With my background as a professional mechanical engineer I have had the privilege to have worked for a host of international companies in Automotive, Aerospace, Instruments and Life Sciences. In a career spanning four decades starting out as a Product Design Engineer, I have held a number of management positions and was engaged in disciplines such as project management and Continuous Improvement. My work lead me to all corners of the globe and I found it a real pleasure meeting many unique and talented people and getting acquainted with so many different cultures.
In 2002, I was certified as a Master Black Belt by PerkinElmer, a U.S. based Life Sciences company which prides itself in the impeccable implementation of Six Sigma in both its manufacturing and business processes. I have extensive experience in transactional process improvement and also in new product introduction. I was fortunate to have personally trained hundreds of Green Belts and Black Belts in both transactional and operational disciplines. I have also trained specific skills including problem solving, root cause analysis and project leadership for continuous improvement. I have used the manufacturing disciplines of Six Sigma to troubleshoot key production problems in high tech fields such as Infra Red Microscopes and Infra Red Spectrometers. Two notable examples involved fixing the replication process on a Microscope ¼ wavelength spherical mirror with a potential revenue loss of $0.5m and developing the production yield on a newly introduced IR Spectrometer from 30% to 95% protecting annual revenues of $10m.
My other passion lies in General Aviation. I am a licensed pilot of powered aircraft and gliders. I am also qualified as a Flying Instructor and Aircraft Inspector. As a member of the London Gliding Club at Dunstable I teach club members and young people to fly gliders and to pass the qualifying examinations toward their full license. As an Aircraft Inspector I complete annual inspections and certification of aircraft to Civil Aviation Authority and British Gliding Association standards. I am currently supporting the club in an initiative to recruit and train apprentice aircraft inspectors by acting as Mentor and providing assessment to the appointees as they progress to inspector.