Paul Swift - Senior Operational Excellence Lead

Q: Where is Paul based?

Paul is based in Whitford, United Kingdom and can operate in on-site , hybrid , and remote work models.

Q: What languages does Paul speak?

Paul speaks the following languages: English (Native), Greek (Elementary) .

Q: How many years of experience does Paul have?

Paul has at least 42 years of experience. During this time, Paul has worked in at least 12 different roles and for 15 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 10 months . Note that Paul may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Paul's latest experience?

Paul's most recent position is Operational Excellence Leadership Coach at DXC Technology .

Q: What companies has Paul worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Paul has worked for DXC Technology , Unleash and Engage , Atos , EDF (UK) , and Beyondlean Ltd. .

Q: Which industries is Paul most experienced in?

Paul is most experienced in industries like Professional Services , Aerospace and Defense , and Automotive . Paul also has some experience in Banking and Finance , Transportation , and Telecommunication .

Q: Which business areas is Paul most experienced in?

Paul is most experienced in business areas like Operations , Strategy , and Production . Paul also has some experience in Quality Assurance , Customer Service , and Project Management .

Q: Which industries has Paul worked in recently?

Paul has recently worked in industries like Professional Services , Energy , and Information Technology .

Q: Which business areas has Paul worked in recently?

Paul has recently worked in business areas like Operations , Strategy , and Information Technology .

Recommended expert

Whitford, United Kingdom

Experience

Nov 2024 - Oct 2025

1 year

Operational Excellence Leadership Coach

DXC Technology

Coached leaders to drive engagement and improve customer service

Jul 2023 - Feb 2025

1 year 8 months

Sustainable Operational Excellence Coach

Unleash and Engage

Aug 2021 - Mar 2023

1 year 8 months

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Operational Excellence Consultant

Atos

Supported end client Aegon EB in delivering significant capacity creation through Operational Excellence workstreams
Led several workstreams from inception to completion, delivering substantial ROI benefits (team of 10 consultants delivered over £75 million in less than 2 years)
Design and introduction of OBW standardised working practices
End to End customer journey redesign
Policy servicing process redesign of top 80% by volume processes
Coaching and mentoring internal team members

Oct 2019 - Aug 2021

1 year 11 months

London, United Kingdom

Operational Excellence Consultant

EDF (UK)

Worked within Wholesale Markets Optimisation to redesign processes across WMO teams, delivering efficiencies and reducing risks
Utilised Lean methodologies in virtual systems like 'Live' Visual Management in Confluence and Jira for real-time operational insight
Managed delivery of a Business Continuity solution using AWS workspaces through TCS
Carried out Operational Diagnostic reviews across all WMO areas
Achieved lead time reduction of Curve positions into the Portfolio Analytics & Trading Support team, enabling an additional 60 minutes of trading opportunity per day

Jan 2019 - Sep 2019

9 months

Liverpool, United Kingdom

Senior Consultant - Operational Excellence

Riverside

Delivered Operational Excellence methodologies across the Customer Services Division
Conducted thorough business diagnostic for Customer Service Division, provided detailed recommendations and embedded effective working methods to achieve strategic objectives
Delivered current state diagnostic in March 2019, identifying significant improvement opportunities across the shared services estate
Finalised delivery phase within Contact Centre prior to assignment completion in September 2019

May 2016 - Dec 2018

2 years 8 months

Sunderland, United Kingdom

Operational Excellence Consultant

EDF Energy

Developed Operational Excellence approach within SMART Meter field services, improving install times and reducing abort and no-access rates
Delivered circa 200-second AHT reduction across an 800 FTE Customer Services contact centre with benefits in excess of £3 million
Improved quality levels
Enhanced customer satisfaction scores
Upskilled and transferred skills to internal improvement team
Facilitated cultural shift in management behaviours for long-term sustainability
Exceeded stretch targets for capacity creation

