Eric Lussier

Assistant Professor of Practice, Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Tennessee; Senior Operating Advisor, NEXT LEVEL Partners

Eric's forthcoming book is "The Lean Lens: Seeing Systems, Making Better Decisions, and Balancing People and Performance."

Eric is a hands-on practitioner of lean and operational excellence with over three decades of experience building problem-solving cultures that drive performance and value creation. He is a full-time assistant professor of practice in the Industrial & Systems Engineering Department at the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee, where he teaches, mentors and bridges industry practice with engineering education. Eric also serves as a senior operating advisor at NEXT LEVEL Partners, where he supports business development and strategic client engagement.

Before his academic and advisory roles, Eric held executive and leadership positions across public and private equity-backed companies, applying continuous improvement principles across diverse industries to accelerate operating and financial results.

"The Lean Lens" explores how leaders can improve decision-making by learning to see systems, relationships, and organizational dynamics more clearly.

Eric holds an MS in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, an MS in Industrial Engineering/Engineering Management from the University of Tennessee, and a BS in Industrial Engineering, also from the University of Tennessee.