Senior executive.
Global operator.
Hands-on by nature.
Grant Phipps
Principal Consultant (B.Eng.)
A commercial and operational leader with more than forty years of experience building, scaling and fixing businesses across the United Kingdom, Europe, the USA, the Gulf and Asia.
Career highlights include full P&L responsibility as Group CEO of a major private equity-backed industrial group based in Kuwait, leading four manufacturing facilities with over 500 employees, seven trade outlets across the GCC and global sales and marketing operations.
Proven success in accelerating the growth of two private equity-backed portfolio companies in the UK, delivering rapid commercial expansion and operational improvement.
Sector expertise spans engineering and industrial manufacturing, infrastructure and construction, technology services and sales and marketing.
A key differentiator is extensive international market expansion experience, having successfully guided three US-based companies into the UK and European markets, establishing sustainable operations, building high-performing teams and delivering profitable growth.
Commercially led, technically grounded and hands-on by nature - the combination of strategic judgement and operational delivery that is rarely found in a single hire.
Consentum is led by Grant Phipps as Principal Consultant. Clients engage Grant directly - and that direct access is maintained throughout every assignment. Where a project requires broader specialist capability, Grant assembles a small, trusted group of experienced associates with sector-specific and geographic expertise matched to the work. This provides clients with senior-led delivery and specialist depth, without the overhead or complexity of a large consultancy firm.
Clive Hawkes
Principal Consultant - Certification & Technical Compliance
A highly experienced technical and quality specialist with more than 37 years' experience in the water industry, including senior roles with internationally recognised certification organisations.
Clive brings exceptional technical authority across water fittings, product testing, inspection and certification, with particular expertise in the UK Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, UK Regulators Specification requirements, backflow prevention and sanitary products.
His career combines deep technical knowledge with senior responsibility for ISO/IEC 17025 testing laboratories and ISO/IEC 17065 certification operations, including quality management, certification scheme governance, product evaluation and regulatory compliance.
Clive has worked extensively with global manufacturers, regulators, accreditation bodies and industry organisations, providing technical guidance on certification requirements and supporting manufacturers through complex product evaluation and compliance processes.
A recognised technical expert, Clive has contributed to BSI and Government-level working groups, national and international Expert Groups and Technical Committees, helping shape, interpret and harmonise standards, guidance and certification schemes.
His experience also extends to the development and leadership of technical teams, having recruited, trained and mentored technical assessors, inspectors and certification engineers.
Technically authoritative, independently minded and deeply experienced in water regulation and certification, Clive provides clients with specialist knowledge developed through decades of hands-on industry experience.
Frank Gallagher
Principal Consultant - Manufacturing & Operations
An international manufacturing and operations leader with more than 20 years' experience transforming industrial businesses across the United Kingdom, Europe, the GCC and Asia.
Frank has held senior operational and general management positions across complex manufacturing environments, with responsibility spanning production, engineering, maintenance, quality, supply chain, logistics, HSE and commercial performance.
His experience includes full P&L responsibility, multi-site operations, major CAPEX programmes, factory relocations and commissioning, ERP-driven production planning and the leadership of multicultural teams of more than 400 employees.
A particular strength is turning operational underperformance into measurable commercial improvement. Frank has delivered substantial gains in OEE, productivity, on-time delivery, material utilisation and cost reduction, using Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, SMED, preventative maintenance, process optimisation and data-led performance management.
His international experience is particularly valuable, having led operations and major projects across the United Kingdom, India, UAE, Oman, Romania, Denmark and Saudi Arabia, including new factory and production-line commissioning and large-scale operational transformation.
Frank combines hands-on manufacturing expertise with strategic leadership, giving clients practical access to someone who understands how to move from operational strategy to implementation on the factory floor.
Commercially focused, operationally rigorous and experienced across multiple manufacturing technologies and international markets, Frank brings the practical leadership required to improve performance, reduce waste and deliver sustainable operational change.
Career Highlights
General Manager - Operations, Polyfab LLC
Head of Group Operations - Fluorocarbon Polymers
Director of International Business Development - Berkshire Hathaway Group (Marmon Holdings/RLS)
Global Production Planner - Emtelle UK
General Manager - Fluorocarbon Polymers, Romania
Group CEO - Muna Noor Manufacturing, Oman and Dubai
General Manager - Oman & Saudi Project Operations, Muna Noor Manufacturing
Managing Director Europe and GM Texas USA - Improved Piping Products
Business Development Director - Pipelife Group
Managing Director - Dart Valley Systems
Technical & Quality Manager - Kiwa Watertec
Managing Director - Watts UK
Commercial Director / Technical Director - Reliance Water Controls
Global Credentials
Direct working experience across major regions - with the commercial relationships, regulatory understanding and cultural fluency that only come from operating in-market.
United Kingdom
Deep operational, commercial and technical experience across the United Kingdom, spanning senior leadership in manufacturing, engineering, distribution, certification and services, with well-established professional and industry networks.
Europe
Commercial, operational and manufacturing experience across Continental European markets, including cross-border expansion, distributor network development, regulatory navigation, manufacturing transformation and the relocation of production operations, with direct experience in Romania and Denmark.
USA
Market entry and commercial expansion in North American markets, with direct P&L leadership experience, including executive leadership appointments under a US-sponsored H-1B visa.
GCC
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman and the wider Middle East - spanning government-adjacent contracts and joint ventures, manufacturing operations, new factory and production-line commissioning, project delivery and large-scale operational improvement.
Asia
Regional expansion, manufacturing and general management across Asian markets, including India - covering market development, distributor and partner networks, production, product development and workforce development.
Qualifications & Professional Memberships
- Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIM)
- Member of the Institute of Directors (MInstD)
- Member of the Institute of Engineering Designers (MIED)
- Member of the Institute of Engineers (EngTec)
- Associate Member, Institute of Quality Assurance (AMIQA)
- Member of the Institute of Refrigeration (MIOP)
- Associate Member, Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
- MSc Supply Chain & Operations Management - University of Glasgow
- Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt - Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh
- MCIPS - Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply
- Health & Safety for Managers
Industry and Technical Expertise
Sector knowledge built through direct operational responsibility - not advisory familiarity. The combined disciplines the Consentum team has led at a senior level:
- HVAC systems - valves, controls, piping, heating and air conditioning
- Water treatment engineering - RO, demineralisation, softening and filtration
- Plastics manufacturing - extrusion, pipe and tube, moulding, fabrication and polymer processing
- Mechanical and electrical assembly
- Product certification and compliance - ISO/IEC 17025 and 17065, water fittings regulations and backflow prevention
- Engineering, design and product development
- Manufacturing and plant management - multi-site operations, P&L responsibility, CAPEX and operational turnaround
- Operational excellence - Lean, Six Sigma, OEE, SMED, TPM and continuous improvement
- Supply chain, procurement and logistics - S&OP, production planning, strategic sourcing and inventory
- Quality, HSE and compliance - quality management, health and safety and environmental compliance
- Sustainability and resource efficiency - recycling, material recovery and waste reduction
- Multi-site, multicultural and international team leadership (500+ employees)
Ready to talk?
Initial conversations carry no obligation and are treated in strict confidence.
Arrange a Confidential Conversation