Clarity that moves. Outcomes that matter.
I help executive teams cut through complexity, make clear choices, and turn vision into execution that holds.
20+ years with leadership teams at WPP · IKEA · Allianz · Marriott · Grohe · Telefónica · TÜV Süd · Munich Re, and more…
The Reality
Customer expectations shift.
Technologies emerge.
Markets move.
Most organisations don't struggle because they lack ambition or ideas. They struggle to see where the real opportunities lie, and to align the organisation around them.
Sometimes that's rethinking the customer experience end-to-end. Sometimes it's finding where AI can genuinely change how work gets done, beyond the pilots. Sometimes it's choosing between too many competing priorities.
Today, that pressure is often driven by AI - not because AI is the goal, but because it exposes vulnerabilities that were already there: fragmented processes, ambiguous ownership, decision-making that can't scale. The technology didn't create these problems. It just made them impossible to defer.
The starting point is always the same: value, not solutions.
When to call me
When you're asking questions like:
Where's our next opportunity to create and capture more value for customers?
Where can AI genuinely create value — beyond pilots, tools and hype?
We have too many initiatives. Which ones actually matter?
Our strategy makes sense. Why isn't it translating into action?
Or simply: something important has changed. What does it mean for us — and what should we do about it?
The approach
Discover. Align. Drive.
Discover — see the whole picture, from the outside in. Understand how customers see your business, what technology now makes possible, and where the market is moving — then connect it to what's happening inside the organisation. I draw on customer research, Jobs to Be Done, service and business design, systems thinking and trend analysis to make the situation visible, and to surface what isn't obvious from inside.
Align — decide what matters, together. A map is only useful if it leads to choices. Through structured facilitation and co-creation, I bring the right people around a shared view of the challenge — challenging assumptions, surfacing tensions, and forcing explicit choices: what to focus on, and what to stop. The goal isn't consensus. It's clarity and commitment.
Drive — turn choices into action. Translate strategic choices into priorities, roadmaps, and clear ownership. And when needed, I stay involved to help leadership maintain focus, navigate difficult decisions, and keep the work moving.
The format follows the challenge
One day - Reset the direction.
For leadership teams that need to step out of the day-to-day, challenge assumptions and make a small number of consequential decisions.
Focused sprint - Find the opportunity. Build the way forward.
Typically 2–6 weeks of focused research, mapping, prioritisation and co-creation to turn an ambiguous strategic question into clear choices and an actionable roadmap.
Embedded - Keep it moving.
Ongoing strategic support alongside leadership when the challenge requires continued decision-making, alignment and momentum — without adding another full-time executive.
Aligning global leadership around a unified data platform
Financial Services
Challenge
Leadership at a global insurer aimed to implement a unified global data platform, but several operating companies were reluctant to commit resources and questioned the value of the initiative.
Role
Led an intensive strategy sprint bringing together C-level executives and product leaders across operating companies. Through stakeholder interviews and facilitated dialogue, I identified the root causes of resistance and guided leaders in co-creating a new rollout model aligning global priorities with local incentives.
Outcome
Alignment across global and local leadership, a reframed value proposition for the platform, and approval of a rollout strategy that unlocked implementation momentum.
Securing board approval for a digital service ecosystem
Professional Services
Challenge
TÜV SÜD’s CTO aimed to launch a centralised digital client service portal across multiple business units. Operational teams resisted the initiative and the board had not approved the investment.
Role
Led a discovery sprint working with leaders across business units to uncover the drivers behind the resistance and identify opportunities for value creation. Reframed the initiative from a “mandatory portal” into a value-driven ecosystem enabling reusable digital services while reducing costs.
Outcome
A new strategic narrative and business case that secured board approval and enabled the organisation to move forward with the initiative.
Defining a strategic path forward for a leading publisher
Media
Challenge
One of North America’s largest publishers, sought to strengthen its positioning and appeal to advertisers amid growing competition from digital platforms. Leadership recognised the need for change but lacked shared clarity on the way forward.
Role
Following a discovery process, facilitated a strategy sprint bringing together senior stakeholders across the organisation to assess advertiser expectations against Postmedia’s unique assets and identify priority areas for growth.
