David Nicholls is an experienced manager with over 20 years of experience in leadership roles in logistics, dairy, wine, and engineering industries. He has 8 years of experience in operational excellence, lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement. Nicholls currently volunteers at a hospice and is seeking a new management position where he can apply his skills in people management, process improvement, problem solving, and lean methodology.

1. David Allan Nicholls
Contact Details
226 Frankley Road
Frankleigh Park
New Plymouth
Taranaki
027 2819169
d.nicholls226@gmail.com
Personal statement
Problems are gold – Problems are the gap between current state and the desired
state and they should always be seen as great unplanned opportunities to improve.
Regardless of what industry you are in, the processes of Continuous Improvement are
exactly the same. You just have to know and understand what those processes are and
how to use them to better your business.
I am an experienced manager having been in leadership roles for over 20 years in 4
different industries. Logistics / Warehousing & Distribution is where I started my
Management career and have since then lead teams in the Dairy; Wine & Engineering
industries. I also have a lot of experience in Project Management and now for over 8
years, Operational Excellence / Lean Manufacturing / Continuous Improvement.
People & Processes deliver Results - It is vital to any business that Continuous
Improvement is applied to both.
Volunteer Work
 I currently volunteer 8 hours per week at the West Town Hospice in New
Plymouth.
Skills
Manufacturing Management
 Dairy (FMCG), Wine, Meat & Engineering.
 Owned my own business for 5 years in a service environment.
 Experience with multi-functional roles.
 H&S & Quality Management.
 People development, Coaching & Mentoring.

2. Process, People & Project Management
 I have been in people leadership positions for over 20 years.
 Leadership positions have been in Manufacturing and Warehousing /
Distribution areas in the Dairy (FMCG), Wine & Engineering industries.
 Planning and analytical skills with Exceptional interpersonal and
communication skills.
 Leadership & Project Management coaching to Leadership Teams &
Improvement trainees.
 Business Planning & Managing Business Plan Projects.
 People development and Mentoring.
Change Management / Continuous Improvement
 Operational Excellence.
 Lean Manufacturing Management.
 Leadership & Change Management coaching.
 Implementing & Managing Change using Lean Methodology.
 Create & Improve workplace Culture.
 Develop & Implement Continuous Improvement processes.
 Coach and Mentor all aspects of Operational Excellence / Lean.
Lean Manufacturing
 Over 7 Years’ experience.
 Coaching & Mentoring.
 Problem Solving using Lean methodology,
 Full understanding of Lean tools – 5S, Kaizen, One piece flow, TW, L&MC,
VPM, 8 Wastes, Gemba, PDCA, Theory of Constraints, etc...............
 Lean Leadership.
Structured Problem Solving
 Full understanding of DMAIC Processes & Tools.
 Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
 Have lead & coached Structured Problem solving for over 7 years.
 PDCA.
Warehousing & Distribution
 Over 7 Years of Warehousing & Distribution experience in a leadership /
Management role. (Over 20 years’ experience in people management.)
 H&S & Quality Management.
 Experienced in FMCG in the Dairy industry and in the Wine industry.
 Local market & export distribution experience.
 Inventory Control.

3. Education / Qualifications
 Diploma & National Certificate in Management. (NZIM – 2010)
 Diploma in Lean Manufacturing Management. (NZIM & NZQA – 2009)
 Completion of Apprenticeshipin Mechanical Engineering. (1982 – 1986)
 4 Years Secondary Schooling at Opunake High School. (1978 – 1982)
Work history
Continuous Improvement Manager, Tru-Test Group, Normanby, Taranaki.
August 2013 – June 2016.
 All Business and Process Improvements on Site using Lean
Methodology.
 Project Management.
 Production / Manufacturing Management Coaching & Mentoring.
 Management of all H&S and Quality processes & systems on site.
 Leadership, Change & Lean Manufacturing Coaching & Mentoring.
 Projects in the learning and application of Continuous Improvement
practices.
 Training, Coaching & Mentoring to the Leadership Team and
production staff on Problem Solving, Project Management, Leadership
Behavior, Motivation, Communication, Conflict Resolution,
Performance Management, Business Plan Development and Workload
Prioritizing.
Operational Excellence Lead, Site Snr Management Team, Fonterra, Collingwood
St, Eltham, Taranaki.
June 2008 – July 2013.
 Leadership, development and direction of 6 staff.
 Site wide Project management.
 Lean Manufacturing / Operational Excellence Coaching & Mentoring of
OE staff and Management at Fonterra Bridge St Eltham, Fonterra
Brands Palmerston North & Fonterra Kapiti Te Roto Dr Paraparaumu.
 Business & Process Improvements.
 Production line efficiency projects.
 Development of OE A3 business plans and managing projects.
 Coaching & Development of site leadership team on Lean principles.
 Manage and coach all structured problem solving sessions for the site.

4. Warehousing & Distribution Lead, Wineworks Marlborough.
July 2007 – June 2008.
 Leadership of 7 staff.
 Responsible for all storage, road transport & container loading.
 Inventory Control.
 Quality Compliance / H&S standards.
Production Team Lead, Fonterra, Collingwood St, Eltham, Taranaki.
December 2002 – June 2007.
 Leadership, training and direction of 73 staff.
 Quality Processes / Systems.
 H&S, Compliance / Food Safety.
 Planning and maintaining production schedules of 6 production lines.
 Experienced on East Wing and West Wing Production areas.
 Maintaining and improving a high level of H&S, Quality, Customer and
Cost Control focus.
Warehousing & Dispatch Manager, Pastoral Foods (NZ) LTD, Eltham.
November 1994 – March 2000.
 Leadership & Direction of 46 staff.
 Responsible for all storage, road transport & export container loading.
 Supply of products to and from all production areas.
 Inventory Control.
 Dry goods, powders & raw products management.
 H&S & Quality Compliance.
Interests
 Fishing.
 Motorbikes.
 Meeting People.
 House renovations.
 Spending time with my family and friends.
Referees
Paul Turner
Site Manager
Tru-Test, Normanby
027 746 6372
Paul.Turner@trutest.co.nz

5. Marcus Warren
Methanex
021 506063
mwarren@methanex.com
Rameez Khan
Group Leader
Tru-Test, Normanby
06 272 8824
021 475 379
Rameez.Khan@trutest.co.nz
Jenny Murphy
Operational Excellence Project Coordinator
Fonterra LNI
06 764 5821
027 705 6282
Jenny.murphy@fonterra.com