Derek Drysdale is the Chairman of LCI-UK. He is a chartered Civil Engineer, and previously chartered Nuclear Engineer, with 35 years’ experience at Senior Executive level within large Highways, Railways, Nuclear and General Construction organisations, and career responsibility for some £3 billion of infrastructures Projects in the UK and US.
Derek has had a passion for continuous improvement throughout his career having implemented Value Management Programmes in both Nuclear and Railway organisations. He is also trained in ‘Lean Sigma’ techniques.
Since his appointment in 2004 with the Highways Agency as Divisional Director Major Projects (North) he has led the Major Projects review Change Programme, implementing the findings of the Nichols and NAO reviews and subsequently responsible for the Technical Services Division. He was appointed in April 2009 Divisional Director Lean Improvement with the objective of improving value for money across the Highway Agencies £2.5 bn Supply Chain and internal business which was highly successful and resulted in over £150m of savings. Having left Highways England in December 2015 Derek is now a visiting Professor at Salford University School of the Built Environment and has a Consultancy specializing in Lean Construction. Derek lectures widely in Lean Construction both in the UK and abroad.