Locke Gilmour

Practical Business Improvements

In my role as Business Agility Coach at PBI, I partner directly with clients to embed sustainable improvement through Lean and Agile methodologies. I focus on enabling behavioural and cultural change, building internal capability, and extending business agility across organisations.

I have delivered complex, high-impact transformation projects across the Energy and FMCG sectors, with experience working in diverse environments including production factories, corporate offices, and offshore platforms.

Key Responsibilities & Achievements:
- Facilitate Kaizen Events, Value Stream Mapping sessions, and Agile workshops across operational and support functions.
- Support cultural transformation, visual management rollouts, and daily performance routines to build Continuous Improvement capability.
- Co-designed and led the accreditation of two international training programmes: Lean Practitioner (SCQF Level 7) and Business Transformation (SCQF Level 9), delivered across the UK and internationally.

Highlighted Projects:

FMCG Food Manufacturing Client:
•	£877k/year saving through production giveaway (yield) improvements
•	£480k/year reduction in factory waste
•	£171k/year saved through optimised pallet movements
•	Stage & Gate process implemented for NPD
•	Contributed to the client’s most profitable years in over a century

Oil & Gas Offshore (North Sea):
•	35%+ increase in stock accuracy through 5S/stock check campaigns
•	£1.35M in stock returned to circulation
•	£390k in corrected stock directly impacting planned work
•	39 improvement opportunities identified in material management

Oil & Gas Onshore:
•	Reduced break-in hours to Maintenance Plan
•	40 hours/week saved via offshore transfer of Work Preparation
•	Reinstated Technical Assistance role, freeing up 30% of time
•	8% time reduction for Material Controllers via improved processes

Business Agility Coach

I joined PBI as a Lean Coach during the pandemic, transitioning straight from university into a hands-on role focused on business improvement and internal capability building.

My first year involved an intensive training programme covering Lean and Agile methodologies, including Workplace Organisation (5S), Campaign Rooms, Daily Huddles, Kaizen Events, Visual Management, and Agile workshop design. I quickly progressed from internal training to supporting live client delivery.

I contributed to the digitisation of PBI’s delivery model, transforming previously in-person workshops and coaching sessions into fully remote formats. This shift increased client reach and flexibility, especially for geographically dispersed teams.

In this role, I supported the early delivery of Kaizen Events and improvement workshops, applying structured problem-solving and Lean tools to identify and remove waste, enhance team communication, and build a culture of continuous improvement.

Lean Coach

Impactara Ltd

Alongside working for PBI, I also work for one of their partnered companies, Impactara Ltd, on a part-time basis. Impactara is made up of Improvement Coaches who have a passion for helping purpose-led organisations. Over the past year, I have used my training in Lean and Agile ways of working to help Social Enterprises, Charities and Community Interest Companies improve their business in a variety of ways. 

It has been an especially rewarding experience working with a wide range of businesses as doing some work on a pro-bono or pay-it-forward model means everyone has the opportunity to benefit from the services.

Improvement Coach

I’m a Business Agility Coach with five years’ experience working across start-ups, SMEs, and global organisations in the energy, manufacturing, and production sectors. My passion is helping teams find better, smarter ways of working through Lean, Agile, and continuous improvement methods—whether that means streamlining processes, cutting waste, or boosting engagement.

I’ve seen first-hand how meaningful transformation can be, most notably helping Walkers Shortbread achieve significant cost savings and guiding TotalEnergies to optimise their offshore operations. Beyond the numbers, what truly motivates me is seeing people feel empowered to experiment, adapt, and celebrate their successes together.

Professionally, I hold a Master’s degree in Oil and Gas Enterprise Management (Distinction and ‘Best Student’) from the University of Aberdeen, and I’m a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. My focus on continuous improvement extends to my own development—I’m always on the lookout for new learning opportunities to keep pace with industry developments.

If you’d like to connect or explore how Lean and Agile could help your organisation, feel free to drop me a message here or email me at locke.gilmour@pbi-ltd.co.uk. 

I’m always keen to share ideas and help teams discover what’s possible when people work together towards a common goal.

I have since progressed my role within PBI to Business Agility Coach. The role involves working directly with clients on a day-to-day basis, applying the principles of agile development through the use of proven frameworks and methodologies to issues highlighted by the client. Behavioural and cultural change is the long-term goal here, extending the ‘business agility mindset’ across an entire organisation.

Over the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to work with multinational clients on a number of interesting and varied projects in work environments varying from offices to offshore platforms to production factories! These first-hand experiences have been invaluable to my development within the Business Improvement industry.

I've been able to use this experience, coupled with my own personal development surrounding Lean & Agile methodologies, to improve Workplace Organisation, Visual Management, Employee Engagement and help build a culture of Continuous Improvement across several businesses and industries.

Sample projects delivered:

- Offshore 5S / Stock Check Events: Lead Coach facilitating multiple offshore events offshore on North Sea assets. Improvements included; increase in stock accuracy of 35%+, £1.35M value of stock returned to circulation both on- and offshore, £390k corrected stock directly impacting planned work and 39 opportunities surrounding material management process identified and defined for suggested improvements.

- Shortbread Production: Improvements focussed on Factory Waste, Giveaway, Production Throughput & Labelling.

- Offshore Operational (Maintenance) Planning: Co-facilitated large event with 17 Off- & Onshore personnel. Facilitated the delivery of a reduction in break-in hours to Maintenance Plan, 40 hours saved per week through transfer of Work Preparation to Offshore Team, Re-introduction of previous Technical Assistance role to gain back 30% of time focused on non-technical responsibilities.

