1What’s different about Berkeley for our clients?

At Berkeley we operate in small teams with our clients, and as a result we quickly become an extension of their own organisation. Combined with our independence, it means our only agenda is their agenda. I believe this makes us more valuable as trusted advisors for our clients, while at the same time is truly freeing for our people – knowing that there are no hidden incentives or politics means that the focus is squarely centred on doing the right thing.

2What’s been your favourite assignment and why?

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work with a leading premiership football club to select and implement their ticketing platform. Having never previously been interested in football (I’ve always preferred Wimbledon over Wembley), it was a surprise to discover how much I loved learning about the club, its operations and the ways in which the industry seeks to deliver the best possible fan experience at every possible moment.

In an industry that is changing so quickly and for which technology is only now catching up with the ideas out there, it was rewarding to be a part of a team working out how to leverage what is available today and position the club to be ready for what will be available tomorrow.

The commitment of the club to deliver the best possible outcomes for their fans, and the dedication of the people I worked with made this perhaps my most memorable project and one I’ll look back on as something regularly to see if we can recreate the same magic elsewhere.

3What might people be interested in knowing about you?

I come from a small village in Northern Ireland and of my primary school class, only three of us have grown up to live outside the village. I love escaping back to my parents’ farm and go back as often as I can, but it’s difficult to try and connect the two sides of my life. I was never a particularly useful farm hand for my father (trusted to fill in holes in the hedge when moving cattle rather than to drive the tractor), but through the variety of roles I’ve had during my career, I can now talk to my father about animal feed manufacturing, the DEFRA identity verification process, and how our clients are balancing supply chain needs with unpredictable harvesting timelines. He might not always understand what my “actual” job is, but consulting is one of the few industries that gives you real exposure to many. 

One of the things I really want to do is help my nieces and nephews (and anyone else of their generation) understand as many different career options as possible so they can find the right one for them. I may not be able to show them what its like to be a set designer on a film or a barrister in court, but anything I can do to increase the visibility and transparency of different careers can only be a good thing.