Fractional Operations Specialist
David Lissah CMgr CMI, MIIRSM
Helping managers and leaders stabilise operations, strengthen teams and build business momentum through people.
Most business owners, managers and leaders we work with are dealing with:
- Everything landing on them
- Managers who know the theory but don’t perform under pressure
- Strategy that looks good on paper but doesn’t survive reality
If any of these sound familiar, you’re in the right place.
A Journey of Leadership Growth
Traditional team models are under pressure.
Rapid technological change, shifting markets, and rising expectations mean managers are being asked to do more, with fewer resources, less support, and under greater scrutiny than ever before.
The organisations that perform well in this environment aren’t simply leaner; they are led by capable managers who can make sound decisions, lead people well, and adapt under pressure.
That capability doesn’t come from structures alone. It comes from how managers think, behave, and lead.
This is where David Lissah adds value.
David began his management career on the shop floor in the early 1990s, progressing through to senior leadership roles and gaining first-hand experience of what it means to manage responsibility at every level of an organisation. His background spans multiple environments including military, facilities management, engineering, and construction, sectors where leadership, risk, and resilience are non-negotiable.
A Chartered Manager (CMgr CMI) with a Safety Compliance Specialist background, NEBOSH qualified, and holding a master’s-level qualification in Strategic Management and Leadership, David brings a grounded, practical perspective shaped by real operational pressure.
As a Fractional Operations Specialist, David works alongside business owners and managers who are stuck in the day-to-day running of the business. He is typically engaged on a retainer basis to help stabilise operations, develop leadership capability, and build momentum through people, not by adding more process, but by improving how decisions are made, communicated, and followed through.
Alongside his commercial work, David serves as Vice-Chair of the International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM) Ireland and supports the Institute on its global mission. This role allows him to champion leadership, risk, and resilience at both national and international level, contributing to the development of professional standards and thinking across the safety and risk community.
David typically works alongside business owners and managers operating in regulated environments, including:
- Healthcare, Safety & Environmental
- Logistics and Supply Chain
- Facilities Management and Construction
- Manufacturing and Engineering
- Legal and Compliance
If you’re looking for a partner who understands both people and performance, why not get in touch.
Rapid technological change, shifting markets, and rising expectations mean managers are being asked to do more, with fewer resources, less support, and under greater scrutiny than ever before.
The organisations that perform well in this environment aren’t simply leaner; they are led by capable managers who can make sound decisions, lead people well, and adapt under pressure.
That capability doesn’t come from structures alone. It comes from how managers think, behave, and lead.
This is where David Lissah adds value.
David began his management career on the shop floor in the early 1990s, progressing through to senior leadership roles and gaining first-hand experience of what it means to manage responsibility at every level of an organisation. His background spans multiple environments including military, facilities management, engineering, and construction, sectors where leadership, risk, and resilience are non-negotiable.
A Chartered Manager (CMgr CMI) with a Safety Compliance Specialist background, NEBOSH qualified, and holding a master’s-level qualification in Strategic Management and Leadership, David brings a grounded, practical perspective shaped by real operational pressure.
As a Fractional Operations Specialist, David works alongside business owners and managers who are stuck in the day-to-day running of the business. He is typically engaged on a retainer basis to help stabilise operations, develop leadership capability, and build momentum through people, not by adding more process, but by improving how decisions are made, communicated, and followed through.
Alongside his commercial work, David serves as Vice-Chair of the International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM) Ireland and supports the Institute on its global mission. This role allows him to champion leadership, risk, and resilience at both national and international level, contributing to the development of professional standards and thinking across the safety and risk community.
David typically works alongside business owners and managers operating in regulated environments, including:
- Healthcare, Safety & Environmental
- Logistics and Supply Chain
- Facilities Management and Construction
- Manufacturing and Engineering
- Legal and Compliance
If you’re looking for a partner who understands both people and performance, why not get in touch.
1
Shop Floor Technical Specialist
Early 1990s: Building fundamental leadership skills through hands-on experience and understanding operational challenges.
2
Middle Management
Development of team leadership capabilities and strategic insight whilst implementing organisational initiatives.
3
Senior Leadership & Board Member
Advanced strategic oversight with responsibility for large teams and substantial operational budgets.
Recent Experience
David Lissah's career is marked by a steady progression through diverse and demanding environments, culminating in his current role as a Fractional Operations Specialist. His experience spans leadership positions in critical sectors, demonstrating a robust understanding of operational excellence, risk management, and team development.
