Fred Dobb

Fred Dobb BSc, CEng, CQP, FIMechE, FCQI, IRCA Principal Auditor Has had over 50 years’ successful experience in industry including 25 years working all over the world as a management consultant and a lead auditor for accredited certification bodies. His career started with a 6 year apprenticeship as a mechanical and electrical technician with British Rail. At the end of this apprenticeship he was transferred to the design office having obtained national certificates in both mechanical and electrical engineering. He then won a scholarship to attend a 3-year full time engineering degree course at the University of Wales. He gained further experience over several years as design engineer and plant engineer at British Rail, Monsanto, British Aluminium, International Nickel and Dunlop. This was then followed by an extended period at the Royal Ordnance Factories as Quality Engineer, Factory Chief Inspector, Design and Development Manager, and finally as the Production Manager of a large ammunition design and manufacturing facility. Following the privatization of the Royal Ordnance Factories he became Quality Manager at Saunders Valve; then the founder Director of the Wales Quality Centre; then the Quality Manager and Principal Consultant at WS Atkins. During this period from 1974 to 1989 he was implementing and auditing quality management systems to AQAP-1, Def Stan O5-21 and BS 5750. He became an IRCA QMS Principal Auditor in 1989. Over the last 25+ years, he has been a lead auditor and the operations manager/director of several accredited certification bodies. He has carried out thousands ISO 9001 audits all over the world. Until recently he was the owner of a management consultancy and has successfully documented and implemented ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001 management systems into many and diverse organizations. He is the author of ISO 9000 Quality Registration Step by Step first published in 1996 which was so successful it has been re-issued/printed 3 times helping 100s to achieve ISO 9001 accredited certification.