AME Milwaukee 2026 International Conference
Keynote Speakers
Steve Spear
Steve Spear is a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, principal of HVE LLC, and a senior fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. He is the author of the influential works "Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System," "The High Velocity Edge," and, most recently, "Wiring the Winning Organization." A recognized thought leader in continuous improvement and enterprise excellence, Spear has advised leaders across industry and government, including a U.S. treasury secretary, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs undersecretary for health, a chief of naval operations, a chief of naval research, two U.S. Pacific Fleet commanders, the director of the U.S. Army’s Rapid Equipping Force and numerous corporate executives.
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Wiring the winning organization: How the world’s best architect process and products liberate our greatness
They’re winning by rewiring their “social circuitry,” the processes and routines that harmonize individual effort into collective action toward common goals. The point? Make it easier to focus ingenuity on problems for which solutions have value, rather than blowing energy just figuring out what to do and how to get it done. The results are awesome.
Dr. Spear — MIT senior lecturer, author of landmark studies about Toyota’s DNA and founder of the process software firm See to Solve — explains how the best win by making problems easier to see and solve. Drawing on his experience with pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, U.S. Army and Navy commands, technology leaders, and social service organizations such as the Pittsburgh Women’s Center and Shelter, he connects foundational lessons from Toyota to emerging challenges across today’s frontier sectors. Attendees will leave with insight about how they can rewire their organizations to liberate ingenuity and win big, too.
Heléne Smuts
Heléne Smuts is the founding partner of Credo Growth, a group of global people growth experts specializing in leadership and team and culture developments. With over 15 years of experience, she has worked with organizations across six continents, blending behavioral psychology, advanced coaching techniques and industrial psychology to develop high-performing teams and transformative leaders.
Smuts is the author of "Ditch Mediocrity," a book that empowers leaders to enhance team performance. She is a TEDx speaker known for her thought-provoking talk on self-motivation and has spoken at esteemed events such as the Standard Bank Top Women Conference, Digital Divas Summit, the WiN Festival and Entrepreneurs Organization Global Chapters, where she shares her expertise on leadership, motivation and team dynamics.
A two-time Chairperson Awards winner for Growth Consultancy Business Leader of the Year, Smuts is also a podcast guest, media contributor and member of Entrepreneurs Organization, where she has played a pivotal role in mentoring start-ups and fostering entrepreneurial growth.
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Building resilient teams: The key to high performance
You'll learn:
• Practical tools to implement in each level of the 5Dysfncutsion model by Patrick Lencioni
• In depth understanding of how to create an engaged and productive working environment
• Reflection on the type of environment you as a leader have created for your team