Partner & Fractional Operations Specialist
Lissah & Boyle · Full-time
Apr 2025 - Present · 9 mos
United Kingdom
Vice Chair (Non-Executive)
IIRSM Ireland Branch
Sep 2024 - Present · 1 yr 4 mos
Group Head of Health, Safety, Environment & Compliance
Capital City College · Contract
Jun 2021 - Dec 2022 · 1 yr 7 mos
Associate Director of Safety & Assurance
King's College London · Full-time
Jan 2009 - May 2021 · 12 yrs 5 mos
UK & Regional Facilities Manager & BCP Co-ordinator
Kleinwort Benson · Full-time
Dec 2007 - Dec 2008 · 1 yr 1 mo
Facilities Manager
City St George’s, University of London · Full-time
May 2003 - Dec 2007 · 4 yrs 8 mos
Activities & Services
As a Partner at Lissah & Boyle, David leads a fractional business support team that helps business owners, executives, and managers overcome the real-world challenges that hold back performance. Many already have the talent and technical skills, they just don't have the time, resources, or capacity. That's where David comes in.
David helps businesses reduce operating costs, strengthen their teams, and stay lean, agile, and investor-ready, because the world of business is rapidly changing.
Operational Leadership
Leaders often become bottlenecks. Decisions become reactive, control replaces clarity, and teams lose momentum. David's role is to stabilise leadership behaviour, create thinking space, and bring calm under pressure. By improving how decisions are made and communicated, David helps leaders regain control, free up capacity, and ensure operations run smoothly, so the organisation doesn’t just keep moving, it moves in the right direction.
Management Mentoring
Managers often know the theory but struggle when reality hits. Ego, fear, and avoidance can derail good intentions, and performance drops when stress rises. David's role is to help managers develop judgement, not just competence, guide them in reflecting honestly on their behaviour, and overcome the obstacles that hold them back. David helps managers build confidence while supporting them to achieve their career goals and aspirations, so they perform effectively when it matters most.
Strategy & Planning
Strategy often looks good on paper but struggles when reality hits. Plans can ignore capacity, behaviour, and culture, leaving teams unclear on priorities. David's role is to develop strategy and growth plans, translate intent into action, stress-test assumptions, and align leadership behaviour and management capability to strategy. He helps organisations overcome obstacles and focus on what matters most, ensuring plans work on a bad day as well as a good one.
Leadership Scale and Impact
Whether it's mentoring and unlocking productivity challenges for managers on the shop floor or as an accountability partner for executives, delivering on their strategic aims, David helps businesses transform operational friction into focused execution.
David's leadership capabilities have been proven through his 30 year career and exceptional team and resource management across diverse organisational contexts. Including:
132
Team Size
Successfully led teams of up to 132 personnel across diverse operational environments.
£10.5M
Budget Managed
Leadership responsibility for substantial operational budget allocation and optimisation of up to £10.5 million.
£150M
Project Scale
Contributed expertise on projects from minor works <£1million to major capital schemes of circa £150 million.
£1Billion
Property Portfolio
Responsible for overseeing regulatory compliance across large property portfolios valued up to £1Billion, from administration offices to Cat 3 UK Home Office Licenced Research Laboratories.
Current Roles
Fractional Operations Specialist
Lissah & Boyle
Apr 2025 to Present
Providing tailored mentoring for technical professionals and hands-on fractional support for small to medium-size businesses to strengthen their leadership and management capabilities, covering everything from management development, improved safety and operation performance, to strategy implementation.
IIRSM Ireland Vice-Chair (Non-exec)
IIRSM Ireland Branch
Sep 2024 to Present
As Vice-Chair, my role acts as a bridge, connecting IIRSM’s strategic ambitions across UK, Ireland, Europe and the Middle East with the lived experiences of our members. I advocate for leadership that is inclusive, practical, and rooted in real-world decision-making.
Professional Licences & Accreditations
Accredited Strengths Coach
Change Management Practitioner
Chartered Manager
Official IIRSM Partner
Life Outside of Business
When David is not working with business owners or mentoring future leaders, you’ll most likely find him with a canine friend by his side. He is a passionate dog lover and proud canine foster carer, providing temporary homes and a bit of extra love to dogs in need.
These moments away from the desk are the things that recharge David, keep him grounded, and a reminder why empathy and resilience matter just as much in life as they do in business.
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