11:45-12:15
Day 1 Conference – 6th October 2026
08:45 – 08:55
15 mins
Conference Start
Joseph Paris
President, Operational Excellence Society
08:55-09:30
35 mins
Opening Keynote
Leading High-Performance Teams at BMW UK
Dr Markus Grüneisl
Chief Executive, BMW Group UK
09:30-10:30
60 mins
Leadership Keynote
Lessons From the Edge
Aldo Kane
TV Adventurer, Author and former Royal Marine Sniper
10:50-11:15
25 Mins
Automation & AI Keynote
Keynote: AI, People and Organisational Change at Bentley Motors
Andrew Prescott
Head of Launch Quality Centre, Bentley Motors Ltd
11:15-11:40
25 mins
Automation, AI and Operational Excellence Plenary
The Future of Operational Excellence and AI
Panel discussion chaired by Joseph Paris:
- Florian Zwyssig, Head of Global Operational Excellence, Bavarian Nordic
- Andrew Prescott, Head of Launch Quality Centre, Bentley Motors Ltd
Case Study Breakout Sessions
30 mins
Stream A
OpEx Transformation Journey: New Balance Flimby, the Heart and Sole of UK manufacturing
Dan Holtby & Simon Lomax
Operations Director & Continuous Improvement Leader, New Balance
Level: Beginner Friendly & Intermediate
Stream B
The Russian Doll Principle: Moving from Chaos to High-Performing Teams
Saj Saddiq
P3 Operating System & Continuous Improvement Director, Tenneco (formerly Federal Mogul)
Level: Intermediate & Advanced Insight
12:25-12:55
30 mins
Stream A
Making Lean Stick In Complex Environments
Fraser Cowe
Global Process Experience Business Partner, Tesco
Level: Beginner Friendly & Intermediate
Stream B
Operational Excellence in the Carlsberg Britvic Supply Chain
Nicola Starr
Director of Supply Chain Excellence UK, Carlsberg Britvic
Level: Intermediate & Advanced Insight
13:45-14:35
50 mins
Expert Led Round Table Discussion
Expert Led Round Table Discussion
14:40-15:10
30 mins
Stream A
The Digital and Skills Transformation: Aligning People and Automation at Sertec Group
Carl Milbourne, Rachel Starkey & Chris Durrant
Sertec Group
Level: Beginner Friendly & Intermediate
Stream B
Practical Kaizen: Making Coffee the Kaizen Way
Michael Somerville-Roberts
Global CI Kaizen Specialist, Solventum
Level: Intermediate & Advanced Insight
Panel Discussion and Workshop
15:30-16:15
45 mins
Stream A Panel Discussion
Beyond the Tools: Former Toyota Leaders on Bridging the TPS Culture Gap
Mark Davies, Peter McArdle, Kevin Robinson
Level: Beginner Friendly & Intermediate
Stream B Workshop
The Mirror on the Shop Floor: Confronting the Leadership Behaviors That Break Lean Transformations
Stuart Mitton & Alec Proctor
Senior Lean Coaches, True North Excellence
Level: Beginner Friendly & Intermediate
16:25-17:10
45 mins
Closing Keynote
Bridging the Execution Gap: AI, Frontline Wisdom, and How to Make Operational Excellence Stick
Sanchay Roy
Former GM, Manufacturing Quality & Engineering, Shell, & AI Start-up Co-Founder
Manufacturers rarely fail because they lack strategy or digital tools; they stall in the Execution Gap. Discover how connecting leadership intent with frontline wisdom makes operational excellence stick—and why operational leadership matters more than ever.
17:10-17:30
20 Mins
Chairman's Close
Conference Closing Address
Joseph Paris
Chairman, JTE 2026
Manufacturers rarely fail because they lack strategy or digital tools; they stall in the Execution Gap. Discover how connecting leadership intent with frontline wisdom makes operational excellence stick—and why operational leadership matters more than ever.