Masaaki Imai: Founder of the Kaizen Institute
Masaaki Imai is responsible for bringing kaizen to the consciousness of the West. He was the first to write and speak about the remarkable leadership principles known as the Toyota Production System, what we call lean thinking today.
He worked closely with Taiichi Ohno, the Executive Vice President of Toyota who developed the Toyota Production System. Masaaki Imai has spent the last three decades traveling the world visiting world class companies and sharing with them best practices in Japanese management.
Masaaki Imai has written two best-selling books on the subject of KAIZEN, and is writing his third book, on the subject of the role of leadership in making a continuous improvement culture sustainable long-term.
He is an engaging speaker and a patient teacher always willing to share his experience and wisdom. Masaaki Imai enjoys the Japanese board game of go, walking the gemba, and spending time with his friends and family.
Masaaki Imai Speaking Appearances in 2013
Masaaki Imai will make speaking appearances in 2013 on the following dates:
- May 13-14: USA TWI Summit
- October TBD: Italy
- November 3-8: Brazil
To receive more information about upcoming events, please contact us.
North America Tour Highlihts, Summer 2011
During the summer of 2011 Masaaki Imai visited North America to give a series of lectures and to join local company leaders on gemba walks. Please see details of the 2011 event, which included visits to factories, hospitals, non-profit organizations and offices, all committed to kaizen. Read more and view the 2011 USA Tour slideshow >
Keynote Speech and Gemba Walks in the UK
In November 2011 Masaaki Imai visited the United Kingdom to keynote the Manufacturing Director's Conference in Manchester. He went on gemba walks to Kaizen Institute customers AstraZeneca and Siemens. He also addressed an audience of healthcare directors and managers from the AQuA (Advancing Quality Alliance) Network in Bolton, encouraging them to renew their commitment to improving patient safety, quality and cost.
June 2011 Interview Video with Masaaki Imai
Masaaki Imai honoured with 1st Fellowship of Quality Council of India
It’s a moment of great honor for all of us in the Kaizen Institute family that Imai-san was honored with the First ever Fellowship of Quality Council of India, on 19 February 2010 in New Delhi, during the QCI Annual Conclave and by the Chief Minister of Delhi. He was the first Fellow of the council to receive such a great recognition.
QCI is the apex quality body of the Government in India, and also an accreditation and certification body.
The QCI Annual Conclave was attended by 800 corporate executives, bureaucrats and politicians, along with national media coverage.
Masaaki Imai Inaugurates Waikato Lean Gemba Academy
Auckland, New Zealand
Kaizen Institute New Zealand, in partnership with Skills4Work and Stainless Design, has established the Lean Gemba Academy as a world class lean training center. Training is delivered by Lean experts at Stainless Design facility, now 5 years on their Lean journey. This allow trainees to become immersed in the Lean culture. In April of 2011 Masaaki Imai made a visit to New Zealand for the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Read more >
Masaaki Imat at IndiZen 2010
The first National Convention on Operational Excellence
Pune, India
Interview with Masaaki Imai by the "Scuola Nazionale Servizi" in Italy
Watch the interview by the Scuola Nazionale Servizi with Masaaki Imai on KAIZEN in the Service Sector (25.50 minutes, bi-lingual English/Italian)
Interview in Quality Digest Magazine
Masaaki Imai has been a leading thinker in the field of operational excellence and continuous improvement long before it was called lean thinking. In this Quality Digest interview he gives the orthodox definition of kaizen, the importance of going to see, the balance needed in process and results, and the importance of end-to-end value stream understanding of the JIT principle. The article reads as fresh today as when it was written in 1997.
Read more >
Masaaki Imai's visit to New Zealand (1-5 March 2010) - Special Media Coverage
Articles Featuring Masaaki Imai
- April 2010 - Wirral University Hospital (English)
Founder of the Kaizen Institute, Masaaki Imai... - 7 April 2010 - Arges Expres (Romanian)
Vizita japoneza la STEINEL - January 2007 - Manager Magazin (Polish)
Mala zmiana, wielki efek
New Japanese 25th Anniversary Edition
- KAIZEN and Technology
- KAIZEN in today’s business
- KAIZEN / Lean / Green
- KAIZEN for Government, and more
By Masaaki Imai
