Posts by Chris
The Quiet Moment I Nearly Walked Away From Consulting
People often assume consultants thrive on pressure — that we’re wired for complexity, comfortable with responsibility, and energised by the challenges that make others run. Most of the time, that’s true. But there was a moment in my career where I had reached my limit. A project had gone badly.A business partnership had broken down.I…
Read MoreData as an Asset: Turning Information into Insight
Every organisation claims to be “data-driven.”But few treat data with the same discipline and intent as financial or physical assets. In utilities, telecoms, and the public sector alike, data remains one of the most underutilised strategic resources. It fuels everything — from regulatory compliance to customer experience — yet it’s often fragmented, unreliable, and poorly…
Read MoreWhat My Brief Time in the Forces Taught Me About Ambition
Before consulting, before software, before large-scale programmes, and long before I understood what kind of career I wanted, I had a short but powerful chapter in the forces. It wasn’t long.It wasn’t glamorous.It wasn’t the centrepiece of my career. But it shaped me in ways I’m still discovering today. People often assume the forces are…
Read MoreWhy My 5AM Routine Made Me a Better Consultant
I’ve never believed in magic formulas.But I do believe in discipline, intention, and the quiet power of doing hard things consistently. My 5AM routine wasn’t something I adopted because it was fashionable.It wasn’t part of a productivity experiment.And it definitely didn’t start because I’m a natural morning person. It began because I needed more space.Space…
Read MoreRewiring the Target Operating Model: Why TOMs Fail and How to Fix Them
In consulting circles, Target Operating Model (TOM) has become one of the most overused — and misunderstood — phrases in transformation. It’s often treated as a static document or a slide deck artefact, rather than what it’s meant to be: a living design of how an organisation operates, delivers value, and adapts to change. The…
Read MoreThe Moment I Realised Digital Transformation Isn’t About Technology
Consulting gives you plenty of moments where a theory meets reality — and reality wins.But one project, more than any other, reshaped the way I think about digital transformation forever. I was working with a homeless charity on a digital learning initiative.The brief was inspiring: create a platform that would help people gain skills, improve…
Read MoreThe Unexpected Leadership Lessons I Learned as a Father
People talk about leadership development as something that happens in boardrooms, training courses, and executive programmes.But some of the most important lessons I’ve learned didn’t come from consulting, digital transformation, or complex delivery environments. They came from being a dad. I have three children — all brilliant, all completely different, and all needing very different…
Read MoreDigital Foundations in the Non-Household Water Market
When the English non-household (NHH) water market opened in 2017, the ambition was clear: drive competition, improve customer service, and create a market where innovation thrives. Yet, eight years on, the market remains constrained by a familiar challenge — data. Retailers and wholesalers continue to wrestle with data accuracy, incomplete transactions, and manual interventions that…
Read MoreHow My First Attempt at SingleView Became the Failure That Shaped Everything After
Every founder has that early idea — the one that made perfect sense at the time, seemed clever, well-structured, and valuable… until reality gently (or not-so-gently) reminded you that you’d misunderstood the real problem. For me, that moment was my first attempt at what would eventually become SingleView. Except back then, it wasn’t SingleView.It wasn’t…
Read MoreThe Hardest Decision I Made as a Consultant — Saying “No” to a Renewal
Consultants don’t often walk away from renewals.They’re the validation that what you’ve done is valued.They’re predictable.They’re comfortable.And for many people, they’re the safest path. But years ago, I made the hardest professional choice of my career:I turned down a renewal. Not because the client was difficult.Not because the project was failing.And not because I didn’t…
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