Simon Pulford

Continuous Improvement Expert

Greater Cheshire West and Chester Area

About

Over 20 years’ experience in Business Operations Excellence I have become a highly skilled leader, coach & mentor. With extensive international travel including Russia, China, Europe and North America my skill base includes Vision & Strategic Planning, Leadership Coaching & Team Creation, Lean / Continuous Improvement, Culture Change, Customer & Quality Development, Budget Setting & Execution. With these skills and more I am able to create and lead team towards their goals.

Experience

  • Continuous Improvement Manager at Knauf
    Aug 2025 - Present · 1 yr

  • Operations Consultant at SP OPEX
    Apr 2023 - Aug 2025 · 2 yrs 5 mos

    Supporting local and international business's with Continuous Improvement, Business Strategy and Leadership Coaching

  • Production Director at The EMS Group
    Jun 2022 - Apr 2023 · 11 mos

  • Director of Continuous Improvement, Quality Management Systems & Safety at Knauf
    Jul 2020 - Jun 2022 · 2 yrs

  • Armstrong World Industries (10 yrs 10 mos)
    • Director of Operations Excellence Europe, Russia & Asia
      Feb 2017 - Jun 2022 · 5 yrs 5 mos

      As part the European Leadership Team I lead a team in various locations coaching, mentoring and training people to help them reach their targets focusing on vision & strategy, sales & marketing, quality / customer service, manufacturing productivity and P&L cost control. In addition to this role since November 2017 I have being part of the execution team leading the acquisition of Armstrong by Knauf a major building product manufacturer. This is an extremely complex take over, a ‘carve out’ of a ‘carve out’. My main areas of focus are the transition of I.T. systems, manufacturing & supply chain operations and the sales / marketing & commercial excellence process. - $95M green field manufacturing facility in Russia - Meeting annual EBITDA goal of 8% each year - Establishing a European Leadership Team - Creating ‘Strategic Road Map’ tool to align all facilities with the company vision & goals

    • Plant Manager (Lean Ops Ex SME)
      Jan 2016 - Apr 2017 · 1 yr 4 mos

      Facility / plant manager blending existing role as European Lean / Operations Excellence SME. Running a highly successful facility with best Safety record in the company, lowest quality issues in the plants history. Record volumes produced and the people changed from the poor old fashioned management style to my modern leadership style creating a team of followers rather then down trodden workers

    • European Lean Deployment Director
      Sep 2011 - Dec 2015 · 4 yrs 4 mos