Lynne Haddow

Impactara offer a range of services to unlock value and spark positive impact in every type of business.
We specialise in transforming performance using practical Lean, Agile and Design methods. We use our tools and techniques to help you think through challenges and get a clear picture of where your organisation is, where you want it to be, and how to get there. We help you make the most of current resources and guide you on your chosen path. We use proven frameworks to help you build a roadmap to a sustainable future.

Director and Improvement Coach

Extincts C.I.C.

We are a social enterprise aiming to mobilise the next generation of animal protectors. Through our digital collectibles app and circular economy clothing store, we support conservation charities that preserve endangered species and their habitats.

Co-Founder

LynneHaddow.com

Tailored, one-on-one, confidential coaching in English for non-native speakers.

Starting at the end of the last millennium, my teacher training began in 1998.
1998 - EFL teacher in Venice Italy
1999 - EFL teacher in Venice Italy
2005 - CELTA qualified, Glasgow, Scotland
2006 - EFL teacher in Venice, Italy and Catania, Sicily
2007 - EFL teacher in Doha, Qatar
2008 - EFL teacher in Viareggio, Tuscany
2009 - EFL teacher in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2010 - EFL & Science teacher in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2011 - EFL & Science teacher in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2012 - Masters in Applied Linguistics, Monash
2013 - EFL & Literacy Tutor, Alberta, Canada
2014 - EFL teacher & language coach in Brunei, Borneo
2015 - EFL teacher & language coach in Brunei, Borneo
2016 - EFL teacher & language coach in Brunei, Borneo
2017 - EFL teacher & language coach in Brunei, Borneo
2018 - EFL teacher & language coach in London, England

English Language Coach

Shell Expatriate Support Network

Editor

Sub Editor

English Foreign Language Teacher

Keyano College

Tutor Adult Literacy Program WRITE BREAK CANADA

Solar Turbines

I was offered a contract in Aberdeen, the Energy Capital of Scotland, which exposed me to life on the other side of the street. I was, coincidentally, the liaison for the Shell account. I found it extremely useful to know the customer’s processes so intimately.  I was able to create the documents in the exact format required by the customer to ensure they fit all their criteria and would be processed efficiently thereby facilitating fast payment. All companies have their own way of doing things and it was interesting to be involved in the supplier side. 
I landed a freelance position which meant I could go back to Italy that summer.

Project Administrator

Berlitz Corporation

Turkish, Egyptian and Jordanian, 40-something-year-old, male oil-field managers standing on chairs and tables pointing to their noses at 9pm on a Wednesday, during a game of ‘Simon Says’.  Business English is not fun after a full day’s work. They needed more motivation than most just to keep them awake.
In the afternoons I would go to student’s homes to give one-to-one lessons. They would grant me access through their high security gates and usher me into their formal reception rooms. My students were always excellent hosts who seemed to enjoy preparing treats for me. I discovered so many taste sensations from pink hibiscus tea to seriously sweet desserts. For me, the coffee was always the best part of my day.  Lebanese coffee, Turkish coffee, any coffee, I was well caffeinated whilst I was in the Middle East. After eleven months it was time to get out of the heat.

Romatre Project Architects Qatar

Office manager in an Italian architect’s firm in the country’s capital where one director spoke only Arabic and English, and the other spoke only Arabic and Italian. It was as if the job was made for me. I was tasked with creating human resource policies for the company as well as running the day to day office. My organisational skills were put to the test with controlling the directors’ diaries and taking meetings where I was both translator and minute taker. In the eleven months that I was with them, I learned a lot about how different business is in other countries.

Office Manager

English Language School 

Travelling around Italy was a dream come true. Every place I went was rich in culture, history and local delicacies. Each region, in fact each town, had its own way of doing things. From pasta sauces, to wine and desserts. Sicily is a stunningly beautiful island. Catania is a biggish city overshadowed by an active volcano. Listening to the Earth rumbling and seeing the red lava illuminating the night sky was spectacular. Waking up to a centimeter of grey ash covering the balcony some mornings was unnerving. I couldn’t stay. I searched for another job and found one in Qatar where my friend was living.

English Second Language Teacher

Every day is school day. One on my greatest passions is to learn. One of the greatest lessons I've learned is that change is hard, for everyone, but especially those who try to do it alone.

In the 80s I wanted to ‘Save The Whales’ and was inspired by Anita Roddick’s Body Shop principles of no cruelty to animals. I became vegetarian at 14 which did not impress my mother. Paradoxically, my first job after school was Office Junior at the Glasgow Meat Market. That was an eye opener. I learned a lot in that year. It prompted me to get straight back into full-time education. 

By the mid 90s I was convinced there had to be more to life so I ditched the business books and boarded a flight to a sunny Spanish island. That sealed my fate; I caught a serious case of wanderlust. Travel was now my top priority. France was next, where I worked in a Chateau with a hundred horses in stables. In my early 20s I left my heart in Italy, not with a man I hasten to add, but with a city - 'La Serenissima' Venice.  

I closed out the 20th century back home in Scotland working as a tiny cog in a monolithic machine to fund my future travels. I met my husband at the coffee machine there. After a while, they offered to pay me extra to work in other locations, first England, then Italy.

Shortly after celebrating my 30th, living in the metropolis that is Milan, I left the company and retrained as an English Foreign Language teacher. Then I moved back to vivacious Venice. Then on to Sicily, then Qatar, Aberdeen and Tuscany.  Travelling showed me, from the outside, how other people lived. Teaching English let me into their homes and their everyday lives.

After we got married my husband was offered a 3-year posting in Malaysia, then Canada, Borneo and lastly London. We’ve had some incredible adventures so far.

Fast forward to today and I’m knee deep in my forties, still wanting to save the whales, the orangutans, the oceans, the forests and all the other wonders of nature 💚🌍🌱

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The Battle

Locke Gilmour

Lynne Haddow

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