Consulting
If you've got a problem or your organisation needs to reset or deliver a new direction, I can help your teams see the wood for the trees, identify where you are now and the key issues you face, help you make a plan for greatness, and support you to get stuff fixed along the way.
I'm Vicky, Whelan, business transformation expert and skilled problem solver with experience in public, private and not for profit sectors. I have worked in global professional services organisations for over 16 years including most recently 8 years as Equity Partner in Ernst & Young's Healthcare and Lifesciences Consulting Practice. Prior to this I worked in a range of senior operational management positions in the NHS over a number of years, following graduation from the NHS Management Training Scheme.
My Services
My Services
Shaping or refreshing your strategy?
What is happening?
Challenges
The challenges facing the NHS are widely known. It is in the midst of a perfect storm including an ageing and growing population, decades of underinvestment, a widening health inequalities gap, operational pressures exasperated by the backlog effects from the pandemic, and significant people and workforce shortages.
Opportunities
There are however also opportunities, including the ever increasing advancements in technology, the innovations and sense of possibility that we saw during the Covid pandemic, as well as an increased desire for effective enhanced partnership working and collaboration.
How can I help?
Facilitation of Board or executive team sessions. I am a seasoned Board facilitator, who will support, challenge and unlock views enabling you to achieve a compelling strategy for the future.
Surfacing differing views. I am skilled at sensitively surfacing opposing or differing views and supporting you to find common, agreed ground, ensuring a diverse approach to strategy development and enabling buy in and cohesion.
Operationalising your strategy. Many strategies fail not because they are not fit for purpose but simply because they don’t get implemented successfully. I can support you to develop the operational plans that underpin the strategy and enable delivery.
Where have I helped before?
Case study 1 – NHS Acute Trust
Facilitated Board and executive team working sessions to develop a refreshed 5 year strategy
Held 1:1 sessions with Chair, NEDs, CEO and key stakeholders in partner organisations
Case study 2 – NHS ALB
Facilitation of Board and executive team working sessions including 1:1 interviews
Worked with executive leads to develop implementation plans to enable successful adoption and operationalisation of the strategy
Case Study 3 – 3rd sector
Refresh of strategy in response to changing external environment
Facilitated Board away day and executive sessions, and provided coaching support to new Director of Strategy.
If your organisation is looking to define or shape your strategy, or needing to reset or deliver a new direction, or to refresh your strategy in response to the changing environment, I can support you. I am skilled at identifying where you are now and the key issues you face, bringing partners and key stakeholders together to share and align on priorities, setting a compelling vision and strategy for the future and, if needed, helping you make a plan to operationalise it and deliver.
Transforming your organisation?
If you are setting up a transformation or improvement programme, problem solving or re-energising your existing change initiatives, or looking to instill a culture of continuous improvement across the organisation, I can help. I have supported numerous organisations to design, set up and implement their organisation’s transformation, whether that be isolated improvement projects in a particular service or department or a multi-year full organisation transformation. I have the tools and experience and can share the lessons learned from what has worked, as well as the pitfalls to avoid, enabling you to deliver at the scale and pace you need. I can help:
Creating the best environment for your people?
We all know that in any organisation, and particularly in the service industry, our people are our biggest asset. I am skilled at supporting organisations and leaders to implement effective structures, provide targeted coaching and development, and ensure a safe and effective working environment, enabling your people and teams to perform to their very best potential.
Organisational and team structures
Skilled at reviewing, benchmarking and advising on potential structure options enabling effectiveness, succession planning and resilience.
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Team dynamics and performance
I work with teams to address challenges with team dynamics, conflict or performance concerns, enhancing individual and team performance.
2
Individual executive and senior coaching
I bring over 20 years experience coaching C-suite, executive and senior leaders to achieve their goals, and realise their full potential.
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“Vicky’s coaching and leading skills are some of the best I’ve seen in my 15+ year career and her ability to show empathy and commitment to an individual’s development is truly inspiring.” Priya Rathod, Senior Manager
What clients say
Lesley Murphy, Interim Chief Operating Officer
"Vicky embodies all that I seek in a Management Consultant. Leading a team of professionals, she really does understand how to translate policy into reality. We worked together in The NHS and her integrity, tact and tenacity permeated all that she undertook. As an Interim Chief officer, I felt that our organisation was in the hands of some one who genuinely cared that we delivered continuous improvement. She forged an immediate, knowledgeable rapport with all staff with whom she worked."
Dr Benedict Smith, GP Partner, Chair GP Islington Group Ltd
“Vicky facilitated Board development sessions for us brilliantly, particularly managing to bring governance issues to life and explore and strategise around them in a way that felt very meaningful as well as useful and progressive”