Clinton Yeats

Clinton has been involved with numerous companies, organisations and government agencies in New Zealand in the development and implementation of operational and business improvement programmes. Clinton is a “Lean Thinking” specialist with a strategic focus on the design and implementation of business improvement programmes including the training and development of staff at all levels.

Prior to moving to New Zealand in 2004, Clinton’s career spanned 18 years in the motor industry in South Africa, the UK and Japan. Between 2000 and 2004, Clinton was Project Manager with Nissan Motor Company Ltd Japan. Clinton managed new vehicle development programmes for the European market. Clinton was responsible for the overall production plan for new vehicles and the achievement of QCD targets.

As Production Engineer, then Engineering Manager at Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd between 1990 and 1999, Clinton was responsible for the management of engineering and production teams. He managed multiple concurrent projects in vehicle and process development and in plant preparation. The continuous improvement (“Kaizen”) of the manufacturing process through “Lean Thinking” was a central function within this role. Within this period, Clinton was involved in numerous supplier development programmes throughout the European supply chain.

In South Africa, Clinton started his career in product development at Toyota Manufacturing SA Ltd following the completion of his academic studies in mechanical engineering.