Darren Walsh

Lean Leadership Coach | Board & Advisory Partner | CEO, AME UK & Ireland

Darren is a senior Lean leadership coach and transformation practitioner who helps executive teams move from reactive firefighting to structured, leader-led continuous improvement systems that deliver predictable performance and profitable growth. He works closely with boards and senior leadership teams to align strategy with execution, redesign leadership routines, and embed management systems that unlock sustainable results.

With over 30 years of experience across manufacturing, healthcare, aerospace, financial services, technology, distribution, and the public sector, Darren brings a strong ability to bridge boardroom strategy with operational execution. He focuses on identifying the few systemic constraints limiting performance and enabling organisations to address them through disciplined leadership and structured improvement systems.

Darren has led transformation programmes with organisations including Sony Aiwa, Sega, Boston Scientific, Parker Hannifin, and Zodiac Aerospace, and spent nearly nine years working with the Lean Institute supporting organisations that struggled to make Lean and continuous improvement sustainable. He has trained and coached more than 1,200 senior leaders internationally, including leadership teams at Adidas, Baker Hughes, Siemens, GE, NHS, Transport for London, Mars, Mann+Hummel, TechnipFMC, and DLL Financial Services.

His expertise spans Lean leadership, strategy deployment, daily management systems, governance, and value stream alignment. Darren’s approach focuses on leadership behaviour and mindset, embedding improvement into daily work, clarifying ownership of problem-solving, and designing systems that sustain performance beyond short-term initiatives.

Delivered Results

• 50%–200% improvement in site-wide productivity
• 2–3× increase in output without additional headcount
• On-time delivery improvement from 45% to over 90%
• Up to 80% reduction in lead time (e.g. healthcare pathways reduced from 52 weeks to 6 weeks)
• Significant labour cost reduction (up to 65%)
• Sustained performance improvements across complex, multi-site and regulated environments

Education & Certifications

• MSc in Lean Management, Lean Enterprise Research Centre, Cardiff Business School
• Originally trained as an Industrial Engineer
• Certified Zenger-Miller Leadership Instructor
• Prosci Change Management Practitioner
• Board Chair and Advisory experience across organisations

Thought Leadership

Darren is the author of A Leader’s Guide to Making Lean & Continuous Improvement Work (Routledge Productivity Press), which was awarded the Shingo Publication Award, one of the highest international recognitions in operational excellence.

He has appeared in leading industry publications and events including Lean Toolbox, Lean Post, The Independent, Planet Lean, The Manufacturer, Lean Global Connection, and the Lean Enterprise Summit, and has contributed to multiple global Lean and operational excellence platforms.