The Smartest Way to Run a Business
The KAIZEN™ Culture Paradox
An exclusive executive morning for leaders in UK metalforming and manufacturing, exploring why culture, not strategy, decides whether transformations succeed or fail
Thursday, 5 November 2026 · 9:30 – 12:30
National Metalforming Centre, Birmingham
Why do well-resourced transformations still fail?
Most improvement programmes stall, not because of poor strategy or wrong tools, but because the culture never caught up. This session confronts that head-on.
Euclides Coimbra, CEO of Kaizen Institute, presents the core ideas behind his new book and leads a candid conversation about what separates organisations that sustain improvement from those that don’t. Hosted at the National Metalforming Centre (home of CBM) this is a setting built for the sector.
The morning combines a keynote, a cross-sector roundtable bringing together practitioner, client and academic perspectives, and time to think with peers. Places are limited to keep the conversation meaningful.
Keynote Speaker
Euclides A. Coimbra
CEO & Managing Partner, Kaizen Institute
One of Europe’s foremost authorities on KAIZEN™ and operational excellence, with over 40 years leading transformations at Bosch, Shell, ASML, Danaher and hundreds more. Co-author of The Kaizen Culture Paradox.
Opening Remarks
Stephen Morley
President, Confederation of British Metalforming
President of CBM and a leading voice for the UK metalforming industry. Stephen will open the session and set the context for why operational culture is a defining competitive issue for the sector.
Who you will hear from
Kevin Bell
Managing Director at Maltha Group
Chukwuma Ogbonnaya
Loughborough University and UG Programme Lead: Engineering Management
Michael Smith
Associate Professor at NMITE
Donna Baldwin
Strategy Manager at Maltha Group
Practical information
National Metalforming Centre
47 Birmingham Road
West Bromwich, Birmingham
B70 6PY, United Kingdom
Date: Thursday, 5 November 2026
Time: 9:30 – 12:30 · Doors open 9:15
Executive breakfast · Free to attend
09h30 | Welcome coffee
Arrival, registration and informal networking over coffee and tea.
10h00 | Opening remarks — Stephen Morley, President of CBM
Welcome on behalf of the Confederation of British Metalforming and introduction of the session.
10h10 | Keynote — Euclides Coimbra, The Kaizen Culture Paradox
The 7 paradoxes, the KAIZEN™ Culture Model, and what it really takes to build an organisation that keeps getting better.
10h45 | Coffee break
11h15 | Roundtable — Does culture eat strategy for breakfast?
An open discussion featuring two academics and two client practitioners, moderated by James Stevenson.
12h15 | Close & book signing
Reserve your seat
Places are limited. We will confirm your registration within 48 hours.