As we enter 2026, I want to take a moment to reflect as each year brings its own sets of challenges and opportunities. Last year was no different.

Lean transformation roles are surging in Q4 2025.

According to recent LinkedIn data, demand for candidates with Lean skills and experience has increased by 25% late in 2025 – a clear sign that organizations are now prioritizing transformation talent to navigate today’s challenges.

This data confirms what we’ve been hearing in conversations with our clients and candidates as Operations leaders face increased margin pressures.

This year, the CEO’s chair has become the hottest seat in the boardroom – and the most frequently vacated.

So much so, that according to Bloomberg reporter Matthew Boyle, 2025 is on pace for a record number of CEO departures. The financial costs for these events can be astronomical, which don’t even include the significant disruption and culture hit that sends shockwaves through the entire organization.

AI is rapidly transforming recruiting.

According to the World Economic Forum, more than 90% of companies use AI for candidate screening. These new tools have seamlessly integrated themselves into applicant tracking systems (ATS), allowing hiring managers to only view a handful out of the hundreds or thousands of AI pre-screened candidates.

It’s no secret that American manufacturing has been experiencing a resurgence, thanks in large part to reshoring and nearshoring initiatives spurred by the pandemic plus legislation efforts from the last two administrations.

But here’s the catch. The latest boom has resulted in a huge shortage of qualified workers with a nearly half-million current openings in the sector, according to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This has put pressure on executives to quickly fill these roles in an efficient manner without sacrificing qualifications and standards. Carolyn Lee, President and Executive of the Manufacturing Institute, told NPR that roughly half of all open roles require at least a bachelor’s degree. However, the ones that don’t also struggle to be filled.

by Jake Stiles, CEO

Linkedin recently notified me I just hit my 30^th year at Stiles Associates. Where’d the time go?

In recent discussions with our clients and top executives, supply chain disruption continues to be the top concern. To provide greater insight into how the market's responding, below is an overview of how we've partnered with organizations to secure exceptional Supply Chain leadership talent:

Over the last five years, companies have been using a secret weapon in their fight against uncertainty and inefficiency: on-demand leaders. The data suggests, however, identifying this powerful resource as rarely used or unknown might be a thing of the past.

 

 

Even in tumultuous global trade environments, the demand for A-players remains strong. Below is a brief overview of the Operations leadership roles we filled in Q1 2025:

by Jake Stiles, CEO
Stiles Associates

Based on the conversations I’ve had with clients and candidates over the last couple of weeks, I understand many of you are finding ways to deliver value in an increasingly difficult and ever-changing tariff landscape. We also understand that many of you are increasingly relying on Lean thinking across the enterprise to make sure margin levels are preserved.