Harvey’s started his career as an engineering apprentice. A decade later he gained his professional degree sponsored by the Ford Motor Co to support his rapid promotion to the executive board and has enjoyed executive education in premium USA business schools over the last two decades where he has since lectured.
His career can be defined as the Automotive years, Danaher years and the “reluctant consultant” years with Lean manufacturing being the common thread throughout. The Automotive years ended in 1999 with his appointment as Managing Director to Morse controls, Colfax (sister company to Danaher) which was his first general management position. Following the successful divestiture of Morse controls to Teleflex in 2000 Harvey was appointed European president of TeleflexMorse in 2001 with multi-site and sector responsibility.
He was lured back into Danaher in 2004 to turn around the Hengstler business in Slovakia and became Hengstler president in the following year. A spell as the Danaher business system director preceded time as an operational VP with companies in the life sciences before leaving in 2011 to deal with a health event from which he had a speedy and mostly unexpected recovery.
Shortly after his surgery and against the advice of everybody Harvey walked 500 miles across northern Spain to reevaluate his options. On the final week of walking, he took an unexpected call from an ex-Danaher EVP and then CEO of Pall Corp to prepare Pall Europe as part of a strategy to tempt an acquirer which was successfully executed in 2015. Pall corporation valuation escalated from 4bn USD to 13.7bn in this 3-year period.
Harvey had the intention to retire at this point aged 53 but found himself to be enjoying work and felt that his experience could be useful to companies on a flexible basis which proved to be the case. The intensive exposure which followed many companies seeking to transform led him to reflect on his own successes (and failures). He realised that effective leadership and the mobilisation of engaged teams differentiates success from the many disappointing attempts at transformation. Please enquire for an initial free consultation and availability.
