I founded S A Partners in 1994 as a spin-out from my activities in running the Lean Enterprise Research Centre at Cardiff University. Before this I worked in supply chain in distribution and manufacturing industries. I have a degree from Cambridge University and an MBA and PhD from Cardiff University. I am also an accredited Senior Shingo Facilitator and Visiting Professor at Waterford Institute of Technology.
Prof. Peter Hines: Founder
I have a passionate belief in Lean and how it can transform businesses. As I have half a foot in the consulting world and half in academia, I enjoy helping leaders to apply lean in a rigorous and sustainable way. I like to push the boundaries of Lean and develop leading-edge Thought Leadership on how this can be done.
My consulting career (and the precursor to S A Partners) started in 1990 when I left industry to devote more time to my MBA study and needed an income stream. Since this point I have continued to consult, research, learn and develop new Thought Leadership. This has resulted in a series of 10 books (the last 2 receiving Shingo Prizes), white papers, webinars, education courses and consulting offerings.
I have worked across a very wide range of manufacturing and service organisations both in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. My early work was with firms like Toyota where I assisted them in setting up their Supplier Development activity before working with forms such as Tesco, Corus (now part of Tata), Mars as well as a range of smaller organisations. People say that my thought process and philosophy is the ‘nearest thing they have seen to Toyota outside of Toyota’ and that I can generally open their ideas to how to achieve the next big step forward.
After acting as Chairman for the first 23 years of S A Partners, I have now focused my attentions back on heading up Thought Leadership, combining my role with a part time role at Waterford Institute of Technology.
Outside S A Partners, I work part time at Waterford Institute of Technology as well as other worldwide Universities. At home I tend runner beans, play golf, manage a herd of rabbits and help disadvantaged children affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.