Jenny Beard, EY

Noting the shocking fact that 70% of all change initiatives fail1, Jenny Beard has developed a methodology that focuses on people because they are ultimately responsible for enacting organisational change

She believes that in today’s business environment clients are under growing pressure to change, driven by multiple factors which include: increasing customer expectations, greater competition through convergence and employee demands for companies to deliver more than just profit. This is increasing the need for change programmes and making it even more vital that such programmes ‘stick’.

Since joining EY from university in September 2017, she has developed an approach that does just this. First, sheendeavours to change people’s hearts and minds by listening to their concerns and thenpresenting the proposed change in an easily understandable format. Secondly, she takes the lead, and helps client executives to do the same, by coaching those around her and ensuring that the C-suite are aligned on their vision and purpose. Thirdly, she creates a compelling case for change that demonstrates how the company is delivering valueadapting her communication style to the relevant audience. 

As business implementation lead for a major gas distribution network’s transformation programme, she put her methodology into practice by visiting depots from London to the Lake District to understand issues, gain trust and get buy-in. 

Now a Senior Consultant, she believes that this methodology helps employees think, operate and behave in new ways – and thereby helps to improvethat shocking statistic that 70%ofchange initiatives fail.

 

1 Nitin Nohria and Michael Beer, “Cracking the Code of Change” Harvard Business Review May – June 2000 

 

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