Steven E. Hoeft

Steve Hoeft, BSIE and OR, MBA, PMP

Culture of Continuous Improvement-builder, Lean/TPS Master Coach and Author

Continuous Improvement Manager - North America, Sartorius (Medical Equipment)

(past) SVP and Chief of Operations Excellence, Baylor Scott & White Healthcare System; VP of CI, SSM Health

Steve helps leaders build, align and integrate a Culture of Continuous Improvement. He helps organizations and leaders deploy their vision and strategy using Toyota Production System principles.

Steve is a practitioner, teacher, author and thought-leader applying Toyota Production System (aka, Lean) principles to unique systems such as healthcare, pharma, bioscience, government/military, new product development, supply chains, end-to-end business processes, procurement and manufacturing. He has been called into the board rooms of dozens of our nation's largest health systems to integrate effective continuous improvement efforts into their overall strategic plans. He is an expert in system-wide Hoshin Kanri (goal alignment & deployment). Steve's strength is motivating and coaching leaders to build the Lean Management Systems necessary to sustain and spread Daily Lean improvements. He is the CI Manager for North America at Sartorius. Prior, Steve served as SVP and Chief of Operations Excellence for Baylor Scott & White Health's growing system, leading the efforts for 9 years and receiving national recognition for their transformation.

Steve teaches seminars publicly at UT-Austin. He was also the developer and principal instructor for key courses in Univ. of Michigan's Lean Healthcare, New Product Development and Manufacturing Certificate programs from 2000-2012.

Steve's book, The Power of Ideas to Transform Healthcare: Engaging Staff by Building Daily Lean Management Systems, won a 2015 Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award, and is garnering great reviews. His earlier book, Stories From My Sensei, won a 2011 Shingo Prize Award. He was also a contributing author to Dr. Jeffrey Liker's best-selling new book The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement.

Steve has a dual B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research from Wayne State University. He also has an MBA from the University of Toledo. Steve is a Certified Project Manager Professional (PMP) through the Project Management Institute.

Steve and his wife Gena live in Ann Arbor and spend time in northern Michigan. They have three children and two granddaughters. Steve serves at Rhiza Church in Ypsilanti, MI.