Flexmanager - General Manager

General Manager

Work Experience

PROFILE
An experienced Director & General Manager with sales and logistics background in an international and multinational context. Key competencies are leadership, change programme management, people development and project management. Industry sector experience includes automotive production and aftersales support, port operations, warehousing of forest products, car and construction equipment parts, temperature controlled fresh produce and military logistics operations and planning.

Career Summary
2000 on Consulting Partner
1998 – 2000 JC Bamford Excavators Limited Director & GM
1990 - 1998 Volvo Car Corporation Aftersales Manager
1982 - 1990 The Port of Felixstowe Divisional Manager
1980 - 1982 Southern Africa Europe Container Service Stowage Coordinator
1971 - 1980 The Merchant Navy Deck Officer

Career History:

Dec 2000 – to date Consulting
Employed as an interim manager during which time I have successfully completed the following:

Bentley Motors Ltd – Aug 03 to date – Head of Parts & Accessories.
Worldwide responsibility for sales & marketing of car parts, accessories and branded goods. Planned product support for the launch of Continental GT. Gained approval to quality standard TS 16949 for P&A

Medway Ports Limited - Feb 02 to Jul 03 – General Manager - Operations.
Brought in to replace the incumbent manager following customer service failures.
Restructured the management team. Introduced performance management systems. Negotiated new service level agreements with labour suppliers. Restored customer confidence. Served on Kent Ports Liaison Group, a joint industry and local government advisory and lobbying body covering strategic infrastructure planning.

Bentley Motors Ltd – Jan 01 to Jan 02 – Project Manager
Integrated the import process for Bentley cars and parts to Japan into the Volkswagen import operation. This encompassed all areas of the business from drafting service agreements, carrying out trials for the shipment of, and import centre quality processes for, cars and parts. Planned and co-ordinated the homologation, warranty and aftersales support establishments in Japan.
The role required regular visits to Japan, sensitive negotiations with Dealers and liaison between UK process owners and Japan based German employees of VW Japan in addition to Japanese nationals.

Other short term appointments in the period Dec 00 to date completed with:

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, LV Shipping, Phantom Media, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, PPM Ventures Ltd

1998 – 2000 JC Bamford Excavators Ltd
The UK’s largest privately owned engineering and manufacturing company, supplying the construction industry in over 140 countries with distinctive and innovative materials handling equipment.

1998 – 2000 Director & General Manager JCB Service
Responsibilities - A business unit manager with full P&L responsibility for sales & marketing of parts and services worldwide valued at £100M. Distribution centres in five countries and regional sales teams reporting. A member of the Executive Management Board reporting to the Group Chief Executive.

Achievements:

· Developed and implemented a strategic plan and series of major activities to grow the service business worldwide, including a new £25M global distribution centre, systems development, supply chain re-engineering and cultural change.
· Relocated the USA distribution centre from Baltimore to Savannah without business interruption.
· Net profit growth in business unit of 20% over two years against turnover increase of 8%, business unit awarded Queen’s Award to industry for Exports.

1990 - 1997 Volvo Car Corporation
A division of Volvo AB, Sweden’s largest engineering group manufacturing 350,000 passenger cars annually, with a turnover equivalent to £7.5 billion,

1995-1998 Aftersales Logistics Manager- UK
Responsibilities - Member of the Global Logistics Management Board with accountability for distribution and sales of car parts from Sweden to UK & Eire. Reporting to the Head of Logistics VCC, and based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Leader of the European logistics team directing operations through five regional distribution centres. Project managed change at the Australian distribution centre, Minto NSW.

1992-1995 Parts Operations Manager
Responsibilities - Senior Manager in Volvo Car UK Sales Company in role covering the management of parts purchasing, inventory management in VCUK and the dealer network, systems, dealer service and technical support, also site management, and third party contracts management.

1990-1992 Car Processing Manager
Responsibilities - Management of the Ipswich Car Import Centre processing 35,000 new cars annually, preparing of 5000 cars for company, press, and VIP customers, also remanufacture of gearboxes and axles. Sole IR responsibility with TGWU for 100 staff.

Achievements:

· Developed and managed a cross functional, international project for Volvo Car Parts designed to improve customer response at lower costs. The project comprised new operational systems, site acquisition, design & build and relocation of the UK Support Distribution Centre. Project delivered on time and within budget of £2.3M, exceeding annual savings of £800K.
· A key member of the Aftersales Marketing Group, developed a programme which revitalised parts sales increasing penetration by 20%, stabilising sales during a period when the new car market was falling. Reduced the annualised costs of parts distribution in the UK by £2M(25%) whilst carrying out a strategic review and re-negotiating key contracts.
· Reduced work in progress by £3M, and operating costs by 15% by developing and introducing team working and multi-skilling concepts to a unionised workforce at the Volvo car processing facility at Ipswich, removing demarcation and introducing individual accountability, improved production quality, and focus on customer needs.

1982-1990 Port of Felixstowe
A subsidiary of P&O until 1991, the UK’s largest container port with a record of delivering the highest level of customer service in the industry. Turnover of £120M and a total staff of 2000

1982 - 1990 Divisional Manager
Responsibilities - Commercial and Operational management of one of seven business units of the Port working round the clock, with up to 500 staff reporting through a management team. Accountable for commercial performance of contracts and the acquisition of spot business together with responsibilities for Industrial Relations with TGWU. During my time at Felixstowe gained broad experience ranging from planning to rail operations, container terminal, ro-ro and forest products.

Achievements:

· Negotiated a significant change in working Agreements with the TGWU on the Northern Division of the Port of Felixstowe, reducing gang sizes by 20%, which enabled the Port to secure a £5M Ro-Ro contract.
· Project managed the development of a new rail line and infrastructure to feed the Northern development of the Port.

1980-1982 S.A.E.C.S. London - Stowage Co-ordinator

1971-1979 Merchant Navy - Deck Officer

Personal Development:
2001 Project Management Open University
1998 Kaizen & 5S training Masaaki Imai
1992-1994 MBA Open Business School
1993 Developing Logistic Strategy LTI
1986-1992 BA Studies & DMS Open University

Languages
French (Linguarama level 1)

Other points of interest:

I have lived and worked in Sweden and Australia during the past ten years in addition to regularly working internationally with people from all backgrounds.

I have presented papers at IIR conferences on the subjects of Efficiency in the Supply Chain, and at a joint Union and Management conference about introducing shop floor appraisal systems.

Member of the Institute of Directors, Chartered Management Institute and Royal Ocean Racing Club
Leisure interests include offshore sailing, hill walking and rugby union.