Darren Walsh

Darren Walsh is Director & Leadership Coach, with Making Lean Work Ltd.  He has over 30 years’ experience leading transformation with the likes of Sony Aiwa, Sega, Boston Scientific, Parker, Zodiac Aerospace
& with the Lean Institute. 

Originally an Industrial Engineer, Darren qualified with a Lean Masters’ Degree through Cardiff Business School’s, Lean Enterprise Research Centre in 2004.  He is also certified Zenge-Miller Leadership Instructor, Prosci Change Management Practitioner and voluntary business mentor for Business Wales. 

This experience includes leading change, developing people and delivering breakthrough business results.  He has worked with some of the very best in Medical, Pharmaceutical, Aerospace, Automotive, Transportation, Oil & Gas, Gaming, Financial Services, Retail and Startups.  And worked for the likes of Sega, Boston Scientific, Parker Hannifin, Zodiac Aerospace, and with the Lean Institute.  
At Boston Scientific and Sega he led site-wide transformation that delivered breakthrough results (more than doubling productivity at each ).  Also holding the position of BU and General Manager at Sega and Hobbs.   
Darren, also spent over 7 years working in a multi-site roles has Division Lean & Business Improvement Manager at Parker Hannifin & Zodiac Aerospace, where he developed structured Lean Management System to help drive continuous improvement through the business increasing engagement, performance and return on sales.   


For over 8 ½ years he worked with the Lean Institute in the UK and around the world, where his focus was on helping those organisations that struggled to make lean and continuous improvement work.  Also he was a contributor to several Lean Global Network working groups, including: Lean product and process development, Lean Transformation and Lean Digital.
Darren has trained and coached senior leadership and management teams at the likes of: Adidas, Baker Hughes, DLL Financial Services, De Gruchy, Mars, Siemen’s, TechnipFMC, Mann & Hummel, GE, London Underground, NHS and the Lean Institute.
He has delivered training and coaching to more than 1,200 delegates and European business leaders, helping them discover a better way to make lean and continuous improvement work for their organisations.

He has also appeared in several industry-leading publications and events including:  Lean Post, The Independent, Planet Lean, The Manufacturer, Lean Global Connection and at the Lean Enterprise Summit.

His passion and focus area is seeking to discover why organisations and their leaders still struggle to make lean and continuous improvement work in their businesses.  And is currently working on his first book on the topic. 
Recent results include : 
50% in site wide productivity 
Increased On time delivery from 45 to > 90%
80% Lead time reduction (for heart valve replacement at Morriston Hospital 52 to 8 weeks)
 

Business top-tip

In today’s global business environment, Lean and continuous improvement is not an option it’s something that everyone has to do, otherwise:
•    - Our lead times will be too long
•    - Costs and Inventory will be too high
•    - Customer service will be too low
•    - Growth will be too slow
And we will then lose out to the competition.  
We owe it to every employee to implement continuous improvement at an accelerated rate to beat the competition and stay ahead of the game.

Darren Walsh
D
  • Full name:
    Darren Walsh
  • Business name:
    Making Lean Work Ltd
  • Role:
    Director & Leadership Coach
  • Location:
    Bridgend