Anna Barsby

Anna has been one of the UK’s top CIO’s and is a People and Transformation Leader, used to delivering large scale change across different industries. Most recently the CIO at Asda, Halfords & Morrison’s, she significantly improves technology capabilities in organisations. A people-centred leader with core strengths in strategy, delivery creativity and customer focus, Anna has worked with a number of FTSE100, FTSE250 and regulatory organisations at a senior level.

She has led business transformation programmes involving major offshoring. A judge for ‘Everywoman In Technology’, ‘Women In IT Awards, Anna was also a finalist for the European CIO of the year in 2015. She ranked number 1 in the CIO list in 2014 and winner of the ‘CIO of the year’ 2014, at the Women in IT awards. Adding further still to her impressive list of credentials, Anna is an external advisor to Bain Consulting, was ranked in the top 15 Innovative Influencers in Retail in 2018 and has sat on Retail Week Live Advisory Board.

As a Founder and Managing Partner at Tessiant, Anna specialises in:

Helping embed technology, digital & data into organisations.
Defining the strategy and role of technology, digital and data.
Supporting leaders to build the right operating model, teams and capability.
Successfully delivering culture and transformative change.
Providing executive coaching to current CIO’s and senior leaders.

Outside of work Anna has two wonderful children, a fiance and dogs. She enjoys sketching, walking, travelling and reading.

Matt Neale

Matt Neale has 15 years of senior level recruitment experience within Project and Change Management. He has placed teams that have successfully delivered multi £M change programmes for FTSE and Fortune 100 businesses.

Driven by the lack of service he was able to give to corporates taking an outsourced approach to major projects recruitment, he partnered with leading independent management consultants to create a new business model to do things better.

That business model is Tessiant.

As a Founder and Managing Partner of Tessiant, Matt:

• Is the first point of contact for the Associate network and helps match the right people to the right assignments.
• Provides support to organisations when deciding on an appropriate model for change delivery.
• Advises leaders on talent acquisition, retention and team structure.

Outside of work, Matt loves to spend time with his family, cooking, walking, keeping fit and travelling.

Alex Ball

Alex has enjoyed a 20-year management consultancy career, predominately within Retail, Financial Services and Public Sectors. Most recently a Director in Berkeley Partnership, he has also consulted through EY and PA consulting.

Throughout his successful career, the approach Alex has taken is to work closely with clients and their stakeholders to develop business and IT strategies. He then helps them follow through with supplier contracting, team mobilisation and delivery. Recent clients have included Primark, Sainsburys, Debenhams, Pensions Regulator and Royal Mail.

As a Founder and Managing Partner of Tessiant, Alex:

• Provides “On the ground” support to our engagements, helping ensure quality and consistency in what we offer
• Helps organisations create operational strategies (e.g. digital, supply chain) and change roadmaps
• Advises leaders on complex programme set-up, outsourcing and programme turnaround

Outside of work, Alex spends much of his time keeping his young sons fed, entertained and happy (very rarely all at once…)

Stuart Smith

Stuart has extensive experience, with over 30 years in retail, operations, supply chain, online and wholesale.

An outstanding leader with international experience, he has previously held roles such as Store Operations at Tesco UK; Property Director Space / Range / Merchandising at Tesco UK; COO at Tesco Malaysia; Retail Director/General Manager at Coles Australia and Business Transformation Consultant at Boots Alliance / Walgreens USA.

More recently he was the Operations Director / Group Supply Chain at Morrison’s UK and the Managing Director at DrakeSmith Associates, transforming performance across Retail / Digital operations and supply chains end to end, with artificial intelligence/machine learning and robotics, leading people, improving processes and implementing new systems.

Stuart specialises in:

Creating value in end-to-end supply chains and businesses
Transformation programmes across businesses
Using AI and machine learning solutions to develop and improve business and supply chain operating models
Developing capability and process to improve businesses for customers, colleagues and shareholders

Outside of work Stuart enjoys spending time with his wife, son and daughter, travelling, playing golf badly, reading and following West Ham’s fortunes.

Danielle Xerxes

Danielle has over ten years of executive search experience within the strategy and commercial space. She has placed global teams helping FTSE through to start-ups business growing their C Suite teams.

