Oliver Wight Appoint New Consultant From Caterpillar

Oliver Wight have appointed a new business improvement consultant to their European operation. Coming from Caterpillar, Dawn Dent is the second new Associate to join the firm in the past month.

Business improvement specialists, Oliver Wight EAME have appointed a new consultant for their European operation. Dawn Dent who joins from Caterpillar, is the second new consultant to join the firm in the last month.

Oliver Wight EAME CEO, Les Brookes says, "Dawn has huge global experience on both the demand and supply side of one of the world's best known manufacturing brands. Her skills are a very valuable asset to our team."

Dent has spent more than 30 years in industry and says one of the most common characteristics of organisations is their focus on product and people management. "Process management tends to be neglected. To an extent that's because today's senior executives have risen up through functionally-structured organisations where you do well if you are a good leader of people or manager of product. But in my experience, those companies that give equal focus to process have a much healthier business as a result; particularly from a structural cost perspective.

During her time at Caterpillar, Dent was responsible for an Oliver Wight Class A programme for Planning and Control and the evolution of the organisation's global S&OP process into Integrated Business Planning. As global process manager, she took a lead role in the worldwide implementation of the company's new SAP ERP system. She is also an experienced practitioner of the Oliver Wight Proven Path to business excellence: "Once I'd learned the methodology, I just couldn't help but use it every day. When you know something works you just naturally apply it," she says.

Dent has a BA in Modern Languages from Bradford University, and has lived and worked in France and Germany. She speaks French, German and Italian.