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.

Natalia Kerr

New Pattern Upskilling Ltd.

Director

When my husband and I decided to set up our own limited company, my administrative experience put me in a good position to become a Director. As the business grew, so did my skills and knowledge. I took charge of my own development to be able to adapt quickly and support our growing team with the onboarding, invoicing, expenses, liaising with our clients and suppliers. My customer service skills, gained in the Hospitality sector, became extremely useful. I believe in polite, timely communication and always try my best to help. When my working hours extended into evenings and weekends, it was time to employ administrative assistants. 

In November 2019 our business account manager nominated me for the Santander Women Business Leaders mentoring programme and this was when I realised how much my position in the company has changed. 

Leading a business is a process of continuous evolvement and change. Some changes can be unexpected and not always positive. The growth and survival of an SME depends on how well the leaders and the team manage to turn the change around and use it to the company’s benefit.

The lockdown of 2020 meant that we had to quickly find the new ways of supporting our clients remotely and collaborate effectively as a team from our home locations. This also involved establishing more robust company structure, policies and procedures. I relied on our skilled and experienced team members to keep me right. Together we developed our virtual training courses and began building an online presence. I believe our exceptional team is the company’s greatest achievement. And if I am to be considered a leader – I would like to be known for my servant leadership.

I am now using my strengths which are in the administrative and financial areas, expanding my accounting and payroll knowledge and business start-up skills to become more independent when it comes to managing the company and the new businesses in the future.

Entrepreneurs are not born, they are made.

School, Shop, Charity, Home

I used to shy away from telling my potential employers about taking a 7-year career break to raise my family. This had a lot to do with the social conditioning and the fact that a long break from employment was considered a major career set back.

Today, I feel proud of this choice, because I see the positive impact it had on my daughters. 
This also enabled us to take on a house renovation project and even move, as a family, for an expatriate assignment to Canada with my husband’s job.

I did feel the restlessness and wanted to contribute to the family budget, so the part-time, flexible jobs were ideal. I worked as a playgroup leader, shop assistant and volunteered for charities. The best undertaking by far was joining a sewing group to learn to make Scottish Kilts. Not many people realise what a tremendous task it is to hand-sew the traditional Scottish attire.

When I was ready to get back into full-time employment, I admit, it was difficult to see myself in any particular role. Most administrative, retail and hospitality jobs available to me at the time involved working long, inflexible hours. I wanted to be able to still be there for my children when they came home from school.

Setting up our own business was an opportunity to retain that flexibility while working from home. I did not foresee the years of hard work ahead which it took to establish our company with just the two of us, but I can honestly say that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

If there is no suitable job for you out there – create your own dream job.

Playgroup Leader, Shop Assistant, Kilt-maker, Volunteer, Full-time Mum

Trump Turnberry, a Luxury Collection Resort, Scotland

Spa Receptionist, Spa Head Receptionist, Resort Sales Coordinator

South Beach Hotel

Hotel Receptionist

Having moved to Scotland in my early twenties, I have now lived and worked in the UK longer than in Russia. When people ask where I am from, I always answer with pride and still feel very much Russian at heart. I have come to realise that it has been incredible to be able to combine the two cultures, while choosing to keep the best of both. I remember being surprised with the local young people’s opinions of Scotland in the 90’s – it was too wet, too dull and there was nothing to do. This played a big part in my choice of Higher Education – I decided to study Tourism and got to see Scotland from a completely different point of view. Ever since then, I advocate Scotland as the most beautiful country in the World with the most fascinating history, culture and friendly, easy-going inhabitants. Scotland has taught me to love people.

What else did Scotland teach me? 
To have genuine conversations with complete strangers using the weather as a conversation starter
To go out in the rain and not take an umbrella
To embrace the high waves and the strong winds of the North Sea
To stay calm while letting the storms of life blow over 
To strive to always be inclusive and open minded
To allow my children choose their own path
To feel grateful for the life I have managed to build and keep paying it forward
To hand-sew a kilt so I would never be out of work in Scotland
That it is possible to get your dream job
That creating a job for yourself is hard work, but also achievable
That life-long learning is the lifestyle for me

As a Russian, I am proud of my academic achievements, especially my Master’s Degree. For an individual who came to the UK speaking basic English, MSc with Distinction feels very special. A Higher English grade from college (my most recent achievement) has brought out my creative side – I enjoy writing essays and poetry in both languages.  

My daughters have inherited my love of music and we can be found, often, in the kitchen singing and playing guitar together. 

Also as a Russian, I tend to worry and look for negatives in the challenges I often face, but my other half Gary helps to balance this by simply being one of the most positive people on Earth. 

Running our business together with Gary has been full of extreme highs and lows, especially in 2020. By far, the best thing that happened during this time is that our company has learned to function as a high performing team of admirable individuals who are also now great friends.


taplio

The Battle

Locke Gilmour

Natalia Kerr

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?