Personal Profile

Kerry worked for leading international business advisory services firm, Price Waterhouse Coopers, for over 20 years. Her consulting assignments in Strategy, Performance Management and Marketing have given her experience of working in many sectors and countries.

Her commercial clients included household names such as Nestle, Bass and M&S. She has also worked in the government and voluntary sectors where her clients have included the Department of Health and the Ministry of Defence. She was recognised as a global thought leader in PwC for her Performance Management and Systems Thinking expertise.

Since 2008 Kerry has worked freelance. She has continued to deliver projects, individually and in partnership with other consultancies, for organisations such as the Ministry of Justice, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf and many new start-ups. She has also fulfilled a lifetime ambition to become a published author in the equestrian world with a book, "[[Riding Dynamics]]", and numerous magazine articles to her name (See [[Writing about Equines]].)

Kerry is passionate about the educational value of Systems Thinking. She is engaged in a part-time PhD to evaluate the potential in UK schools. She is also a STEM ambassador and volunteer on the OR Society's "OR in Education" program.

Kerry is currently engaged in catalysing "See the Systems". This is a new education initiative aimed at bringing the value of systems action to strengthen communities around the world.

Employment History

2021-present -

Chief Energiser "See the Systems"

Kerry is leading an initiative to create See the Systems. This is a new education initiative aimed at bringing the value of systems action to strengthen communities around the world. For more info see [[See the Systems Partners]].

2008-present -

Freelance Management Consultant at KnowLimiTs and research professional

Kerry works as a freelance consultant to deliver Strategic Learning and Performance Management assignments using Systems Thinking. In partnership with KPMG Consulting she has completed several public sector engagements for the Ministry of Justice and the Police, and independently with the Prisons Service and the Royal National Institute for the Deaf. She has also worked with a host of start-up enterprises including a rehabilitation centre and a Heritage centre.

In 2018 she carried out an independent systems analysis of the [[Grenfell Tower]] Fire in London to explore the system which caused the disaster and the deaths. The findings have been presented at two conferences and have implications for building design and for how humanity can better manage the climate.

Kerry is passionate about facilitating young people to see and intervene more effectively in systems. Together with [https://www.hullchildrensuniversity.com/ Hull Children’s University], the Ferens Education Trust and local business, Rix, she developed an inspirational systemic experience for school children. The impact will be evaluated in her PhD research. She is the tutor on the Systems Thinking/Dynamics course at Genwise India (see [[Passage to India]].)

She actively promotes Systems Thinking in business, sport and education. She is a [https://www.stem.org.uk/stem-ambassadors STEM ambassador] and volunteers on the Operational Research Society [https://www.theorsociety.com/get-involved/or-in-education/ “OR in Education”] initiative.

2005-2007 – Equestrian author

Kerry applied systems science to understand the interactions between horse and rider and revolutionise her riding performance. She published a book “[[Riding Dynamics]]” in October 2007.

1985-2005 – Management Consultant Deloitte Haskins & Sells (1985-90); Coopers & Lybrand Deloitte (1990-97); PWC Consulting (1997-2002); IBM Business consulting (2002-2005)

Kerry joined DH&S in 1985 as a Junior Consultant. She progressed rapidly to Principal Consultant grade where her responsibilities included Project Delivery, Business Development and Practice Management. She remained with the firm for 20 years through several mergers.

As a Principal Consultant, Kerry’s project delivery responsibilities included project management, providing subject matter expertise and ensuring projects met best practice. Her business development responsibilities included marketing Service Lines, developing proposals for clients, and innovation (creating and growing new Service Lines). Her practice management responsibilities included recruitment, training and managing/mentoring staff.

Kerry was sought after as a leading expert in three service lines: Performance Management, Strategy Design and Marketing Effectiveness.

Performance Management

Kerry created a new approach to the development and use of Performance Measures in organisations using Systems Thinking. She built capability in the consultancy and in her clients through novel training approaches. She was an active networker and knowledge sharer being a founder member of the consultancy’s Performance Management Network.

Representative projects included:-

Nestle – development of a global KPI framework and associated processes to implement global strategy and grow shareholder value. Kerry worked with Nestle for over 3 years.

Marks & Spencer – developed a board level balanced scorecard and cascade of KPIs to store level.

The Post Office – developed performance measures and management processes to prepare for the transfer from public to private sector and competitive forces.

Ministry of Defence – design of performance measures to underpin service level agreements between support units and their internal customers.

She also worked in this area with Allied Dunbar; British Telecom; ICL; ABB; Woolworths; Safeway; Inland Revenue; Home Office

Strategy Design

Kerry created a new approach to the development and evaluation of strategy using Systems Thinking and Dynamic Modelling.

Representative projects included:-

Department of Health – forecasted future staffing requirements for the Public Expenditure Survey bid. Also evaluated interventions for managing waiting lists.

Thorn UK – evaluated alternative business models and future direction

Highways Agency – designed policies to minimise road traffic accidents

Her other clients have included Allied Domecq; Inchcape; BMW UK; Abbey National; M&S

Marketing Mix effectiveness

Kerry created a new approach to the evaluation of marketing investments using a combination of Systems Thinking and advanced statistical techniques.

Representative projects included:-

Bass plc – Kerry worked with Bass for over 3 years evaluating and improving the effectiveness of advertising on leading brands such as Carling Black Label.

Her other clients in this area included Spillers Petfoods; Mars; Britvic Soft Drinks; Abbey National; TSB

Education

2018 - date PhD Systems Science [https://www.hull.ac.uk/work-with-us/research/groups/centre-for-systems-studies Centre for Systems Studies], University of Hull Evaluating the potential for systems thinking in UK Education

1984-85 Master of Science Operational Research Management School, University of Lancaster

1981-84 BSc (First Class Hons) Mathematics (inc Maths, Operational Research & Systems) Awards: 1982 Best female student of the year (UK Federation of Professional Businesswomen); 1983 Emlyn Lloyd Mathematics Prize; 1984 William Pickles award (best degree results)

1974-81 Wombwell High School 4 A levels: Mathematics (A); Economics (A); History (B); General Studies (A) 8 O levels: 7 (A); 1 (B); CSE grade 1 Art & Design

Affiliations

Member of the [https://systemdynamics.org/ System Dynamics Society]; the Operational Research Society; the [https://www.isss.org/home/ International Society for Systems Science]; and, the International Council for Systems Engineering

Languages

English and French

Interests

Horsemanship, Swimming, Walking, Cycling, Reading, Poetry, Films