Who we are

Our consultants have many years of experience in supporting clients to deliver on their strategies.
We work across a range of industries, with organisations of all sizes, in the public, private and third sectors.

Learn how we can help.
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Fairisle Founding Director Sarah Willcox

Sarah Willcox
Founder and Director

The first thing I would like you to know is although change can be hard, it’s often simpler than you think. For instance, part of my role is to help you realise how much you already know about the change you want to make.
My assignments for Fairisle vary in size and duration, ranging from mentoring an individual, to working with a whole team. However large the assignment, my focus is always the same. I will support you and your team to define your destination clearly, and create realistic plans. In addition, I will equip you to deal with with obstacles to successful change.
As one of our team of business change consultants, our clients find me flexible, positive and resourceful. As a result I am good at helping teams work well together, and have excellent listening and facilitation skills. Moreover, as a versatile, organised and creative business change consultant, I combine vision with pragmatism.
I am a qualified mediator, Certified Scrum Master, Certified Scrum Product Owner, PRINCE2 and PROSCI practitioner.

Fairisle consultant and qualified coach Philip Ratcliff

Philip Ratcliff
Senior Consultant

Look, listen and seek to understand. In these three actions I find both the starting point and the answers to any change someone wants to make.
My assignments with Fairisle usually include change for those involved on a personal and organisational level. For example, this can mean coaching managers in their first few months, or completely redesigning part of an organisation. In all cases, the process of stepping back and taking account of the current culture and atmosphere is key. This results in a deep understanding of what needs to be done by those implementing change, either for themselves or others.
As one of our team of business change consultants, our clients have found me to be an insightful and knowledgeable partner who challenges their perceptions on what is possible. I design and facilitate engaging workshops, deliver clear and concise reports and provide effective support in the delivery of change. I’m known for asking questions that cause clients to pause and consider their current position, and then help them move forward.
I’m a Certified Scrum Master, qualified teacher, ILM-qualified coach and certified MSP practitioner with over 20 years of experience in Organisational Development.

John Willcox
Lead Consultant

I make sure I understand your challenges and opportunities so that I can recommend the solutions that suit you and your business. As a result, you can be sure that the changes you achieve are the changes you need.
My assignments for Fairisle tend to focus on the technical aspects of change initiatives. For example this includes helping clients analyse the benefits of IT solutions, and mentoring people to communicate their requirements clearly. Above all, I’m passionate about the value and importance of Agile methods in helping clients to make rapid, measurable progress towards their change goals.
As one of our team of business change consultants, our clients find me to be focused on achievable outcomes, able to get to grips quickly with complex problems and adept at facilitating productive, problem solving workshops.
I am a Certified Scrum Master, and Certified Scrum Product Owner, with a Masters degree in Business Systems Analysis and Design.

Fairisle Intern Consultant Kate Ratcliff

Kate Ratcliff
Intern Consultant

Eager to learn about change delivery consultancy and intrigued by Fairisle’s values-driven approach to organisational change, Kate is Fairisle’s current Intern Consultant. Having recently graduated from the University of Oxford, Kate is working alongside Fairisle’s senior and associate consultants to gain insight into the consultancy process. As President of a student-run charitable campaign at university and responsible for developing an ‘Oxbridge Access Programme’ in her current role as UCAS advisor at a secondary school, Kate has joined the Fairisle team to build upon her existing strategic-thinking and project development skills. Alongside attending and contributing to client-facing and business development meetings, Kate has been participating in internal assignment retrospectives and reviews. She is also working alongside Fairisle mentors to develop her own project from vision to delivery using a ScrumAgile process.