Danielle leads the Senior Industry Advisor team at Tessiant. The team brings together experienced executives who now hold portfolio roles. Typical assignments include:

Corporate organisations seeking high level strategic advice
Businesses looking for deep industry deal coaching experience
Private equity businesses seeking real world CDD guidance

Outside of work Danielle enjoys spending time with her husband and their young boy, attending music festivals, travelling and cooking – especially Indian and Italian cuisine.

Ross Macfarlane

Ross has worked in retail for over 25 years, mainly for Tesco and Morrisons but also with consumer goods suppliers and technology providers. He has had a variety of experience – delivering results through large change programmes, but also in leading operational teams – across supply chain, category management, space, range and merchandising, data and technology. He has worked in supermarkets, convenience, online and wholesale channels – locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. He has also held roles in general business improvement practice and has enjoyed supporting teams and individuals, in coaching and applying these techniques and skills.

Ross’ strengths are being able to study customer behaviour, turning complex problems into simple, effective and sustainable solutions. He also enjoys working with people, helping individuals to be at their best and build strong teams. He strives to deliver meaningful output, through his own personal drive and pragmatic approach.

Outside of work, Ross spends most of his time with his wife, running round after their two young sons facilitating attendance at football, golf, tennis, swimming and / or the latest activity of interest! If there is any time left over, Ross will be playing golf, walking up a hill, or watching with worry and low expectations, the mighty Partick Thistle Football Club!

Stuart Richards

Stuart has over 20 years experience in technology, with most of that time working in senior roles in the retail industry, before joining Tessiant in early 2023. Most recently, he has led the line on the creation of new technology strategies and operating models for a global gaming business and one of the UK’s leading short holiday operators.

Before that, at Sainsbury’s he led large matrix teams across various product, engineering, architcture and operations domains whilst managing sizeable capital and operating budgets. He also delivered multiple tech strategy and operating model iterations, including a full infrastructure / cloud and connectivity overhaul, an agile ways of working transformation and revinvention of the sourcing models used in the technology team. Prior to that, he worked in a variety of leadership roles at Halfords.

He is passionate about talent development in the leadership space and building the right culture in organisations to improve productivity, colleague engagment and creative thinking.

Stuart specialises in:

Technology strategy, operating models, change and transformation
End to end lifecycle management of technology products, ensuring transparent value-add return on investment
Insourcing, outsourcing, supplier relationship management
Bringing agility and pace to ways of working
Open and high-trust stakeholder relationships
Building and motivating high-performing large-scale teams
Cultural and behavioural leadership
Coaching and mentoring

Away from work, Stuart enjoys life in the countryside with his wife Jo, daughter Jasmine, 4 dogs and many chickens, reading audiobooks whilst out walking and running, photography and experiencing the many ups and downs (mostly downs) of supporting Everton.

Harriet Cowie, Finance Director, Tessiant Team

Charlene Lyons

Charlene is a Management Consultant. She is an accomplished, driven, energetic, humanistic, and personable individual with specific focus on people, business transformation, strategy, capability building, change management, business restructuring, diversification, and technological change.

Charlene recently left her role as CEO of Black Sheep Brewery and alongside her role to grow Tessiant in the North she is retained on various consulting projects across a wide variety of sectors. She is also the Vice Chair of Governors at The Grammar School at Leeds, and is a Trustee at the Leeds Hospitals Charity. She is skilled at managing people and organisations through challenging times, whilst creating opportunities and delivering solutions to increase efficiency and productivity.

She has a wide variety of experience in variety of sectors, public and private and is a regular keynote speaker on topics including transformation, strategy, diversification, culture, leadership and specifically vulnerability of good leadership.

Charlene is married with 3 children and together they love to travel, play and watch sport, and generally have fun.

Rachael Claridge

Rachael has 10 years experience in strategy consulting and transformation, specialising in retail and consumer brands. Rachael helps businesses drive growth through new routes to market, channel strategy, digital transformation and customer loyalty. Her experience spans categories including fashion, home, grocery and health & beauty.

Before joining Tessiant, Rachael was an Associate Director at Javelin Group, now part of Accenture Ltd, providing strategy consulting, commercial & operational due diligence and digital transformation services to the world’s leading retailers, brands and private equity. Rachael also has experience within FMCG having worked in operations, category management and sales for a premium desserts brand.

