The lean community recently lost a brilliant mind and a warm heart, Chris Burnham. His sudden passing left a significant void that is still hard to come to terms with. Today, we want to pay tribute to Chris and celebrate his life and the profound impact he had on our company and our community.

Chris was a kind and insightful lean thinker and a *Lean Leadership Podcast* host, where he shared his passion for lean principles with a broader audience. Despite his lean expertise, Chris was always ready to learn more, and he extended his learning into every interaction he had. He welcomed discussion, invited new ideas, and was forever ready to expand his thinking. His drive for continuous learning challenged those around him to do the same.

Greg Jacobson and I recorded a podcast to pay tribute to Chris:

In early 2015, Chris inaugurated his Lean Leadership Podcast series by inviting me on board as the very first guest. This marked the beginning of a shared journey through the lean landscape, opening doors to myriad opportunities to pay tribute to Chris by incorporating some of his keenly prepared questions in future episodes.

Throughout his career, Chris had made attempts to bring KaiNexus into the fold at his current place of work. This ongoing effort eventually bore fruit when he joined Stryker, leading to a fruitful collaboration. 

Chris championed KaiNexus in Stryker, deftly deploying the software in this multi-billion-dollar organization. Following an acquisition, Chris found himself in transition, and that's when he reached out to us at KaiNexus. He showed us the value of having someone on our team who understood KaiNexus inside out, coupled with a wealth of lean experience. 

He was instrumental in opening up a new team in KaiNexus and became our first lean strategist in 2021. His pioneering role and the lasting impact he had on our organization are still felt and appreciated. 

Beyond his professional contributions, Chris had a larger-than-life personality that everyone responded positively to. He had a knack for connecting with individuals on a personal level, going out of his way to extend his mentorship beyond job descriptions and titles. 

He was a man who believed in building deep connections, and from the number of individuals at KaiNexus who speak highly of him and his mentorship, it's quite evident that he practiced what he preached. 

Moreover, Chris had a great sense of humor that lightened up every room he walked into. He was a strong believer in the importance of humor in a professional setting. His ever-ready dad jokes, among other endearing quirks, often made for meaningful and enjoyable interactions in the workplace.

I think he would have liked this one:

I went to a hotel to ask for a room and the lady at the counter told me that all the rooms were full. I told her my name was "Improvement." — And there's always a room for improvement.

In conclusion, Chris Burnham was more than just a colleague; he was a mentor, a leader, an important voice in the lean community, and most of all, a dear friend. His loss is deeply felt, and in his memory, we continue to propagate lean principles, always learning, improving, and helping others in their lean journey. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends and those who had the privilege to learn from him. Chris, you are missed.