The Leading Speakers Bureau

Senior Research Fellow at Cardiff University, Lean Principles Expert

Dr. David Taylor is a Lean Thinking expert who came to Cardiff University in 1997 to work on the LEAP project a three year study to apply lean principles to the upstream automotive component supply chain in the UK. Since then he has carried out various research projects to develop and apply best practice in supply chain management. Over the past five years he has been fully engaged with the Food Value Chain Analysis projects and his work has made a significant contribution to the national initiative to improve the performance of UK agi-food supply chains.

“Specialist at applying Lean Thinking to supply chain management”

[expand title=”In detail”] David Taylor holds a Masters in Business Administration specialising in Supply Chain Management from Cardiff Business School. A key characteristic of his work has been to ensure that his academic research has been firmly related to practical application and in consequence he has worked with many companies both in the UK and abroad. David’s career started in the automotive industry at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars where he held a number of roles in the fields of Purchasing, Supplier Development, Quality and Customer Service. He previously worked in the Department of Logistics at the University of Huddersfield, as a Research Fellow at RMIT University in Melbourne and as Marketing and Distribution Manager with a medical equipment manufacturer.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Currently exploring how best practice methodologies for supply chain improvement can be adapted and applied to humanitarian supply chains, David Taylor has delivered both consultancy and training projects for many companies and organisations to provide practical assistance in improving supply chain operations. With an interest in humanitarian aid, he has had direct involvement in humanitarian operations. He has worked in industries as diverse as steel, automotive, high-tech equipment manufacture, shipbuilding, footwear and most recently on a large project on the agri-food supply chain for the Food Chain Centre, funded by the UK government.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]With experience in business research, consultancy and lecturing, David Taylor is an eloquent and highly informative speaker.[/expand]

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Lean Leadership Principles and Operational Excellence speaker

Darril Wilburn is a consultant, coach and speaker who focuses on the application of Lean Leadership Principles and Operational Excellence. Darril was a leader in the development and implementation of some of Toyota Motor Manufacturing’s highest profile leadership development programs of the past 10 years. . He led the Toyota Way (Toyota core principles) implementation at Toyota’s largest manufacturing plant in North America. He worked with The Toyota Institute in Japan to develop the Toyota Business Practice leading the global pilot of this program as well as the North American Senior Executive sessions. Darril also served as an internal leadership coach and led the assimilation of new-to-Toyota management.

“Darril is a great resource”
MM Mars Latin America

[expand title=”In detail”] Darril Wilburn attained his Master of Science in Instructional Design from the University of Kentucky. Darril Wilburn was a leader in the development and implementation of some of Toyota Motor Manufacturing’s highest profile talent and leadership development programs over the past 10 years. Darril also worked with The Toyota Institute in Japan to develop the Toyota Business Practice leading the global pilot as well as the North American Senior Executive sessions. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Darril brings more than 17 years of leadership, process improvement and organizational development experience to his work. He has proven skills in the development, implementation and management of OD and training functions as well as knowledge of lean business concepts such as: Standardization, Kaizen and Root Cause Problem Solving. He expertly conducts focused problem solving training as a preparation for coaching individuals and teams as they solve their workplace problems. Darril is passionate about sharing the principles, culture and practices that make Toyota one of the most admired companies in the world. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Darril Wilburn’s presentations are eye opening and full of actionable content designed specifically to inspire teams from all fields. Darril Wilburn is an energetic and effective presenter who focuses on the application of Lean Leadership Principles.[/expand]

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Former Red Arrow Pilot and Director of “Mission Excellence”

Jas Hawker is the Operations Director at Mission Excellence, looking after development and delivery of all Mission Excellence client programmes. He has previously undertaken a number of high-level appointments within the Ministry of Defence, advising senior military officers and civil servants on strategic and operational matters. He has practical experience of operational level campaign planning having deployed to Afghanistan as a Senior Air Advisor.