Charlotte Gledhill

Charlotte has over 16 years of experience in consumer transformation within Consulting and Retail. She began her career at John Lewis leading projects in retail operations, supply chain and multi-channel systems. For the last 10 years, Charlotte has specialised in shaping, delivering and assuring complex programmes and portfolios at Deloitte. Charlotte has transformation experience across a range of industries, including Retail, Consumer Packaged Goods, Travel, Telecoms, Media and Technology.

Charlotte specialises in:

Leading transformations in areas such as HR, Digital, M&A, Procurement, Employee Experience
Assuring programmes at different phases, from mobilisation to preparing to launch
Designing solutions to meet employee needs, as part of the change management or employee experience
Managing portfolios, including the prioritisation and roadmap planning

Outside of work, Charlotte loves spending time with her husband and two young children, good food, travelling and visiting art galleries.

Mark Weeks

Mark has over 20 years of experience spanning management consulting, business transformation and senior operational leadership across a variety of sectors including Financial Services, Retail, FMCG and Construction. He has worked across the whole transformation lifecycle, from strategy and programme ideation, through to delivery and operating model design, to programme turnaround.

He also has direct management experience leading a technology operations department at Burberry and sitting on the EMEA and Americas Leadership teams. Before joining Tessiant, his consulting experience has included 10 years at both Accenture and The Berkeley Partnership.

Outside of work Mark has school age children so spends most of his time as a Taxi service, but when he can he enjoys riding his road bike, watching sport and exploring his love of military history.

Natalie Black

Natalie Black has 20 years of experience in management and systems implementation consulting. She has worked across various industries and sectors, most notably Retail and Finance, but she has a real passion for Retail and it’s clients.

Natalie’s key competency is Project and Programme Management whether it be short, key strategic projects or large-scale programmes. She also comes with a wealth of experience in defining and implementing Operating Models and Governance Frameworks for Enterprise Programme Management Offices, thus helping organisations on their PMO maturity journey.

She enjoys leveraging the skills and abilities she has developed to date to further the interests of organisations and to add maximum value.

Outside of work Natalie is a keen marathon runner, trying to reach her goal of 100 marathons; loves all that is outdoors and travelling to new places around the world with her husband and son.

Jen Draper

Jen is an ambitious senior product and program manager, with a passion for transformation, process improvement and business change. With over 12 years experience working on complex projects and programmes, from blue chip to established retailers and start-up businesses. Key examples include Boots, Holland and Barrett, Halfords and NFU Mutual.

Over the years she has managed a range of projects from large scale business system implementations to process change and operational programmes. Jen thrives in challenging environments and thoroughly enjoys stakeholder management and engagement as well as taking pride in the fact she has turned problem projects around in a matter of months.

Yomola Oyedipe

After graduating with a degree in Business & International Relations from Aston Univeristy, Yomola trained as a consultant where she completed a range of professional certifications in Business Analysis and Project Management. With a passion for project management, Yomola focused her career here where she has gained 4+ years of experience in public and private sector with clients such as Capgemini, HMRC and AWE.

Before joining Tessiant, Yomola worked on a number of different Digital Transformation Projects where she played a crucial role in optimising operations, enhancing customer experiences, and driving growth. She is highly skilled in analysing data, stakeholder management and implementing governance.

Outside of work, Yomola enjoys travelling, spnding time with family and friends, and watching criminal investigative shows.

Eva Valentine

After graduating with a degree in Psychology, Eva spent 4 years working in the recruitment industry where she gained critical sales and client management skills. Eva then pivoted to consulting, spending a number of years working as a Business Analyst for Public Sector clients with Accenture.

Eva has been instrumental in driving software development projects for Public Service organizations, playing a pivotal role from concept through to post-launch support. Her ability to bridge the gap between business needs and technical development teams has been critical to the successful execution of end-to-end solutions. With a keen eye for detail, Eva excels in requirements gathering, process optimization, and fostering collaboration across cross-functional teams.

Outside of work, Eva enjoys listening to podcasts and keeping active.

Zofia Pastuszka

Zofia focuses on change and programme management and has an academically rooted passion for market research. Particularly, she’s passionate about digital transformation delivery. Since joining Tessiant, she’s been supporting a global retailer in their product range, merchandising and distribution transformation across workstreams.