Jul 2012 - Apr 2016

3 years 10 months

United Kingdom

Operations Excellence Lead Consultant

MOD Defence Business Services / Serco

Led teams of external and internal consultants to conceive, develop and deploy DBS Operations Excellence, a transformational improvement approach founded on Lean Six Sigma principles
Engaged and coached all levels of staff to instil lasting operations management and improvement capability under a pioneering government/private sector contract
Accountable for delivering the Operations Excellence programme and associated cost savings across three key pillars
Headed Operations Excellence teams through two transformation phases, coaching internal consultants to Green and Black Belt qualifications
Delivered average productivity improvements of 30%–100% within National Security Vetting, Civilian HR and Veterans UK
Designed and delivered six-day bespoke consultancy and advanced OpEx training to over 20 internal consultants
Achieved customer lead time reductions in excess of 30%
Defence Business Services is a shared services organisation of 2,800 employees delivering finance, vetting, HR, welfare and pensions services to the Ministry of Defence and 84 other government departments

Jan 2006 - Present

20 years 3 months

Managing Director

Beyondlean Ltd.

Provides hands on rather than theoretical business improvement consulting, delivering with clients and showing how to continue after engagement ends
Offers tailored levels of support regardless of business location

Jan 2006 - Jun 2012

6 years 6 months

United Kingdom

Associate Consultant

OEE

Lead consultant on several Lloyds Banking Group workstreams, coaching internal consultants and delivering in excess of £5 million per annum in benefits over three years
Coached internal consultants at RBS Mortgage Centre, delivering tangible business benefits
Led Model Office design and implementation at three Virgin Media sites, increasing quality by 50% and releasing FTE equivalent to £1.2 million
Developed and delivered Cardiff University–accredited Lean service modules at Virgin Media
Led Model Office design and implementation in Virgin Media telesales, achieving 40% quality increase and 15% sales conversion uplift
Scoped diagnostic project at Royal Mail, producing current state value stream map and future state proposals with potential savings of £210 million
Lead consultant for DEFRA Rural Payments Agency, delivering productivity and quality increases in excess of 40%

Aug 2005 - Nov 2006

1 year 4 months

United Kingdom

Continuous Improvement Project Manager, UK & Ireland

Gate Gourmet

Managed contingency planning and implementation during industrial dispute, embedding stability with 90% new staff within one month
Redesigned workplace layout, reducing motion and transportation by over 30%
Designed and implemented performance management system, increasing productivity by 30%
Delivered £306 k cost saving from 'Club Meals' project over four months
Reduced headcount from 411 to 267 while maintaining output, saving £2.592 million

Sep 2004 - Jun 2005

10 months

Lean Consultant

Hurel Hispano

Led six-person change team in component manufacturing department during three-month placement
Redesigned area layout to improve material and people flow
Achieved 35% improvement in DSA for components
Improved productivity by 20% for components

Jan 1999 - Dec 2004

6 years

Lean Consultant

Airbus

Led application of lean principles based on Toyota Production System as one of few internal experts
Achieved 65% improvement in quality and 100% delivery schedule adherence
Delivered £240 k cost saving per wing-set and £1.4 million annual machining area saving
Participated in Airbus UK Project Gateway Process design, process training and culture change facilitation for 10,000 employees
Trained over 60 machine operators in quick changeovers and autonomous maintenance for TPM rollout
Produced standard work combination tables for wing panel production, yielding approximately £1.4 million per year

Aug 1994 - Dec 1998

4 years 5 months

Production Director

Sports and Performance Cars

Managed a stock budget of £800 k, balancing stock value and profitability
Implemented numerous business improvements across multiple areas
Increased profits by 500% through improvement activities and culture change
Improved company cash flow by £350 k through stock level reduction
Introduced JIT and reduced inventory levels by 95%

Jan 1990 - Aug 1994

4 years 8 months

Owner

Merit Cars

Conducted sales and service of used vehicles

Aug 1983 - Dec 1989

6 years 5 months

Fitter

Royal Ordnance

Performed missile and torpedo fitting duties

Industry Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.

Experienced in Professional Services, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, Banking and Finance, Transportation, and Telecommunication.

Professional Services

Aerospace and Defense

Automotive

Banking and Finance

Transportation

Telecommunication

Business Area Experience

See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.