“Jas provides companies with solutions to operational challenges”

[expand title=”In detail”] Jas has first-hand experience of developing and leading a world-class high performance team as Leader of the Red Arrows. As a fighter pilot, he was the youngest ever pilot to fly the Tornado ground attack aircraft on the front-line and served on 4 operational squadrons taking part in both training and operational deployments all over the world; he is also a qualified flying instructor. Jas served in the Red Arrows for 3 years including 2 years flying as part of the synchro pair, before returning in 2007 as Team Leader and Commanding Officer for a further 3-year period. Jas was responsible for all aspects of Red Arrows’ operations including risk and safety management. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Whilst many organisations address individual competencies and personal development, few address the ability to close the gap between desired and actual outcomes. Jas shows audiences how to deliver outcomes in complex high-pressure environments.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Jas tailors each presentation to precisely fit each event and his engaging speeches make him a sought-after speaker at conferences around the globe. [/expand]

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Former CEO of Eni S.p.A. & International Businessman

Paolo Scaroni was Chief Executive Officer of one of the world’s leading energy companies, Eni, from 2005 until May 2014. He is currently a Non-Executive Director of Assicurazioni Generali, Non-Executive Deputy Chairman of London Stock Exchange Group, Non-Executive Director of Veolia Environment. He is also on the Board of Overseers of the Columbia Business School and the Fondazione Teatro alla Scala.

“A charismatic & respected business leader”

[expand title=”In detail”] After graduating in economics at the Bocconi University in Milan in 1969, he worked for three years at Chevron, before obtaining an MBA from Columbia University, New York, and continuing his career at McKinsey. In 1973, he joined Saint Gobain, where he held a series of management positions in Italy and abroad, until his appointment as head of the Glass Division in Paris. From 1985 to 1996, he was Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Techint. In 1996, he moved to the United Kingdom and was Chief Executive Officer of Pilkington until May 2002. From 2002 to 2005, he was Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Enel, Italy’s leading electricity utility. In 2005 and in 2006, he was Chairman of Alliance Unichem. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Paolo Scaroni is ideally positioned to share with decision makers the innovative operating strategies he has implemented during his successful career. He also demonstrates how to lead successful multinational companies to steadily increase their global market share.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Paolo Scaroni inspires audiences around the globe. He has excellent rhetoric skills at his command which also makes him a speaker in demand worldwide. [/expand]

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General Manager Marketing Services at Porsche

Andreas Henke is the General Manager Marketing Services at Porsche Germany GmbH. In early 2005 he was appointed Head of Marketing Services and was responsible for worldwide trade shows, dealer launch events, the driving experience programs such as the Porsche Sport Driving School, Road Show and World Travel Club. During the launch, in 2000, of the Porsche Cayenne, the new 911 and the new Boxster, he acted as a ghost writer for the board of directors and the distribution organisations.

“Porsche is responsible for many of the most traditional Sports car manufacturer in the world”

[expand title=”In detail”] Andreas studied economics and politics with a focus on marketing. Since 1999, he worked in the marketing department at Porsche and was responsible for the marketing concepts and strategic projects. In 2002 he was appointed Head of Marketing Communications Strategy. In this role he was responsible for the development of global communications strategies, budget planning, marketing and key account partnerships. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Andreas explains how the product portfolio of Porsche has developed and changed during the course of the company history. Henke illustrates to audiences the insights into the marketing at Porsche and details the philosophy of the sports car industry.
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[expand title=”How he presents”]Henke is renowned for his clear and fluent speaking style and continues to be in great demand by clients worldwide. [/expand]

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Best-selling Author, Entrepreneur and Agent of Change

Seth Godin is a best-selling author, entrepreneur and agent of change. He is the author of eight books that have been bestsellers around the world and changed the way people think about marketing, change and work. He has been featured extensively in Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes.com, Wired, and Advertising Age and appears regularly on television across the globe.

“The Ultimate Entrepreneur for the Information Age” Business Week

[expand title=”In detail”] Seth was founder and CEO of Yoyodyne, the industry’s leading interactive direct marketing company, which Yahoo! acquired in late 1998. Seth was recently chosen as one of 21 Speakers for the Next Century by Successful Meetings and is consistently rated among the very best speakers by the audiences he addresses.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]In his enlightening presentations Seth focuses on the creative thinking necessary for a business to create “a purple cow” – an offering that stands out from the crowd and causes customers to take notice. He was ranked in the Thinkers 50 2007, the global ranking business thinkers.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Using extremely successful real-world examples from companies such as the United States Postal Service and Otis Elevator Company, he skilfully reveals the benefits of using creative, remarkable thinking to transform business ideas and practices.
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Co-founder and founding CEO of Netflix

Marc Randolph is a serial Silicon Valley entrepreneur, high tech executive and start-up consultant. He was co-founder of the online DVD rental service Netflix in 1997, serving as their founding CEO. Marc helped Netflix become an iconic name and revolusionised the ‘at home’ movie entertainment industry. Since leaving Netflix, he has been an active investor and executive mentor for numerous early stage tech companies and currently sits on the boards of Bookrenter.com, ReadyForce and Schedulicity, amongst others.

