Lean Focus Podcast

When most people hear "Lean," they think factories, assembly lines, and manufacturing systems. But in this episode of the Lean Focus Podcast, host Damon Baker sits down with Martyn Etherington, Chief Marketing Officer of BMC Software, to explore how Lean principles can transform one of the least expected functions in business: marketing.

Martyn is a transformation-driven Chief Marketing Officer who architects high-performance, data-driven growth systems for global enterprise software companies. He led Danaher Strategic Development and Deployment for Tektronix across four strategic cycles and implemented Lean operating models at Mitel and Teradata.

When Martyn joined BMC, marketing was seen as a service bureau — an "all-you-can-eat buffet" with vanity metrics, poor accountability, and no direct tie to growth. Within months, he made bold moves that most CMOs would never attempt: halting all advertising, canceling 200 events, and betting his tenure on bringing Lean rigor into marketing. The result? Millions in waste eliminated, marketing ROI multiplied from 1:1 to 5:1, and BMC's strongest year in four decades.

In this candid conversation, Martyn shares how he:

• Went from Lean detractor to one of its strongest advocates,
• Broke cultural inertia by finding "positive deviants" and building around them,
• Gained credibility by relying on data, facts, and independent validation — not marketing spin,
• Balanced his leadership style ("50% Hugh Grant, 50% Gordon Ramsey") to fit the culture,
• Proved that Lean isn't just for operations — it's for every part of the business that wants to grow.

This is a playbook for CMOs, CEOs, and transformation leaders who want to drive accountability and results in functions that have historically been shielded from operational discipline.

Listen now to hear how Martyn Etherington redefined the role of marketing at BMC — and why Lean might just be the secret weapon for growth in every corner of your business.

🔗 Subscribe to the Lean Focus Podcast 📩 Follow Lean Focus: https://leanfocus.com 📌 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lean-focus-llc/

See the full transcript here.

What happens when you're asked to build a challenger brand inside a Fortune 500 company — and the stakes couldn't be higher?

In this episode of the Lean Focus Podcast, Damon Baker sits down with Eric Conley, CEO of Chase Corporation, to unpack one of the most extraordinary growth stories in medtech: the launch and scale of Spark, Envista's answer to Align Technology's Invisalign.

Eric didn't inherit a burning platform. He inherited something harder: a business with huge potential, enormous demand, and a delivery system already buckling under the weight. Lead times were two months in a market that expected two weeks. Customers were lining up faster than the company could deliver. It was "do or die" from day one.

Eric shares how he:

• Scaled Spark from 200 trial accounts to over 5,000 orthodontists in four years,
• Launched seven manufacturing lines and hired 500+ people in California in just seven months — during a global pandemic,
• Expanded globally into Europe, Asia, Mexico, and China while building a 2,000-person team,
• Made the critical strategic bet to focus on orthodontists instead of chasing general dentists or direct-to-consumer models,
• Drove Mexicali's turnover from 50% down to 10%, proving culture change at scale,
• Leveraged automation, AI-driven treatment planning, and customer engagement to achieve both speed and quality

This isn't steady-state leadership. It's leadership in the crucible — scaling at hyper speed, balancing legacy profit engines with future growth bets, and making bold decisions when failure wasn't an option.

If you've ever wondered what it takes to lead under extreme pressure, this episode is a masterclass in speed, focus, and people-first leadership.

Listen now and hear how Eric Conley turned Spark from a risky bet into Envista's growth story — and how that experience shapes his leadership today as CEO of Chase Corporation.

🔗 Subscribe to the Lean Focus Podcast 📩 Follow Lean Focus: https://leanfocus.com 📌 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lean-focus-llc/

See the full transcript here: https://leanfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lean-Focus-Podcast_Episode-03_Eric-Conley.txt

How do you create a sense of urgency when there's no crisis?

In this episode of the Lean Focus Podcast, Damon Baker sits down with Bret Snyder, CEO of W. L. Gore & Associates, to explore what it takes to lead transformation inside one of the world's most admired companies — when everything looks fine from the outside.

For decades, Gore thrived on its legendary innovations like GORE-TEX® Fabric and built a culture admired around the world — nimble, accountable, and deeply customer-focused. But by 2020, growth was slowing, decision-making had become cumbersome, and Gore was over-reliant on one materials set while lagging behind U.S. GDP growth. There wasn't a consistent downward trend — just a slow drift and a growing concern from leadership about future relevance.

Bret shares how he stepped into his first CEO role, embraced humility, and led Gore's transformation by:

• Recognizing the dangers of success when it breeds complacency,
• Reconnecting the organization to its roots of innovation, agility, and customer obsession,
• Addressing over-dependence on a single material science capability and unlocking new growth engines,
• Introducing the Gore Business System — lean principles tailored to Gore's unique culture,
• Building alignment without tearing down the company's proud legacy

This is a story of stewardship, courage, and leadership at the highest level — driving change, restoring focus, and painting a bold picture of the future when there's no obvious burning platform.

If you're a CEO, senior leader, or business strategist, this episode is a must-listen.

Listen now and learn how Bret Snyder is redefining what transformation looks like when "good" just isn't good enough.

Full Transcript: https://leanfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Lean-Focus-Pocast_Episode-02_Bret-Snyder.txt

www.leanfocus.com

In this premiere episode of the Lean Focus Podcast, host Damon Baker sits down with Fawaz Khalil, CEO of ModusLink, a Steel Partners company, to explore one of the most compelling turnaround stories in recent years.

When Fawaz took the helm, ModusLink was on life support—revenues were half of what they once were, the company hadn't turned a profit in over a decade, and customer confidence was shattered. The team had seen "transformation" efforts come and go—with little to show for it.

Fawaz changed that.

In this conversation, Fawaz shares exactly how he:

• Stopped the bleeding and rebuilt customer trust,
• Used strategy deployment and lean principles to drive cultural change,
• Shifted a skeptical, fatigued organization toward ownership and accountability,
• Navigated the challenges of executing a global transformation during a pandemic,
• Delivered consistent profitability and shareholder dividends after years of losses.

This is a rare, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to rescue a business from the brink—and the leadership it demands.

If you're a CEO, executive, or business leader serious about real transformation—not just buzzwords—this is an episode you don't want to miss.

See the full transcript here: https://leanfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Lean-Focus-Pocast_Episode-01_Fawaz-Khalil.txt