management while working for Toyota for nearly 11 years in Japan and the U.S., helping it transfer production, engineering, and management systems from Japan to NUMMI and subsequently to other operations around the world.

While at Toyota’s headquarters, he became the company’s first American manager in Japan. In the U.S., Shook joined Toyota’s North American engineering, research and development center in Ann Arbor, MI, as general manager of administration and planning. His last position with Toyota was as senior American manager with the Toyota Supplier Support Center in Lexington, KY, assisting North American companies implement the Toyota Production System.

As co-author of Learning to See, John helped introduce the world to value-stream mapping. John also co-authored Kaizen Express, a bilingual manual of the essential concepts and tools of the Toyota Production System. In his book Managing to Learn, he describes the A3 management process at the heart of Lean management and leadership.

Enjoy this informative video from John Shook.