Mark Graban graduated from Northwestern University in 1995 with a BS in Industrial Engineering and later earned an MS in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is author of the Shingo award-winning book Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Employee Satisfaction and his second book, Kaizen: Engaging Front-Line Staff in Sustainable Improvements, was released in June 2012. Mark has worked as a consultant to healthcare organizations throughout North America and Europe, teaching and implementing kaizen and other Lean management practices. He was previously a Senior Fellow with the Lean Enterprise Institute and continues as an LEI faculty member. Mark is also the founder of the popular LeanBlog.org and its podcast series.