Herbert Lonsdale is a leading consultant in international automotive business strategy, vocational training, and skills development. His career includes senior roles at S&P Global, Reynolds & Reynolds/Microsoft International, Carter and Carter Group, and Nissan, where he played a key role in bringing Nissan to the UK. He also co-founded Alison Associates, now part of Snap-on Diagnostics.

With extensive experience in China and Southeast Asia, Lonsdale has worked with automotive OEMs and government agencies to introduce UK training providers and drive innovation in automotive engineering and apprenticeship programs. He has also advised the China Association of Automotive Manufacturers (CAAM).

As an independent consultant, he advises governments, educators, and industry leaders on aligning training programs with global best practices and emerging technologies. A former director of several British PLCs, he also co-founded a global automotive data management and business intelligence company.

Currently, Lonsdale serves as a Non-Executive Director for multiple European automotive organisations. From 2019 to 2024, he represented the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) as Global Skills Ambassador and collaborates with the UK’s Department for Business and Trade to promote world-class vocational education.