Lee Townsend

Background

About Lee Townsend

I’m a learning and development professional with a foundation in engineering and project delivery—bringing a unique blend of strategic insight, operational rigour, and people-centred leadership to every challenge I take on. With experience spanning global FMCG environments, large-scale infrastructure projects, and high-performance manufacturing, I’ve led transformative learning initiatives that drive capability, culture, and commercial value. From designing competency-based development pathways and coaching frameworks at Unilever, to launching site-wide apprenticeship programmes and training academies in manufacturing, my work consistently aligns learning with business outcomes. Earlier in my career, I delivered complex engineering projects at Kier and Perkins, managing multi-million-pound portfolios across water infrastructure and manufacturing systems. This grounding in technical delivery informs my approach to learning—ensuring it’s not just engaging, but operationally relevant and strategically impactful. I’m passionate about building inclusive, high-performance cultures through leadership development, psychological safety, and purpose-driven learning. Whether rolling out global platforms like Workday Learning or embedding Lean and Six Sigma principles into frontline training, I focus on scalable solutions that unlock potential at every level.