Ajo Clua
Associate Consultant

Fairisle’s approach is highly collaborative, and we use a range of methods to support meaningful participation. Ajo’s expertise in visual communication and service design is a great enhancement.
Ajo works with people who care about those around them and are willing to create opportunities that have a positive impact in their lives. Whether that’s their employees, colleagues, service users, families or friends. Caring means helping them to be ‘healthy, fulfilled and happy’.
Ajo supports teams to continuously improve the local support system (and the services they deliver) based on the needs of people who receive and deliver services.
For the last 10 years, Ajo has worked closely with clients to develop and embed an approach to undertake change projects through the use of human-centred design and participatory methods and practices. Ajo has led design projects where, through research, observation and co-creation, clients have discovered insights that have led to meaningful solutions and positive impact.
Ajo has worked with project teams to successfully improve local services, build strong relationships within their teams and partners and develop skills on design methodologies.
Learn more about Ajo’s work helping organisations improve their services by better understanding their users at ajoclua.com.

Ben Clifford
Associate Consultant

Ben’s technical skill set complements Fairisle’s strategy delivery work in a number of key ways, as strategy delivery often involves technical change.
Ben is a technology & change specialist with 20+ years industry experience spanning blue chips (BUPA, Talk Talk, Vodafone) to start-ups. Passionate about helping organisations achieve their goals faster by delivering digital change using no-code tools, SaaS & Agile methods.
His key skills & experience include:

– Delivery of new capabilities faster using no-code / visual programming tools (e.g. Bubble, Zapier) and other cloud technologies (incl. SalesForce, Dynamics 365, SiteCore, Azure & HubSpot).
– Managing large delivery teams (incl. product owners, business analysts, project managers & technical resources) using Agile(Scrum).
– Delivering transformation across org structure & business processes.
– Target operating model definition (data, systems, people, process (TOGAF)) & management of change portfolios.
– Working with senior stakeholders to define strategy & identify benefits (ROI, NPV, IRR).

Ben is Director of Wishbones Ltd, an IT consultancy specialising in low and no code solutions.

Catherine Parsons
Associate Consultant

Fairisle’s work often involves helping people develop different ways of working. Catherine’s deep knowledge and understanding of people issues is a great asset in helping our clients navigate change.
Catherine is an HR professional with a strong background in helping clients in need of expert Human Resources advice and consultancy. An experienced mediator, Catherine is adept at getting to the heart of issues using a range of skills and techniques. Highly organised and insightful, Catherine is skilled at providing detailed and sensitive information in a timely way. She also draws on her extensive experience of working with a range of clients to inform the drafting and development of project documentation.
Catherine is a great workshop facilitator and her high energy, insightful approach guarantees a successful outcome.
Catherine is Co-owner of 360 HR an HR consultancy providing advice and support to employers.

Pip Brown
Associate Consultant

Organisational change and strategy delivery can sometimes generate conflict within organisations. Pip’s expertise really complements Fairisle’s work in this regard.
A CEDR-trained, CMC-accredited mediator, Pip focuses on workplace, community and civil disputes. She uses the experience and skills she developed working in international conflict environments to reduce the negative effects of conflicts closer to home.
Pip is practical, calm and incisive. She works flexibly to create a problem-solving and transformational framework for parties to achieve a result that each is happy with. Pip has a track record of collaboratively supporting a wide range of stakeholders and clients at all levels, building rapport in a very natural way to understand their concerns and working through to a positive conclusion. She is often praised for her ‘calm authority’, which she uses effectively to maintain an effective environment for constructive discussions.
Pip is the founder of Conflict Insights Ltd and works on reducing the harm that conflicts have on individuals.

Ruth Dwight
Associate Consultant

Fairisle’s client list includes a number of third sector organisations. Ruth’s deep expertise in strategy, governance and capacity building for charities and social enterprises is a big plus for our work in this sector.

Ruth brings a 20-year career in the not-for-profit sector, including programme management, corporate partnership development and director roles at Coram Family and Childcare, the youth charity Young Citizens, and Volunteering Matters. Ruth holds an MSc in Voluntary Sector Management, has been trustee of several charities, and is currently Chair of The Menopause Charity.

As a consultant, Ruth is highly focused, insightful and committed to delivery. She specialises in managing multi-stakeholder strategy projects with a range of organisations (including the Association of Charitable Foundations, Humankind, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare), providing capacity-building support for smaller charities and facilitating trustee training and governance reviews.

Ruth is Director of Ruth Dwight Consulting Ltd which provides strategy, governance and capacity building support for charities and social enterprises.