MICHAEL HUGGINS - Principal

15 years consulting experience including McKinsey & Company Led major turnarounds in manufacturing, resources, industrial goods, logistics and services companies. Deep expertise in commercial due diligence and working with private equity firms. Delivered results in UK, Canada, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand BE (1st Hons) (Manufacturing & Material Engineering) (Uni of QLD), PPE (Oxford)

Michael is a Principal with Partners in Performance (PIP), a firm specialising in transformational change capability building and delivering bottom line results. He brings a deep experience in optimising resource companies with Lean tools and methodologies. This involves extensive problem solving and engagement with management teams. He also brings experience as a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Co, and prior to that as an engineer with Rio Tinto. He also read economics at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.

CAREER SNAPSHOT

For PIP:

• Integrated business turn around of a zinc business utilising Lean tools: bottom line improvements of $18mpa while also increasing quality.
• Rail supply chain – Australia’s largest: Working with rail, ports, track and mining firms to increase revenue by 18%.
• Turnaround of a processing business: $18m in cost savings. Controlling contractor hours through transparent margins, clear KPIs and usage controls.
• Outsource contracts at major business ($20m improvement) Renegotiated key outsource contracts. Reduced costs for one contractor by 30%.
• Ran transformation program in a manufacturer: $30mpa in 15months. Increased revenue by 12% ($12m) and reduced costs ($18m) utilising Lean tools.
• Steel business: $20mpa in 9 months by increasing revenue by 44%.
• Synthetic rutile business: $20mpa in 9months by increasing production by 17% (with less than $1m in capital). Also saved $8mpa in cost savings.
• Metals business: renegotiated $15mpa of cost savings & $5m of downtime.
• Increased effectiveness of a processing business by 45% – increased the major bottlenecks including a 37% in D&B, & 45% in conveyor capacity.
• Increased revenue at a operating business by 12% - (KPIs, value driver trees, accountabilities visual Lean tools & ideas)
• Conducted independent review of a Queensland Coal Chain throughput – O’Donnell Review.
• Conducted organisational review of an Australian company’s logistics division.
• Identified infrastructure opportunities for an Australian coal company – up to 20% increase in capacity.
• Productivity improvement of assets in a infrastructure business – focuses on reliability, scheduling, utilisation, availability, load and performance management
• Infrastructure Performance - Lead a performance improvement initiative to improve performance. Utilised Visual Lean tools.
• Reduced contractor costs at a major Australian port. Management controls, ideas & Lean Procurement.
• Developed the Organisation Design & Operation Design for a major capital expansion. Includes supply chain issues.
• Increased bottom line results in a operating business by 15%. Increased production by improving planning, development, production, and availability.
• Improved operation performance in a resource business. Increased profit by $30mpa by increasing tonnes – utilised Lean methodologies.
• Improved planning processes in a resource company. Involved mapping the key process with Lean tools, and then refining the process & reduce costly errors.

For McKinsey & Company:

• Identified $60mpa benefits at one of Australia’s largest processing sites.
• Conducted integrated logistics review for major Australian business.
• Developed capital & operating improvements for a pulp & paper business.
• Developed growth strategy for a global mining company.
• Developed entry strategy for a retail business & health insurance business.

Michael also worked at Rio Tinto as an engineer.

EDUCATION AND INTERESTS

Michael was awarded a First Class Honours degree in Engineering at the University of Queensland (Manufacturing & Materials Engineering). As a Rhodes Scholar he completed a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University. Michael’s interests include swimming, rugby and playing the didgeridoo.