Gemba Academy Podcast: Lean Six Sigma | Toyota Kata | Productivity | Leadership GA 622 | The State of AI with Steven Remsen
Mar 5, 2026
Steven Remsen, a PhD materials scientist who led Intel’s enterprise Lean Six Sigma and internal consulting efforts, shares his experience scaling continuous improvement. He discusses shifting from certification factories to value-focused capability platforms. He explores blending analytics, Gen AI, mentorship, and operating rhythms to make change stick across large organizations.
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From Scientist To Enterprise CI Leader
- Steven Remsen transitioned from a PhD scientist to running Intel's Lean Six Sigma and internal consulting programs.
- He moved from TD fabs to enterprise consulting, led a team that reinvented the program and closed Intel's Fortune 50 certification offering.
Turn Certification Factory Into Capability Platform
- Reframe corporate CI from a certification factory to a capability platform by switching from mandate to enablement and push to pull.
- At Intel this change produced over $600M ROI in five years by focusing on enterprise design and value.
Market CI Around Employee Value Not Credentials
- Do market research and position CI training around employee value (job performance, time saved, brand recognition) rather than credentialing alone.
- Intel added one-on-one mentorship and tailored offerings to meet competitors and internal customer needs.
