Our team
The people behind the results
A tight team of specialists who've worked across government, aviation, and commercial sectors — helping organisations build the capability to keep improving.
Meet the people you'll work with
ci lab is a New Zealand continuous improvement consultancy founded by Darcy Mellsop in 2014. Based in New Zealand, the team works with government agencies, airports, and commercial organisations across the country — building improvement capability and delivering measurable performance gains.
Led by Darcy Mellsop, the team works directly with leaders and teams to make continuous improvement stick.
Darcy
Process & Customer Excellence
Founder of ci lab and author of Unleashing the
Improvement Mindset, Darcy has spent over 20 years working with leaders and teams across government, aviation, and commercial organisations.
He's focused on delivering results through end-to-end process performance analysis — and on determining where AI can safely accelerate performance gains without adding risk.
Darcy specialises in building continuous improvement capability within organisations: the mindset, culture, and tools that free up capacity, improve performance, and raise the bar for customer experience. Every engagement is tailored to the unique needs of the organisation and its business context — no templates, no off-the-shelf programmes.
James
AI & Automation
James partners with ci lab to design and build AI tools that streamline multi-step and complex workflows. He specialises in breaking down and automating manual processes — tailoring each tool to the specific needs of the organisation.
James is also the founder of Hired.co.nz, an AI-powered platform that generates tailored CVs and cover letters for the New Zealand job market.
Melissa
Process Improvement & Investigation
Melissa brings extensive project management experience and a sharp continuous improvement focus — ensuring engagements are effective at addressing root causes, not just symptoms.
Her honest, open, and empathetic manner means she builds strong relationships with stakeholders at every level — an essential skill when working across complex organisations.
Navlene
Team Dynamics & Culture
Navlene specialises in bringing teams together — building the co-operation that makes continuous improvement possible in the first place. She runs highly effective team engagement events, both within and across teams.
She works as a mentor for individual growth and as a facilitator for building the cross-team relationships that sustain long-term improvement.
See what the team has achieved — Our results →
“
Continuous improvement work for Darcy is not just a job, it is a passion and this is apparent — it's a privilege to partner with him.
Julee A. Browning, National Manager: Continuous Improvement, Aviation Security NZ (Avsec)
What we stand for
Our values
01
We share everything we know — including our secrets to success. Our partners get everything we can give them to help continuous improvement take hold.
02
We focus on tangible results — and we partner with organisations that share the same drive. If the goal is genuine improvement, we're in.
03
We build lasting capability in every organisation we work with — so continuous improvement becomes part of the culture, not something that stops when we leave.
04
We look to balance inequality in society — because it's a root cause of significant issues we all face. That's why we sponsor children through Kidscan, and always will.
Our commitment
We sponsor children through Kidscan
Since starting ci lab in 2014, we made a pledge to support those in need. We chose to sponsor children through Kidscan — a charity dedicated to helping Kiwi kids who need it most.
We are committed to never reducing or ceasing that support. No matter what. During tough times since 2014, keeping this commitment has mattered more, not less.
Let's talk
Want to work with us?
Start with a 20-minute conversation — coffee on us. We'll listen first, ask the right questions, and work out together whether ci lab is the right fit for what you need.
Or email us directly at coffee@cilab.nz