David Lissah
Vice Chair, IIRSM All‑Ireland | Non‑Executive | Operational Compliance Specialist | FM, Building Services & Regulated Industries | Chartered Management Professional |
What Is Operational Compliance?
Safety Compliance protects people.
Financial Compliance protects money.
Operational Compliance protects a business from itself.
I’m an Operational Compliance Specialist focused on helping organisations understand what is actually happening within their operations, not just what is written in policies, reports or dashboards.
Supporting Leaders & Teams
My role is to align operational reality with strategic intent. It’s not about doing what leaders can’t. It’s doing what leaders don’t have the capacity to do.I partner with leadership teams to extend that capacity, giving them the clarity, visibility and confidence they need to make decisions and lead effectively.How I Strengthen Operational PerformanceMy work goes beyond audits, procedures and assurance frameworks. It’s about understanding behaviour under pressure, identifying operational drift before it becomes failure, and aligning People, Process and Performance so operations become stable, predictable and resilient.Why This MattersMost operational failures don’t happen in a single dramatic moment. They develop slowly over time through small misalignments, workarounds, unclear expectations and leadership that is stretched. Those small gaps eventually shape culture, decision‑making, governance and trust.Operational Compliance exists to spot those gaps early, strengthen leadership clarity, and build environments where compliance becomes part of everyday behaviour, not an administrative exercise.The outcome is simple:Safer teams, stronger leadership, clearer operations and organisations that perform the way they believe they do.
Areas of Focus
I work across regulated and high-pressure sectors, helping organisations build operational leadership and resilient teams:
Leadership Scale and Impact
Across my 30-year career, I have led teams and projects in environments where operational excellence, compliance, and safety are critical. Key metrics include:
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.
Case Studies
The following case studies illustrate how I help organisations stabilise underperforming teams, strengthen leadership capability, and build operational cultures that hold under pressure. Each example reflects the same core approach: diagnosing the behavioural and cultural drivers of underperformance, simplifying systems and workflows, and helping leaders and teams adopt intentional, value‑driven habits that improve clarity, consistency, and resilience. These are not theoretical models, they are real transformations delivered in complex, high‑pressure environments.
Case Study 1 - Stabilising an Underperforming Operational Team
Context: A multi‑site organisation (London, Oxford, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Donegal, Dublin) was experiencing inconsistent performance, low engagement and rising operational risk. Managers were overwhelmed and reactive, constantly firefighting instead of leading. Difficult conversations were avoided or escalated, pulling HR into issues that should have been resolved locally. The environment had become noisy, fragmented and emotionally charged, with no shared clarity across sites.
What I Did:
- Identified the behavioural and cultural blockers driving inconsistency
- Rebuilt leadership clarity, confidence and accountability
- Aligned people, process and performance expectations across all sites
- Introduced simple, sustainable leadership habits that held under pressure
Outcome:
- Team stability restored within 8 weeks
- Clear ownership embedded across all operational areas
- Significant reduction in reactive issues
- Managers leading with confidence rather than firefighting
Case Study 2 - Building Evidence‑Based Compliance Through Behavioural Clarity
Context: A regulated organisation was struggling to demonstrate evidence‑based compliance. The issue wasn’t competence, the team knew what to do, they were simply overwhelmed. Constant noise, competing priorities and reactive demands meant they couldn’t stay organised, focused or intentional. Compliance activity became inconsistent, documentation was incomplete, and leaders lacked confidence in the evidence being presented.
What I Did:
- Introduced behavioural practices centred on pausing, reflecting, and leading with intention
- Helped the team distinguish between “noise” and “things of value”
- Built simple, sustainable workflows to organise tasks, evidence, and priorities
- Created clarity around ownership, expectations, and decision‑making
- Shifted the team from reactive activity to deliberate, structured action
Outcome:
- Evidence‑based compliance became consistent and reliable
- The team regained control of their workload and reduced overwhelm
- Leaders had clear, organised, and trustworthy compliance records
- Daily behaviours shifted from firefighting to intentional, value‑driven work
- A calmer, more focused operational rhythm replaced constant reactivity
Case Study 3 - Supporting a CEO to Step Out of Operations and Lead Strategically
Context: A CEO was overwhelmed and still heavily involved in day‑to‑day operations. Instead of operating strategically, they were pulled into firefighting, operational projects and became the default decision‑maker for everything. This created dependency across the team, slowed progress and left the CEO with little capacity for long‑term planning, culture building or organisational alignment.
What I Did:
- Helped the CEO adopt behaviours centred on pausing, reflecting, and leading with intention
- Clarified the distinction between strategic leadership and operational involvement
- Introduced simple systems and workflows to reduce noise, prioritise effectively, and create space for strategic thinking
- Strengthened the capability of the senior leadership team so decisions no longer defaulted back to the CEO
- Supported the CEO in setting clearer expectations, boundaries, and rhythms that reinforced strategic leadership
Outcome:
- The The CEO stepped back from daily operational firefighting and regained strategic focus
- Decision‑making became distributed, reducing bottlenecks and increasing leadership confidence
- The organisation experienced greater clarity, alignment, and forward momentum
- The CEO reported reduced overwhelm, improved balance, and a clearer sense of direction
- The senior leadership team became more capable, accountable, and self‑sufficient
Current Roles
Operational Compliance Specialist
Apr 2021 to Present
Partnering with operational leaders and managers to strengthen leadership behaviours, build resilient teams, and improve operational performance through practical, human-focused solutions.
IIRSM Regional Branch Vice Chair - (Non-exec)
Sep 2024 to Present
Bridging global strategy with members’ real-world experience. Advocating for leadership that is practical, inclusive, and rooted in decision-making under pressure.
Selected Previous Roles
Group Head of Health, Safety, Environment & Compliance
Capital City College · Contract
Jun 2021 - Dec 2022 · 1 year 7 months
Associate Director of Safety & Assurance
King's College London · Full-time
Jan 2009 - May 2021 · 12 years 5 months
UK & Regional Facilities Manager & BCP Co-ordinator
Kleinwort Benson · Full-time
Dec 2007 - Dec 2008 · 1 year 1 month
Facilities Manager
City St George’s, University of London · Full-time
May 2003 - Dec 2007 · 4 years 8 months
Professional Credentials
I hold a range of professional qualifications and accreditations, which I maintain and keep up to date. They reflect my experience and commitment to strong leadership and safe, resilient operations. More importantly, they give me the foundation to guide and mentor technical specialists so they can perform with confidence and clarity in complex, regulated environments.
Chartered Manager Status
Recognising a high level of professional competence and commitment.
Master's Level
Strategic Management & Leadership expertise at an advanced academic level.
NEBOSH Qualified
Certified in Occupational Health and Safety, crucial for regulated industries.
Strengths Coach
Accredited to help individuals leverage their unique strengths for leadership growth.
If You’re a business and you’re dealing with:
📞 Call/Text: 0203 576 0081 / 07709 115948 | 📧 Email: david@davidlissah.com