After five years at JP Morgan, I was excited to accept my next challenge as a business manager within the regulatory and strategy team. Although my career was by no way mapped out at this stage, I trusted my instinct and embraced the change. I eventually became one of the culture and conduct leads for the Investment Bank, which included developing and implementing their inaugural culture and conduct programme. I am extremely interested in culture and human behaviour and used this to develop an in-depth understanding of how culture varies across a number of regions, from Argentina to Taiwan, identifying best practice and suggesting ways for local leadership to improve their culture. 

With five years’ experience in a culture role, I was eager to learn more and, once again, my network delivered the perfect opportunity. Never one to stand still, I applied for a role as an Executive Director at A&O Consulting. I was keen to take what I had learnt and help clients across a number of different sectors. Although I was again stepping out of my comfort zone, I had the assurance that I was joining a spin-off of a fully-fledged and extremely well respected global law firm, with all the talent and infrastructure that brings. 

The fresh challenge of liaising with clients and delivering meaningful and sustainable change has been great for me. I empathise with client’s pain points and I know how to measure success along the way. I am continually learning from new clients and their employees and genuinely no one day is the same. 

At A&O Consulting, we are empowered to try new things and we have the autonomy to pursue activities and opportunities. The team are incredibly supportive, and we are all learning together to shape the business. Working for a partnership rather than a corporation means that decisions are made quickly, so we can be responsive to clients’ needs. The team has a real mix of skillsets and experiences – pure consultants, regulatory experts, lawyers and industry veterans – creating a diversity of thought that serves clients well.

To anyone considering joining A&O Consulting, I’d say be open, flexible and curious. There are so many opportunities to learn new skills and be involved in new projects. We have a non-hierarchical way of working where everyone’s views are valued. Question, challenge and improve things and, most importantly, enjoy it all!

The combination of A&O Consulting’s start-up environment positioned within an internationally recognised firm such as Allen & Overy really appealed to me. I also was excited at the prospect of working in a client-facing role with different organisations and industries including global financial services firms, corporates and new start-ups.  

I joined the A&O Consulting team in the Spring of 2019 and quickly noticed there is a definite emphasis on ideas and energy. We are always encouraged to bring our experience from previous roles to the team, which culminates into a diverse set of strengths and ideas. There is a real understanding that we deliver our best results when we are engaged and motivated, which is reflected in the way projects are resourced. 

Today, my role is extremely varied due to a mixture of business development and client projects. I have advised clients across a range of regulatory and strategic matters, including culture health assessments and governance effectiveness reviews, to name a few. It’s invigorating to apply your skills across different sectors, and an increased level of satisfaction knowing you have supported a company that otherwise wouldn’t have access to your expertise. 

As A&O Consulting continues to grow, the entire team are very much involved in shaping the future of the business, and we are encouraged to think strategically about how it will grow and develop over time.  

No two days are the same working in A&O’s growing consultancy practice. My role is divided between shaping how the practice develops and working with clients, which could be a small business one day and a large corporate the next. The focused, strategic projects we’re involved in are particularly interesting as we have direct exposure to the leadership team, which provides a profusion of learning opportunities. 

I joined the A&O Consulting team in May 2019 and was asked to choose what type of work interested me most. I chose to work on purpose and culture, along with governance, and the majority of the business development and client work that I now undertake is in this area. As I was used to having to network relentlessly in order to gain a position on an interesting project, I was excited to be offered my preference, though I do have to be flexible based on business demands. 

I’m currently carrying out a review for a large financial institution into whether their Board is ‘effective’. Through 1-1 interviews, attending board meetings, reviewing documents and comparing business models, I will provide actionable recommendations to help them going forward.

As we grow and shape our offering in the marketplace, I’m also responsible for developing innovative ways to demonstrate what we do for our target audience. We’ve recently built a scenario-based training app to share with prospects and a site specifically for start-ups, with premium free resources to help them scale up and navigate the pandemic. 

At A&O Consulting, we have an immense drive to build the brand and secure our reputation, and we’re committed to making the practice highly successful. I’m often juggling priorities, but that’s the nature of the work, and I thrive in a busy environment. 

My advice? Never underestimate the benefits of being part of a small, nurturing, highly-collaborative team within a well-established firm. There’s so much opportunity to learn, and I’m enjoying the space to influence the type of work we’re doing.