Read my CV for a longer record of achievements.
Period: 2024 onwards
From AI fixation to business outcomes
Situation
Customers were struggling to discover and establish value from technical solutions such as AI tooling.
TASK
Rather than focus on technical solutions that may not have addressed colleague or customer needs, I redirected attention to first ensure decisions addressed user concerns and were business outcome-focused.
ACTIONS
- Using techniques such as Design Thinking and Product Development, I established a routine of rapid discovery. This determined which solutions delivered the genuine needs of colleagues and customers
- Rather than mere proofs-of-concept, which tend to be little more than technical demos, I helped customers guarantee technical solutions where operationalised to deliver sustainable and measurable value.
Results
- Ensured customers delivered technical solutions which addresses business outcomes, rather than merely introducing technology what may have been ill-fitting and of little benefit
- Established an ongoing routine of continuous improvement to determine whether technical choices were achieving balanced measures of success
- Lessened wasteful rework and reduced time to ROI
Period: 2021 onwards
I recognised improvements could be made to the execution of our regional transformation strategy. Improvements included ensuring greater alignment, cohesion and purpose across the region, in a way that guides colleagues’ day-to-day decisions.
Rather than deploying a pre-determined strategy, I guided senior leaders to improve engagement at all levels in the regions, especially the promotion of collaboration, sharing and learning. This included adding to the strategy the diagnosis of the organisational challenge, running strategy workshops with the senior leaders, developing decision policies for colleagues, providing a second opinion on the strategic priorities, and involving other specialists in strategic deployment.
As a consequence of my guidance, senior leaders are more aligned in how they can deploy and measure the regional transformation strategy. This includes ongoing development of the transformation’s north star, aspirations, set of strategic choices, tactics and evidence. Such guidance moved the strategic deployment from being pre-determined to being more responsive to change, based on measured outcomes and greater involvement across the organisation.
Period: 2020
Many clients are under pressure to innovate, reduce waste and respond to market changes. To achieve this, clients needed support to develop new capabilities and mindset.
I formed a key part of Deloitte engagement teams to help clients develop operating models to enable innovate and transform.
This included enabling clients to validate their activities and goals against strategic ambitions and creating human learning systems that respond to emerging internal and market needs.
For clients, this has enabled a legacy of continuous improvement for better business outcomes. For Deloitte, it has created market eminence and credibility.
Period: 2019 to 2020
The untapped potential of a global commodity trading client was hampered by inflexible technology and antiquated processes.
I worked with teams and leaders to co-create a new operating model that fostered a continuous improvement culture built on collaboration, alignment and synchronisation.
This included developing a delivery method which removes organisational impediments and a mindset shift from project to product.
This created an ability for the client to create a more nimble business-focused technology stack and foster a transformation that continues to have the endorsement of the CEO and his leaders.
Period: 2017 to 2018
To help Sainsbury’s compete, I had the rare opportunity to apply agile ways of working outside of IT, with a goal to enable large cost saving.
I coached teams and leaders to adopt an outcome-driven approach to enable innovation across the business.
This included setting-up & training teams to rapidly test assumptions and deliver results, and supporting a new governance process.
Within 3-months key in-store activities were improved leading to savings and further adoption of transformation principles.
Period: 2016
A market-leading gaming client needed to address inconsistencies in its agile adoption and misalignment in its product governance process.
As an Agile Coach, I was tasked to help the client improve consistency and alignment with its business strategy.
By applying my know-how of agile adoption and working alongside the Exec team, I provided industry-leading recommendations which will enable the client to succeed in a rapidly changing market and prepare for an upcoming merger.
Period: 2015 to 2016
Many delivery teams had different awareness of agile practices.
I determined where agile practices needed improving, and support teams in their transition. Actions included improving scrum ceremonies; running team health-checks; improving the delivery lifecycle such as identifying cross-team bottlenecks; mentoring individuals; adoption of SAFe.
As a result, teams had the freedom to improve, enabling them to meet tough delivery outcomes. The leadership team recognised and supported the benefits of further agile adoption.