Portfolios - People Assured

Interview Panelist Supporting Digital Leadership Recruitment

Context

Engaged by the VP, IT Digital Design & Acceleration, a newly formed organization, within a Fortune 500 BioPharma, to serve as an independent advisor and contributor to the leadership team search and interview process
The organization had struggled to find candidates with the requisite skills in new and emerging technologies, processes and methodologies—candidates who could quickly gain credibility with the existing IT leadership team and help accelerate IT transformation.

Solution

Research and feedback obtained during the interview process identified that the person specification developed for the role did not map well against the current marketplace and candidates applying for the role, many of whom had not yet delivered in a large organization
A revised strategy was adopted including a combination of upskilling — building the capability in digital innovation and agile methods of existing technology staff — and revising the person specification to seek candidates with a blend of emerging technology, leadership and transformation skills.

Results

Improved alignment between role requirements and the candidate pool
A strengthened leadership team though a focus on candidates with a blend of emerging technology, leadership, and transformation skills
More aligned candidates gained credibility quickly, leading to smoother onboarding, integration, and stronger trust and collaboration.

Evaluation of Human Capital Management (HCM) processes and practices

Context

Engaged by the executive leadership team of a Global Technology Infrastructure & Managed IT Services provider to reshape the recruiting process
The goal was both to enhance the quantity and quality of hires and to streamline the process for practice leaders, alleviating their pain points and expediting candidate onboarding
Despite the practice leaders’ and recruitment team’s and dedicated efforts, communication gaps and bottlenecks impacted the hiring process.

Solution

A comprehensive and objective analysis of the recruitment lifecycle across strategy, processes and tools, and organization and service delivery
Mapping out every point of interaction through in-depth interviews and targeted research
A deep dive into industry best practices to identify actionable strategies for improvement, including the introduction of scalable recruitment resources to align with demand forecasts
The establishment of interview panels to accelerate hiring timelines, combined with a focus on the most critical roles and increased emphasis on career path development to build future leaders.

Results

Increased alignment between practice leaders and recruitment teams, leading to fewer candidate rejections and dropouts
A greater emphasis on hiring business-focused technical leaders who brought the ability to both manage and grow the business
Improved recruitment efficiency though elimination of communication gaps and bottlenecks, streamlining the overall process.

Executive Search and Recruitment of IT Leadership Team

Context

Engaged by the Global CIO of a Fortune 500 Consumer Products company to conduct executive searches for 3 key IT leadership roles in a newly re-designed Global Information System (GIS) organization, including VP of IT Service Delivery, VP of Business Intelligence and VP, Strategic Modernization Initiative.

Solution

A flexible, strategy-driven approach, first seeking to understand the core business objectives that the new leadership roles would support, which included operational and cost excellence, brand optimization, distribution diversification, and providing a more consistent, cost-effective, and scalable approach to managing IT performance
Upfront investment to understand the characteristics of a successful leader, as well as the leadership style, goals, and culture of the department and company, which helped to target and engage candidates who would be a good fit.

Results

High-quality candidate shortlist
Recruitment of culturally aligned, innovative leaders with strong role competence
The resulting hires played pivotal, long-term roles in ensuring the new GIS organization achieved its objectives.

Personal Development Planning (PDP) program

Context

Engaged by the SVP, Global Business Services of a Fortune 500 BioPharma to design a development program for operations managers across different geographies, aimed at fostering more self-directed growth
This pilot program, a first-of-its-kind’ initiative, was to help managers kick-start their personal development plans, combining self-assessment, career and skill development, and “coaching-lite”
The managers, in similar roles but across diverse countries and cultures, were stepping into new leadership positions within a shifting business and leadership landscape.

Solution

Self-assessments and 1:1 meetings to identify strengths & development opportunities within the context of changing business roles
A group workshop to discuss business objectives, leadership traits for success, common challenges, and peer support
Action planning and 1:1 business coaching to advance individual development priorities, along with the creation of a peer support network.

