Why I Joined SRI Executive: Reflections from Six Months In

Six months in, our Director of Consultancy reveals why SRI Executive is not your typical consultancy firm.

Firstly, I’ll start by saying, of course, I’m slightly biased—I lead SRI’s consultancy practice. But having only joined six months ago after two decades working in INGOs, start-ups, academic institutions, and the private sector, I still have a clear perspective of what it’s like to be on ‘the other side’. Here are a few reasons why I decided to join SRI Executive and why I think they stand out from the crowd of consultancy practices.

It's a given that consultants must have sector-leading expertise, and ours do. But what we consistently hear from clients is that we’re also “nice people to work with”.

When a consultancy practice is getting involved in the nitty-gritty details of your organisation, the how and who really matter. How do they make you feel? Our team are kind and empathetic about the difficulties you’re facing, and they can also have a laugh with you to lighten things up after a tough day. We believe having a close relationship with our clients contributes to the lasting impact we bring. The team who pitches is the team you get; there’s no switching around once you’re onboard. We spend a lot of time thinking about the best team for the particular needs of each client, considering their experience, interests, and the DISC assessments that every team member completes when joining. This approach works: over 30% of our clients continue to come back. For a practice that is about 6 years old, to have clients who have worked with us since 2020 is an important validation that we’re doing things right.

We’re all a happy family. No, really. SRI Executive is a family business. It’s unusual, but it works.

I greatly respect Helen, who founded SRI Executive with two young children in tow over 25 years ago. Over time, the company grew, and she brought her husband, Seamus, on board as Executive Co-Chair. Their son and daughter now also work in the company. Together, they are a fantastic team. During my onboarding, our families met, and they’ve been incredibly supportive as my wife and I welcomed our first daughter to the world. This family approach leads to a warm and supportive culture which is reflected in how we work with clients. We value long-term relationships over profit. During my first business development trip, Seamus insisted our meetings were not about the return but the relationship – many of which he has personally developed over many years as individuals change roles and organisations.

We’ve experienced our clients’ problems first-hand – either internally or in our previous roles. We use this insight to help our clients.

From Seamus, who oversaw Guiness's global operations, to Temi, who led talent at Mastercard; to Liz, who led strategy at Trócaire; to Anushka, who oversaw Bridgespan’s Asia and Africa Regional Unit; to me, who led MSI Reproductive Choices' largest service delivery channel, we have all ‘walked the walk’. This means that, when it comes to strategy, organisational effectiveness, and leadership, we better understand client problems and the types of solutions that work in our context. This not only means we are better placed to support but can sympathise and empathise with the challenges our clients have to navigate and the difficult decisions they have to make.

We’re with you until the end, and then some.

We see our projects through – and then stay in touch afterwards. We don’t haggle over a few extra hours here or there if it will make the difference between a happy client or leaving them in the lurch. That’s why we include end-of-project reflections and quarterly follow-ups in all our projects, free of charge. This is partly because we like staying in touch to see how our work is being used, but also because we understand consulting projects are often intense and clients rarely can implement all recommendations immediately. These follow-ups give clients an opportunity for further advice, clarification and support – and give us the satisfaction that our work has contributed to lasting change.

Because, at SRI Executive, ‘lasting impact starts with us’ – meaning the success of each project and the satisfaction of each client matters to us.