Meet the team

My name is Stuart Powell, co-director and founder of IPAS UK Ltd.

I’ve worked in quality management since the start of my career in the Aerospace industry, before moving through Automotive and into Steel and Engineering sectors. Throughout this time I held a variety of roles with responsibility for quality engineering and quality management.

In 1997, I established my own consultancy — expanding my experience as a consultant and lead assessor across a wide range of industries. This includes mechanical and production engineering, design, fabrication and welding, aerospace, automotive manufacturing and sales, nuclear, sub-sea, calibration, warehousing and distribution, construction, transport, vehicle recovery, and many more.

This breadth of experience means clients receive practical mentoring and clear support to confidently take ownership of their management systems. My approach is no-nonsense and concise — helping businesses achieve certification with solutions that are appropriate, understandable, and built around how they actually operate.

Over the years I’ve supported organisations from small start-ups through to multinational businesses, adapting the implementation approach based on maturity, size and operational complexity.

My external certification experience includes working as a contractor for a variety of certification bodies — extensively across the UK and Europe, and also in Canada and the USA.

A core principle of how I work is knowledge transfer: ensuring businesses implement concise and effective management systems, while developing internal capability so teams can manage and improve processes confidently after certification.

This knowledge transfer approach is the foundation of IPAS UK Ltd. Our goal is that every client builds understanding of their systems and can use them effectively to strengthen the business.

Within IPAS, I advocate for gradual growth of capability and experience — reflected in the staff we engage. Everyone working on behalf of IPAS UK Ltd possesses the sector knowledge and personal skills required to meet our high standards and deliver consistently for our clients.

My name is George Powell, co-director of IPAS UK Ltd. I’m hardworking, driven, and naturally process-focused — with a strong inquisitive mindset and a habit of asking the questions that uncover real improvement opportunities.

My experience with ISO standards began in 2015, when I brought IPAS into my own business in the leisure sector to help implement stronger process controls. Over the following two years I was on the receiving end of ISO 9001 principles first-hand, learning what it takes to embed an effective quality management system into day-to-day operations.

In 2017 I began working as an understudy with Stuart, shadowing audit visits across a range of clients and industries. This opened my eyes to how ISO standards interact with businesses of all sizes, in many different sectors — and how powerful a practical, well-built management system can be.

As I reached a natural stopping point in my own business, I began focusing on auditing and assessment as my career path. Between 2019 and 2023 I worked extensively as part of Stuart’s audit team, joining as many client visits as possible and developing experience across both external certification auditing and internal auditing.

During this period I worked across a range of industries, including fabrication, spraying and blasting, engineering, warehousing, utility services, construction, and financial services.

In January 2023 I completed my ISO 9001 Lead Auditor course. Since then I’ve taken on greater responsibility within IPAS UK Ltd as co-director — managing clients through the full consultancy process, leading audit visits, and developing and delivering internal auditor training.

Alongside ISO work, I’m also a qualified Rope Access technician, working on projects ranging from structural maintenance to installations. This gives me a unique perspective as an auditor, as I spend significant time on-site working with tools, materials, and real-world processes — where quality, environmental and safety controls are critical to maintaining high standards.

Combining both industries has strengthened my ability to understand how businesses operate at every level — from contract and project management through to “boots on the ground” delivery — and to support clients with systems that work in practice, not just on paper.