Results

Enhanced self-awareness of strengths and development areas, enabling more focused and effective personal growth and increased accountability

A stronger peer support network, providing ongoing collaboration, feedback, and shared problem-solving across geographies and cultures
Increased confidence in the ability to influence.

Cross-Functional Team Effectiveness

Context

Engaged by the VP, R&D IT a Fortune 500 BioPharma as a facilitator to a cross-functional leadership team comprised of IT, manufacturing, data analytics, and regulatory affairs groups tasked with driving more efficient and effective approval processes
Two of the teams had seemingly conflicting objectives which had led to major friction and limited progress. One was focused on streamlining the process (efficiency) and accelerating approval timelines, another had the goal of collecting more and more frequent data to gain insight (effectiveness).

Solution

Individual meetings with every team to understand the driving forces behind their objectives
Establishing agreement on overall priorities for the group
Bringing the group back together to prioritize objectives and obtain consensus aligned with short-, medium-, and longer-term goals.

Results

A shared understanding of each team’s objectives and an appreciation of their value, helping to remove major obstacles to collaboration
A clearer decision-making framework for prioritizing objectives and taking action
Alignment of objectives, balancing efficiency and effectiveness, improving team performance and overall team health.

Global Business Partnering Program

Context

Engaged by the SVP, Global Head of Data Analytics of an Innovative Medicines Company, to design and deliver a Business Partnering Excellence Program, including roll out to leaders and managers across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Solution

Collaborative design work with the leadership team, including surveys and interviews, to identify and agree the partnering skills most relevant to meeting the organization’s objectives, which included empowerment, constructive conflict, and influencing skills, such stakeholder management and emotional intelligence
Developing an interactive skills-based workshop that included polls, case studies, theory and practical exercises to maximize engagement
Delivery of the workshops to 200+ managers worldwide.

Results

A scalable process and program to cost-effectively deliver leadership education to a large audience
Increased manager confidence and ability to form effective business partnerships across the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific
Enhanced leadership skills in empowerment, constructive conflict, and influencing.

Strategic Talent Planning

Context

Engaged by the US Chief People Officer of a Multinational IT Services and Consulting Company to create a consistent framework for identifying high-potential leaders

Solution

Working collaboratively with the HR Director and Infrastructure Technology leaders across multiple departments to define the core leadership characteristics and performance requirements for VP and SVP roles
Mapping of current high potentials against the new framework to create a pipeline of future leaders that could be supported by all departments.

Results

A clear, consistent, and objective process for creating a pipeline of future technology leaders.

IT Strategy Validation

Context

Engaged by the Global CIO of a $1.5Bn. Medical Devices Company to help validate a 3-year technology strategy with the leadership team and extended leadership team
The strategy had been drafted by a few key individuals; the entire team needed to own it, preferably without fundamental change.

Solution

Translating the strategy to the departmental/functional level
Individual meetings with each head of function to gather feedback on the proposed strategic changes for their department
Production of a consolidated feedback report for the leadership team to review, followed by a facilitated meeting to present the revised strategy to the entire group for agreement.

Results

An optimized strategy validated and owned by the entire IT leadership team
Buy-in ensured that the strategy could be effectively communicated and rolled out throughout the organization, maintaining momentum.

Transition To New Global Operating Model

Context

Engaged by the Global CIO of a Fortune 500 BioPharma to help the IT organization transition to a new operating model
A substantial minority were not in favor of the new model which required taking on much more specialized and standardized roles, leading to resistance to the new ways of working.

Solution

Developing and communicating a clear business case, including the rationale for the changes
Meeting people where they were at and actively listening to their concerns
Seeking to understand and address the root causes of resistance
Role modeling and engaging change champions at multiple levels; nurturing those who were ‘on the fence’
Building a supportive culture around the change, such as through skill building
Creating accountability and ownership
Recognizing not everyone would adopt the change and developing pathways.

Results

Removal of major obstacles to transition
Increased ownership
Accelerated transition to the new operating model.