Keith W Bell
European supplier quality specialist

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My background and experience

First, the basics

I am a British citizen. I was born on December 14, 1956 in Scotland’s capital city of Edinburgh, where I grew up and was educated at Trinity Academy, Stevenson College and Napier University. Although a chemist by qualification, I have spent most of my working life in the electronics field, largely in the space and defence sector, and I have a practical understanding of digital and analogue electronic systems design and function. I also hold recognised qualifications in quality control methods and quality assurance management from the City and Guilds of London Institute and the Institute of Quality Assurance, and I have taken many other short courses in quality systems auditing, statistical methods, and assorted business and management topics.

Some career history

1978

Throughout 1978 I was a Materials Engineer for Lothian Electric Machines Limited (Lemac). With two factories in Haddington and a Research & Development facility in North Berwick, Scotland, Lemac designed and manufactured fractional horsepower electric motors, and rotor/stator units for hermetically sealed systems. More about my experience with Lemac

1979–1984

After leaving Lemac, in 1979 I joined Ferranti Defence Systems Limited in Edinburgh, Scotland. I was employed as an engineer in the Reliability Group of the Navigation Systems Department, concerned with predicting, demonstrating and improving the reliability of the company’s space and defence electronics products. More about my experience with Ferranti

1984–1987

After more than five years with Ferranti, I moved to the American computer and software manufacturer, Wang Laboratories. I took up a post carrying a range of responsibilities in the Engineering Department at the company’s new production facility in Stirling, Scotland. From this base, Wang built and distributed desktop computers for the markets of Europe, Africa and the Middle East. More about my experience with Wang

1987–1989

I left Wang to take up the post of Quality Manager with Bepi Circuits Limited, a major UK printed circuit board fabricator. Located at the focus of the printed circuit industry in the Borders region of Scotland, Bepi manufactured multilayer PCBs for major telecoms, commercial and military contractors throughout the UK and Europe. More about my experience with Bepi

1989–1991

In 1989 I was appointed Technical and Quality Manager with a Scottish division of GEC-Marconi Limited, then the largest defence electronics group in the UK. More about my experience with GEC-Marconi

1991–2000

I left GEC-Marconi to set up a consultancy business with a friend and former colleague. As Product Reliability & Quality Limited (PRQ), we specialised in the fields of quality, engineering and technology transfer. We served UK government, European Commission and private sector clients across a range of industries, but particularly small and medium-sized companies in the electronics sector. More about my experience with PRQ

2000–present

Latterly in my time with PRQ, I undertook a significant amount of vendor surveillance work on behalf of a major American defence contractor. I enjoyed that type of work; which, coupled with the fact that I wanted to develop business in a completely different field that was not a natural fit with PRQ’s portfolio of services, led me to the decision to leave the company I had set up several years earlier. PRQ continues to operate under the direction of my former business partner, but in January 2000, I began to work independently. My recent experience

Not forgetting…

A few points that may be useful for business:

  • I am single, I am free to travel, and I have undertaken extended residential assignments in Sweden and Germany.
  • I speak French in addition to my native English.
  • I have excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • I hold a full, valid and clean UK driving licence.
  • I am highly computer literate, and I am proficient with a range of common business and other software applications.

Sound useful?

If you think I might have the kind of experience you need to help with one of your projects, please contact me and we can discuss matters further.