About us
Winnow Business Improvement Services Ltd was formed in 2006 by Carl Benbow. With access to specialist associates in Operations & Supply Chain which has resulted in many organisations delivering significant profit improvement and business ‘turnarounds’.
Carl is a highly experienced consultant focusing on Business Operational Improvement and Business Transformation, with a particular specialism in Engineering Project Management, Six Sigma, Lean Business Processes, Change Management & Developing Effective Teams.
He has global experience working on operational improvement projects, leadership development, training and coaching. He has worked across sectors including food, automotive, energy, pharmaceutical, aerospace, defence, insurance, engineering and construction with well known clients including GE, Ford, Lear, Warburton’s, Greenvale, Eurocell, Redland, Tarmac, PB Gelatins, Zotefoams, BBraun, Chemring and GKN. Also supporting other successful tier 1 consultancies such as Root2Lean & Team Integra.
As a Master Blackbelt and Lean Practitioner he has experience of both delivering projects but also training and resourcing clients to develop their own in-house capabilities to manage operational/continuous improvement programmes. He has trained and mentored several hundred practitioners to become Six Sigma and Lean practitioners in both manufacturing and transactional environments.
Carl is a great believer in applying the correct combination of tools and techniques, above all though, he takes a human perspective to change, recognising that while systems may need to change, people are at the heart of every business and people transformation through attitudes and behaviour is as important as systems and procedural change in the execution & delivery of results.
Before moving into consulting Carl had direct business experience at a senior level working in the engineering sector where he started as a mechanical engineering apprentice at GKN and progressed to Lear Corporation delivering significant projects and programmes as a tier one supplier. This is where he developed his own continuous improvement skills and trained as a Lean Practitioner and Six Sigma Master Blackbelt. He was responsible for Continuous Improvement covering Europe and Africa (54 Plants and 9 Service centres) and reported to VP of Operations Europe & Africa and VP Global Continuous Improvement at Lear. During this time he both acquired experience in working with international teams and also in multiple and complex environments.
Although Carl is adept in delivering and implementing projects, training and coaching his clients, his biggest drive is when faced with transformation projects. He thrives on developing and nurturing a change culture through engagement of people and delivery of results, ultimately leading to the sense of satisfaction when his clients become self sufficient and no longer need his help.
