Young Consultant of the Year Finalist 2019
The word “linchpin” is possibly overused in award nominations. But when describing Kerry Osborne’s achievements throughout E.ON’s successful Managed Communication Services migration, it is difficult to think of an alternative.
Over three years, the projects comprising E.ON’s Communication Service migration programme have brought about major, disruptive change, touching the daily work of virtually every employee in a truly global business – while simultaneously negotiating €92m in savings.
But to accomplish that outcome, the project had to navigate a host of complications, including:
- Multiple, conflicting contractual arrangements
- Individual territories with conflicting requirements
- A variety of local cultural differences
- Continually evolving project requirements and scope
- A long-established incumbent supplier fulfilling several roles
- Client stakeholders averse to change
Kerry’s role was pivotal in managing this complexity. Her diplomacy, decision-making, and clear-eyed leadership were instrumental in keeping the programme on track – and ensuring the team remained focused on the client’s end goal.
Unusually, Kerry has been central to the entire lifecycle of the programme: sourcing, tender, definition and delivery. Not only defining E.ON’s requirements and structuring a solution, but – most importantly – ensuring those benefits are tracked, reported and realised. Given the complexities involved, and the importance of Managed Communications Services to the client’s day-to-day business, it’s this aspect that sets her achievements apart.
These accomplishments are all the more remarkable given Kerry’s status as a young consultant – and the fact that E.ON’s initial sourcing project was her first ever consultancy assignment.