Kevin Brown

Experience

• 

  Metool Reeling Products Ltd

  Jul 1983 - Jul 1985

  Production Engineer (Undergraduate)

  Business: Design, manufacture and installation of cable handling equipment for industrial andoffshore applications, including hose reels and drag chains.My Role: Special projects, including: R&D, design review, design change, factory layout, material sourcing, quality audits, quality manual.

• 

  Amec Foster Wheeler

  Sept 1985 - Jun 1988

  Mechanical Engineer

  Business: Design, procurement and manufacture of power and process plant for commercial power generation, civil nuclear and MOD nuclear applications.My Role: HVAC design; on-site test and service; quality planning, engineering, control andassurance. Special projects: cost reporting and reduction.

• 

  Rolls-Royce

  Jun 1988 - Oct 1990

  Senior Quality Engineer

  Business: Design, procurement and manufacture of power and process plant for commercialpower generation, civil nuclear and MOD nuclear applications.My Role: Quality planning, engineering, control and assurance of pressure vessels, valves, piping modules and glove boxes. Supply chain quality. Client and third party inspection liaison. Merger of FW/RR management systems.

• 

  Merz & McLellan

  Oct 1990 - Jun 1996

  Quality Systems Manager

  Business: Consulting engineers, 450 staff. Power generation and distribution projects.My Role: Developing management systems to meet ISO standards; providing qualitymanagement support to projects; providing consultancy services to UK clients including: NationalGrid, NHS Estates, London Underground, BP, Shell and SMEs.Notable Achievements:• Developed formal management systems and led the organization through the changenecessary to achieve ISO9001 certification in locations across the UK and overseas.• Achieved UKAS and EIAB accreditation for the firm’s independent inspection services. Show less

• 

  WSP

  Jun 1996 - Jul 1998

  Corporate Quality Manager

  Business: Consulting engineers, 5000 staff. Energy, infrastructure and transportation projects.My Role: Combining and extending management systems, audit programmes and ISO 9001certification during the merger of PB and M&M. Building a global quality management team. Internal consulting and training assignments for: PB in New York, Hong Kong and Spain; M&M in UK, Singapore and Switzerland; subsidiaries Merz Orchard, PB Economic Studies, PB Europe and Maunsell Parsons Brinckerhoff.

• 

  Independent/freelance

  Sept 1998 - Mar 2000

  Business Improvement Consultant

  Consultancy assignments: • Hardware stores achieved ERP integration and ISO9001 certification in 6 weeks.• Calibration outsourced (2500 gauges), with laboratory approved by Rolls-Royce and accredited by UKAS.• Shop floor SOPs introduced using Kaizen techniques to achieve full operator ownership .• Cost of nonconformity reduced by process analysis and control chart monitoring.• MS Access databases designed and implemented for a range of quality, safety and risk processes. • Business continuity plan created and implemented, including IT security (millennium bug concerns). Show less

• 

  Harkers Engineering

  Mar 2000 - Jul 2002

  Business Improvement Manager

  Business: Manufacturer of large, high value, complex, machined components for aerospace and power generation (e.g. turbine casings, landing gear); 250 employees; £20m turnover.My Role: Transforming a traditional, compliance-based quality system into an improvement-based, integrated management system certified to ISO 9001, AS 9100 and aerospace customer schemes. Resolving conflicting demands from GE (Six-Sigma), Airbus (EFQM) and Rolls-Royce (3-in-1) within a combined Business Improvement Plan. Show less

• 

  Petrofac

  Nov 2002 - Jun 2008

  Corporate BMS/Quality Manager

  Business: Engineering services and EPC project execution. Major business unit within the Petrofac Group (10,000 personnel, US$2b turnover).My Role: Creating, embedding and sustaining an integrated business management system andaudit programme for the Engineering and Construction (E&C) Division, with 4,000 users in UK,UAE, India and Russia.Notable achievements:• Created an online business management system (eBMS) for Petrofac’s UK EngineeringServices operations, achieving ISO9001 certification within budget and the one-year schedule.• Extended eBMS across the E&C Division and built a global team to drive, support and auditthe change. ISO9001 and ISO14001 certifications added in UAE and India.• Standardized key business processes and integrated systems with new offices (Mumbai,Chennai and Moscow.• Established an online Lessons Learned Forum and managed its introduction.• Re-structured and strengthened the global Quality team, recruiting at all levels from director to graduate, enhancing support for business growth and project delivery strategies. Show less

• 

  A.P. Moller - Maersk

  Jun 2008 - Dec 2013

  Head of Audit & Assurance

  Turnover US$12b. Employing 108,000 in 130 countries.Location: Copenhagen (Denmark) and international assignments.My Role: Establishing the Audit & Assurance function to provide value-adding services and challenge the status quo. Leading strategic initiatives in governance, assurance and improvement. Supporting global culture change programmes. Auditing change programmesand assessing their impact. Satisfying multi-cultural, multi-language stakeholders; managingteams of consultants; facilitating international networks.Notable Achievements:• Corporate HSSEQ standards for Denmark, UK, Norway, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Angola, Brazil and USA.• Global audit programme, process, auditor pool and IRCA approved lead auditor course.• Multi-discipline gap analysis for business growth and new projects in USA, Angola and Kazakhstan.• Global process safety training programme, including multi-language DVDs.• Global management of change (MoC) initiative, including eLearning packages. • Requirements, business case and team building for Global Management System project.• corporate representative on the Achilles JQS “Verify” audit scheme. Show less

• 

  QFactorial

  Sept 2013 - now

  After 9 years juggling the twin pleasures of consulting for clients and running the business, I have finally accepted that it's big enough and complicated enough that I really should stop being coy and call myself Managing Director. With a combined Q!HQ and Associate team of nearly 20, I might just be able to shake off the imposter syndrome and start enjoying some serious delegation! It’s no coincidence that we’ve gone from strength to strength since taking that decision, with our own ISO 9001 certification being one of the first successes. Show less In September 2013, after many years in corporate and project quality roles, I decided to set up QFactorial as an independent consultancy specialising in ISO standards, management systems and strategic quality programmes. We have enjoyed considerable success with assignments in these focus areas. At QFactorial we pride ourselves on Thinking Seeing Doing Differently. We don’t just churn out cloned ISO solutions. We work with a wide range of standards and approaches in diverse situations, creating bespoke strategic solutions. We sharpen our skills by working with the best people in strong partnerships. Our membership of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and FSB keeps us informed and up to date when standards change and business issues come to a head. Our work in association with clients and other consultants, maintains our strategic focus. We are proud of our network of trusted associates who are able to deliver the same high quality service and uphold our values. So we have our finger on the pulse of standards, best practices and the needs of organisations of all types and sizes. Our website explains our pragmatic approach, the range of standards we work with and the strategic work we do to keep our horizons broad. It also showcases some of our successes. Visit us at www.qfactorial.co.uk then get in touch to chat about how we can help you. Show less

  • Managing Director

    Oct 2022 - now

  • Director & Principal Consultant

    Sept 2013 - Oct 2022