Grant Thornton has formally launched its People and Change consulting practice headed by partner Patrick Gallen, who joined the firm earlier this year following a 28-year career with PwC.
According to Gallen, recent research by the International Coach Federation and Human Capital Institute found that eight out of ten organisations have experienced an unsuccessful change management initiative in the last two years.
“In a way it’s not surprising,” says Gallen. “Emerging from recession the focus for business was on getting the systems and processes in place but the ‘people’ aspect of things often gets left until last.
“When you add a red-hot labour market into the equation, on top of growing but fundamentally uncertain economies, the issue comes into sharp focus.”
Gallen added that the business spike for Grant Thornton is driven by client concerns around staff retention, regulatory changes, the potential impact of Brexit and the geographic considerations of multinational companies.
“It’s a very real challenge for Irish organisations at the moment and we wanted to present a comprehensive and holistic solution for them,” says Gallen.
The People and Change consulting practice focuses on seven services for HR directors and senior management, ranging from Leadership Development and Performance Management to Strategic Workforce Planning and Change Management.
The offering also embraces Board Effectiveness, Organisational Culture, Stakeholder Engagement and Learning & Development.
Grant Thornton has also established an ‘HRD Room’ for thought leadership amongst HR professionals to complement its existing services for CEOs and CFOs.
Other members of the Dublin team are Director, Anne Phillipson, who joined from Queen’s University’s William J Clinton Leadership Institute; Associate Director Orla Carolan, who joined Grant Thornton after more than a decade with JP Morgan and after developing her own career as a successful business coach; and John Lalor, an experienced HR Consultant and Psychologist.
Grant Thornton managing partner Michael McAteer commented: “This is an exciting step for Grant Thornton as it addresses an important need across the Irish business and public sector landscape. Over the last 10 years we have worked with thousands of clients who have been reorganising for the new business landscape, but the issues around having your people right, and correctly focused, are now more important than ever.”