Before joining Tessiant, Zofia worked as a research project manager, where she specialised in end-to-end delivery of quantitative and qualitative research projects. Among others, she delivered digital transformation reports for one of the Big Four companies and managed international UX research projects. Then, she joined Deloitte in the Human Centered Transformation offering, where she supported finance and digital transformations of global e-commerce and packaged consumer goods clients, from organisational design to on-the-ground change management and communications. Her consulting skills are supported by her academic background in Organisational and Social Psychology gained at The University of Edinburgh and LSE, where she focused on organisational development, organisational culture and social identity management.

Zofia spends most of her spare time trying to manage her extensive network of friends, across London Boroughs, countries and continents. Otherwise, she enjoys cooking, a daily dose of sports, traveling and exploring London’s rich cultural and culinary scene – all of those activities preferably done with her close ones.

Loren Harris

Customer service and relationship building is at the heart of everything I do. From handling the everyday functions of the office, to ensuring the company is running efficiently and is compliant in all the areas where compliance is required.

Bringing with me extensive knowledge of the processes and requirements of the industry. I am always on hand to assist with any queries or questions from Clients or Associates, providing a professional, high level customer service experience.

Outside of work, I love anything from getting fully engrossed in a TV series to discovering secret gin bars! And of course letting the world know I’m VEGAN.

Paula Keville

Paula started her career in higher education supporting the commercial function at The University Of Warwick. From there she found her passion for recruitment.

Paula is a specialist recruiter within change and transformation supporting global projects across a multitude of sectors. Her capacity to ensure she is connected and delivers an honest and transparent service to her network enables her to place the right people on the right projects. Her vision is to ensure that associates have the opportunity to continuously develop within their chosen career path.

As network engagement manager, Paula’s role within Tessiant is:

first point of contact for all Associates
to ensure Associates are given the tools and opportunity to work on the right projects
sourcing and delivery

Outside of work, Paula enjoys spending time outdoors, whether that be on a beach, on a mountain or walking the dog. She takes a holistic approach to life and ensures that her family are looked after and enjoying life to the full.

Sophie Ward

Since Graduating from Nottingham Trent University with a degree in business management and marketing, Sophie has gained 5 and a half years of valuable experience within the marketing industry, within a professional environment. She has successfully built up the social profiles, websites, brand awareness and followings for companies operating in varying industries, from the professional service sector to the hospitality sector.

As Tessiant’s Marketing Manager, Sophie specialises in:

Devising and developing a clear marketing plan for the company
Managing the companies LinkedIn
Content Creation
Building up the company’s online presence and following
Designing and updating the website
Providing marketing support to all the partners within Tessiant in terms of communicating offerings to a wider audience

Outside of work, Sophie loves to spend time with her husband and little boy, and family and friends. As well as regular pilates workouts, and going out on long walks. Not forgetting the guilty pleasure of getting immersed into any reality TV series going.

Reena Hawkins

After graduating from Sheffield Hallam University with a degree in International Business with German, Reena gained extensive marketing experience across diverse roles, including Product Management and Trade Marketing, working with well-known companies such as Hertz, Merlin Entertainments, and Warner Bros.

Relocating from Surrey to Warwickshire over a decade ago, Reena took a career break to focus on raising her young family and establishing her own marketing consultancy, which she continues to run today. Supporting Tessiant’s marketing on a fractional basis, she brings a wealth of experience, insight, and fresh ideas to benefit the whole team.

Outside of work, Reena enjoys staying active, taking adventurous holidays with her husband and two teenage boys, and spending quality time with friends.

HARRIET COWIE

Harriet is an outstanding Finance Director, with extensive experience in both retail and hospitality industries. Since qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in a Big 4 accounting firm she has developed into a natural leader, team builder, influencer and motivator with excellent communication and organisational skills.

After her initial ACA training she has gained invaluable commercial finance experience at Asda Supermarkets. Harriet then moved to QHotels where she spent 11 years building a broad range of financial, operational and commercial experience in a fast paced PE backed hospitality SME. She was involved in the acquisition of 14 hotels, of which she was lead in the financial integration of 6 De Vere Hotels.