Experienced in Operations, Strategy, Production, Quality Assurance, Customer Service, and Project Management.

Operations

Strategy

Production

Quality Assurance

Customer Service

Project Management

Summary

Operational Excellence Consultant with 20+ years of experience delivering measurable performance improvement across 10 to 20 client organizations. Led 30+ operational improvement initiatives, achieving 15–30% reductions in cycle time, 10–25% productivity gains, and 8–20% cost savings without increasing headcount. Experienced in diagnosing end-to-end operational issues, working directly with senior leaders and frontline teams, and embedding performance measures that sustain 5–10% year-on-year efficiency improvements after engagement close.

Skills

Process Improvement And Reengineering
Stakeholder Engagement And Coaching
Operational Diagnostics And Analysis
Change Management
Project Management
Cost Reduction And Margin Improvement
Performance Metrics And Kpi Development
Cross-functional Team Leadership
Lean And Six Sigma Methodologies
Continuous Improvement Strategy

Languages

English

Native

Greek

Elementary

Education

Sep 1985 - Jun 1987

Salford College of Technology

HNC Engineering · Engineering · Salford, United Kingdom

Sep 1983 - Jun 1985

Salford College of Technology

ONC Mechanical and Production Engineering · Mechanical and Production Engineering · Salford, United Kingdom

Sep 1978 - Jun 1983

Cardinal Newman High School

O/A Level Advanced Maths, Eight GCE O Levels · Advanced Maths, Eight GCE O Levels inc. Maths, English & Physics · United Kingdom

Certifications & licenses

Certificate In Behavioural Economics

University of Toronto

Full, Clean Driving Licence

Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt

NVQ Level 3 EKGB Coaching Award

NVQ Level 4 EKGB Assessor Award

Six Sigma Black Belt

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 15

Experience in Professional Services 20 y

Avg length 4 y 2 m

Longest experience 20 y 2 m

Global Experience

Countries worked in 1 (United Kingdom)

Primary country United Kingdom

Expertise

Recent roles Operational Excellence Leadership Coach, Sustainable Operational Excellence Coach, Operational Excellence Consultant

Main industries Professional Services, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive

Main business areas Operations, Strategy, Production

Qualifications

Highest degree Bachelor

Certifications earned 6

Profile

Created

March 2026

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.

Where is Paul based?

Paul is based in Whitford, United Kingdom and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.

What languages does Paul speak?

Paul speaks the following languages: English (Native), Greek (Elementary).

How many years of experience does Paul have?

Paul has at least 42 years of experience. During this time, Paul has worked in at least 12 different roles and for 15 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 10 months. Note that Paul may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Paul be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Paul would be well-suited for roles such as: Operational Excellence Leadership Coach, Sustainable Operational Excellence Coach, Operational Excellence Consultant.

What is Paul's latest experience?

Paul's most recent position is Operational Excellence Leadership Coach at DXC Technology.

What companies has Paul worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Paul has worked for DXC Technology, Unleash and Engage, Atos, EDF (UK), and Beyondlean Ltd..

Which industries is Paul most experienced in?

Paul is most experienced in industries like Professional Services, Aerospace and Defense, and Automotive. Paul also has some experience in Banking and Finance, Transportation, and Telecommunication.

Which business areas is Paul most experienced in?

Paul is most experienced in business areas like Operations, Strategy, and Production. Paul also has some experience in Quality Assurance, Customer Service, and Project Management.

Which industries has Paul worked in recently?

Paul has recently worked in industries like Professional Services, Energy, and Information Technology.

Which business areas has Paul worked in recently?

Paul has recently worked in business areas like Operations, Strategy, and Information Technology.

What is Paul's education?

Paul holds a Bachelor in Engineering from Salford College of Technology and a Bachelor in Mechanical and Production Engineering from Salford College of Technology.

Does Paul have any certificates?

Paul has 6 certificates. Among them, these include: Certificate In Behavioural Economics, Full, Clean Driving Licence, and Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt.

What is the availability of Paul?

Paul is immediately available part-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Paul?

Paul's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.