Eddie McGowan 

Vice President, European Operations

Eddie is an industry veteran with over 25 years operational experience gained with IBM and Compaq Computers and more than 10 years as a management consultant. His industry experience embraced a range of management roles, latterly at a senior level, including being a member of the senior staff management team at Compaq reporting directly to the MD.

His industry management roles include Training & Development, PR & Communications, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality Conformance (ISO9002) and Internal Audit. He lead the worldwide implementation of MRPII for the Compaq Computer Corporation in the late 1980’s when the Scotland facility took the lead role in its implementation. It was at that time that Eddie first worked with Mike Stickler - a friendship and business relationship that remains strong to this day.

In 1992 Eddie left industry to take up a role with Scotland’s Economic Development Agency as founder executive of the Scottish Electronics Forum - a private/public sector partnership dedicated to supporting the electronics sector. This role afforded Eddie the opportunity to broaden his skill set to include economic development - particularly its role in supporting manufacturing industry.

Eddie has now added more than 10 years management consulting experience to his portfolio of skills having run his own consulting business for 3 years prior to joining Optimat Management Consultants at the end of 2001.