Since her experience at QHotels, Harriet has had substantial success in the SME arena gaining a reputation for making complex financial information easy to understand for Business Owners, whilst significantly improving business processes and profitability. She now runs her own business supplying Portfolio Finance Director services to a number of SMEs in a variety of industries including hospitality, recruitment, management consultancy, social enterprise and care homes.

Harriet specialises in:

Financial Review and Strategic Support
Providing meaningful recommendations based on insightful financial analysis
Business Process improvement
Mentoring and coaching non financially astute SME business owners

Outside of work Harriet enjoys spending time with her husband and their 3 young children, and swimming in local North Yorkshire rivers!

KATE HETHERINGTON

Kate graduated from the University of Reading with a 1st in Zoology and is now part way through her accounting qualifications. So far she has completed AAT level 2 and 3 and is keen to become fully qualified.

She has worked as an Assistant Accountant for the past 2 years and has gained experience in:

Processing invoices
Financial reporting and forecasting
Bank and balance sheet reconciliations
Monitoring the status of accounts payable to faciliate efficient processing
Providing ad hoc assistance to AP coleagues to achieve invoice approval and dealing with queries in an effective manner.

Outside of work, Kate loves travelling, skiing and open water swimming. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends and lots of walkies with Dougie the Labradoodle.

WHO WE ARE

We are consulting reimagined, with the aim to build a consultancy, we wished we could have been buying from. Our purpose is to create value – relentlessly pursuing excellence for our clients, and on a mission to create an environment for our people to flourish.

CORE TEAM

Our core team of employees; the consulting team running the successful delivery and advisory of projects. Alongside the support team consisting of operations, marketing, finance and business development. Meet our team below.

Anna Barsby

Managing Partner

Matt Neale

Managing Partner

Alex Ball

Managing Partner

Stuart Smith

Managing Partner

Danielle Xerxes

Partner - SIA

Ross Macfarlane

Associate Partner

Stuart Richards

Associate Partner

Charlene Lyons

Associate Partner

Rachael Claridge

Director

Charlotte Gledhill

Director

Mark Weeks

Director

Natalie Black

Principal Consultant

Jen Draper

Senior Consultant

Yomola Oyedipe

Consultant

Eva Valentine

Consultant

Zofia Pastuszka

Analyst

Loren Harris

Head Of Operations

Paula Keville

Engagement Manager

Sophie Ward

Marketing Manager

Reena Hawkins

Marketing Manager

Harriet Cowie

Finance Director

Kate Hetherington

Finance Assistant

HONEST

We listen hard and take pride in what we do.

AUTHENTIC

We are who we are, we don’t try to be like anyone else.

PRAGMATIC

Everyone is included and treated with respect.

RESPECTFUL

We make a difference, cutting to the chase, but with care.

A TRUSTED WORKPLACE

After just 4 years in the Change and Transformation space we are proud to have been recognised as one of the Sunday Times Best Places To Work 2024, placing in the Top 100 Small Businesses to Work for. Right from the start, we have made it our focus to build a workplace culture and environment that enables our employees to thrive, both individually and together as one. Being deemed a highly engaging workplace and scoring high in areas of reward and recognition, instilling pride, information sharing, empowerment, health and wellbeing and job satisfaction, is a testament to that.

Anna Barsby

Matt Neale

Alex Ball

Stuart Smith

Danielle Xerxes

Ross Macfarlane

Stuart Richards

Charlene Lyons

Rachael Claridge

Charlotte Gledhill

Mark Weeks

Natalie Black

Jen Draper

Yomola Oyedipe

Eva Valentine

Zofia Pastuszka

Loren Harris

Paula Keville

Sophie Ward

Reena Hawkins

HARRIET COWIE

KATE HETHERINGTON

WHO WE ARE

CORE TEAM

Anna Barsby

Matt Neale

Alex Ball

Stuart Smith

Danielle Xerxes

Ross Macfarlane

Stuart Richards

Charlene Lyons

Rachael Claridge

Charlotte Gledhill

Mark Weeks

Natalie Black

Jen Draper

Yomola Oyedipe

Eva Valentine

Zofia Pastuszka

Loren Harris

Paula Keville

Sophie Ward

Reena Hawkins

Harriet Cowie

Kate Hetherington

our core values.

A TRUSTED WORKPLACE