Outcome
From fragmented ideas to shared strategic direction, with a 3/6/12-month roadmap approved and rolled out across the organisation.
Supporting the creation of IKEA’s digital food venture
Retail
Challenge
IKEA launched a new venture to digitally transform its global food business. Leadership needed clarity on what “digital food” should mean for the organisation and where to invest.
Role
Worked as a strategic partner to the venture team, combining customer research, trend analysis and leadership workshops to identify opportunity spaces and define product priorities. Supported the team in shaping processes, building capabilities and launching new digital services.
Outcome
Vision and strategy for the venture, a portfolio of digital products and services launched globally, and operational capabilities established within the team.
Scaling digital capability across a global media agency
Media / Marketing
Challenge
When I joined MEC, one of WPP’s largest media agencies, digital channels such as social media and content were emerging but lacked clear strategic integration within the agency’s offering.
Role
Senior Digital Partner and Head of Social Media & Emerging Platforms across EMEA. Led the development of the agency’s social capability and helped codify a new digital strategy centred on owned and earned media.
Outcome
Social listening and engagement integrated into agency operations and client strategies. The social media specialist capability grew from three people to more than fifty across EMEA, supporting digital strategies for clients including Michelin, Blizzard and SABMiller.
Building an open innovation ecosystem for Marriott
Hospitality
Challenge
Marriott wanted to strengthen its appeal among a new generation of business travellers. Traditional marketing and sponsorship initiatives were not achieving the desired impact.
Role
Designed and led Marriott TestBED, an open innovation programme connecting startups and hotel teams to test new technologies and demonstrate Marriott’s transformation in practice.
Outcome
Hundreds of startups mapped and evaluated, multiple pilots conducted in hotels, and authentic brand storytelling that positioned Marriott as a leader in hospitality innovation.
Exploring new growth opportunities across industries
Multiple sectors
Challenge
Many organisations seek growth through new markets, services or customer segments, but leadership teams often lack clarity on which opportunities are worth pursuing.
Role
Supported leadership teams in exploring and validating new growth opportunities by mapping opportunity spaces, identifying problem–solution fit and testing product–market fit.
Examples include
• IKEA — exploring food retail beyond the store
• TÜV SÜD — expanding into property management services
• Roche — developing new digital health services
• Telefónica O2 — introducing financial tools
Outcome
Multiple new products and services launched across industries and markets.
AI transformation enablement
Challenge
A global infrastructure and development group sought to accelerate AI adoption through Microsoft Copilot. While leadership recognised the potential of AI, there was limited visibility into where meaningful value could be created, which workflows should be prioritised, and what organisational barriers might limit adoption and impact.
Role
Designed and facilitated a cross-functional AI transformation programme for 60 leaders across 6 business units.
Through workflow mapping workshops, stakeholder interviews and opportunity assessments, I helped teams identify, prioritise and redesign key workflows, while uncovering the operational, governance and data challenges influencing AI readiness.
Outcome
Identified and prioritised a portfolio of high-value AI opportunities across multiple business units. More importantly, the programme revealed that the primary constraint was not AI capability but fragmented processes, unclear ownership, inconsistent standards and scattered information. This led to a strategic roadmap combining quick-win AI initiatives with foundational improvements in governance, workflow management and operating model design—creating the conditions for sustainable AI-enabled transformation.
Some kind words
“Guy brings rare value as a strategic advisor who helps leaders and teams shift from short-term firefighting to long-term, resilient growth - guiding product strategy within a broader end-to-end business vision.”
— Simone Papa, Global Head of Digital Products, Energy services and Food at IKEA
“The way Guy helped align leadership, clarify vision, and rebuild team dynamics was seriously impressive and had transformative effect.”
— Axel Dumont, strategic advisor; former President Canada at Cossette Media
“A genuine game-changer. The strategy session didn't just capture every voice; it propelled our team past siloed thinking into big-picture strategy. The outcome was clear priorities and improved alignment.”
— Christoph Pleitgen, Managing Director at the Westerwelle Foundation
Let’s talk
Whether you’d like to learn more about my work, share a challenge your or your team are facing, or explore how to get everyone aligned and moving with purpose - I’d love to connect and see how I can help.
