The journey to becoming a CQI Fellow with Dave Treadwell

Dave Treadwell, VSUK Quality Manager and subregion Coordinator for VSNE covering Holland and Germany, takes us through his experience of becoming a CQI Fellow and what others should consider when applying for the grade.

A Fellow is a prestigious designation awarded to those who have made significant contributions to the quality profession.

Fellowship in the CQI recognises extraordinary contributions to the profession.

Fellows continue to support and lead the profession through the CQI and their peers. Postnominals ‘CQP FCQI’ are exclusive to CQI fellows.

When did you start working in the quality field?

My Valeo career spans 21 years. I started in the operations team, moved into a technical role, and then into a quality role 11 years ago. As a result, I was able to gain an understanding of all areas of the business, from operations to product quality.

How did you begin your quality training?

Prior to my move into the Quality Manager position, I held a level 5 diploma in management. I then contacted Temple, since I was new to the business and wanted to learn more about quality internally and externally. I reached out to Bob Hughes – Director of Temple QMS and enquired regarding formal training, understanding what was available and what I could do. I wanted to move my career forward with Valeo but also enhance my personal experience too. Eventually, I completed Level 5 in quality with CQI. All training was provided by Temple.

How does the world of quality appeal to you?

I have always tried to apply quality whether in my role at Valeo, my work in martial arts as GB Head Coach and in all walks of life. You don’t just talk about quality, you live quality.

How did you start the fellowship process?

The process started in early November 23. The CQI has a “CQI grade quiz”, and completing this is an excellent way to understand if the Fellow grade is the right level for you at this stage. I had worked as a senior quality and business improvement leader for many years, and this gave me confidence to apply for this grade.

Just after Christmas I had the first run of an interview that was validated. It moved to the next level which was a presentation, before I had an interview date set. I reworked my presentation as I felt it needed a lot more that I could add to what I had already achieved.

In the next interview, 3 people with different levels of experience and expertise were on the panel. The criteria in this presentation was to demonstrate:

• Have furthered the objectives of quality through voluntary contributions to the CQI

• Are a peer-acknowledged expert with acclaimed contributions to a quality field

• Have carried out outstanding service on professional committee/s

• Have developed and supported the careers of others, especially less experienced quality professionals

• Have made a voluntary contribution to the objectives of quality through other voluntary means, including activities started as part of a work requirement but taken beyond the original brief.

What did you enjoy about the process?

It really opened my eyes. It’s so enjoyable to move through this process with the CQI. I understand where I have come from, what I have achieved and focus on what’s next. The word quality is a word that many people do not understand. To apply it everywhere and eliminate Muda, which is a Japanese word for wastefulness, which is a key concept in lean process thinking. People can become busy fools, how can we eliminate waste from what we do on a day-day basis?

What is your experience working with Temple QMS?

I’ve worked with Temple QMS for many years. The reason I like working with them is that people can over complicate things in quality. Because there are so many variants and acronyms, Temple simplifies them to make them easy to understand.

Without doing that you can get lost! I really believe that if I hadn’t started my level 5 diploma 11 years ago at Temple, I wouldn’t have been on the same path I’m on now. After I completed that, I wanted to move on to six-sigma; and my understanding of the tools to support others has helped me reach where I am now.

What’s next for the future?

My role at Valeo changed 18 months ago. I am now responsible for not just the UK, but also Holland and Germany and have a large team. It’s really about supporting others with my expertise from Valeo Redditch and supporting others with my knowledge and experience.