“A highly successful start-up consultant”

[expand title=”In detail”] Prior to founding Netflix, Marc was on the founding team of more than half a dozen other successful start-ups in the e-commerce, media, enterprise software and portable device markets. All of which went to IPQs or other liquidity events. A few of those companies included IntegrityQA, Visioneer, Microwarehouse and MacUser Magazine. Mark served on the board of directors at Netflix until his retirement from the company in 2004.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Marc advises executives in the areas of product marketing, product management and general management. He also helps executives to understand the challenges when starting new businesses and to make them successful. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]His successful career and charm make Marc Randolph a highly sought-after speaker at conferences around the world.[/expand]

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Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Service Management at the Harvard Business School

Professor Frances Frei is the Senior Associate Dean, Director of Faculty Planning and Recruiting and UPS Foundation Professor of Service Management at Harvard Business School. Her research investigates how organisations can more effectively design service excellence and has been published in top-tier journals such as Management Science and Harvard Business Review. She serves on the boards of advisors of several private companies.

“She describes her deepest calling as helping leaders to remove the “pebbles” that can grow into obstacles to performance”

[expand title=”In detail”] Frances received her PhD in operations and information management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She holds an ME in industrial engineering from Pennsylvania State University, and a BA in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania. She has published dozens of case studies across a variety of industries, including financial services, government, retail, telecommunications, software and hospitality. These cases include Zipcar, eBay, Southwest Airlines, Tiffany’s, Houston Rockets, Commerce Bank, Progressive Insurance, Orient Express Hotels and Zappos, among others.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Frances advises organisations seeking to create greater value through their service experiences. Her advisory work focuses on helping companies to make strategic choices that allow them to profitably differentiate on service. She is celebrated for her ability to engage audiences and give organisations the insight and tools to dramatically improve performance.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]A highly sought-after speaker and advisor, Frances brings a level of wisdom and authenticity to conversations that compels audiences to action. [/expand]

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Leadership and Management Expert

Jagdish Parikh is a Director of the Lemuir Group of Companies, a Director of the TechNova Group of Companies and Travel Corporation (India) Ltd. He is Co-founder of the World Business Academy (USA); Member, Board of Governors of the Asian Institute of Management (Manila); Founder President of the Centre for Executive Renewal (Switzerland) and Managing Trustee of the Education Foundation of India.

“Dr. Parikh combines clearly and convincingly modern western management-concepts and scientific ways of thinking with eastern philosophy”

[expand title=”In detail”] Dr. Parikh has an MBA from Harvard and a PhD in Management. He has worked in several honorary capacities for the Government of India as Chairman of FFC, now National Film Development Corporation; Vice Chairman of the Indian Institute of Travel and Tourism and in other advisory roles.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]As a Visiting Speaker at conferences including IMD (Switzerland), INSEAD (France), London Business School, Dr. Parikh shows how to bring together the often conflicting expectations managers have to face in business and in life and how to meet increasing demands. Dr. Parikh has mastered making managers think holistically.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Through his presentations Jagdish Parikh changes the lives of individual managers, helping them to better handle day-to-day pressures and to nurture a healthy degree of work / life harmony.[/expand]

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CEO of econsultants

Martin Herlov is the CEO of econsultants based in Barcelona, Spain, and takes care of BSI’s activities on the Iberian Peninsula. Martin has an educational background as an Architect and Engineer and has gained professional experience over the last 22 years in Spain, Germany & Norway

“An expert in Wind Energy Technich & Offshore Wind Development”

[expand title=”In detail”] Martin is an experienced Key Account Manager and Project Manager in the Rail, Automotive and the Wind Supplier Industry as well as the Offshore Wind Development segment. His research focuses on how to make the Wind Turbine production as organized and economically feasible as the Automotive Industry, by introducing lean solutions, advanced technical added value and dedicated design.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Martin offers great insights into the current state of the world’s on- and offshore wind development and its effects on business. With a wealth of experience and an unparalleled depth of research into the world’s energy markets, he is highly sought-after by organizations eager to benefit from his considerable expertise.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Compelling and informative, his presentations capture the issues, while grounding them in his audiences’ context.[/expand]
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