When and why did you join?
I joined in 2009. What attracted me to Berkeley was two-fold. Firstly, the breadth of work that goes on here. I think that where I was working previously, I was being assigned to a more narrow and narrow technologies, and just the same kind of projects over and over. Coming here I’ve definitely had a wider breadth of work and working at more senior levels. Secondly, the atmosphere being part of a partnership, we’re much more of a family atmosphere and there’s a lot more support around you for the work that you do – and it makes the place a lot more fun as well.
Personal development?
It basically ticked all the boxes that I wanted to tick when I joined. I’ve been working with more senior stakeholders, I’ve been stretched more, I’ve learnt more from the people around me, and the breadth and variety of work I’ve undertaken has been fascinating.
How are we different?
The atmosphere here is completely different from any other consulting firm I have encountered. The willingness of people around you to help and support you, and to go out and have a drink and have fun and really make you feel part of a family is something that’s really quite unique.
Most satisfying project?
I worked on the IT strategy for a FTSE 250 firm, which was really interesting because it was a 2 month short, sharp intervention where we looked at every aspect of running their IT department from hardware, software, architecture, supplier sourcing, org design, people, operating model – right across the board, and we looked at the demand for future projects and how that fitted in with the wider company strategy and we worked out that strategy, we had to land that with the Board and that client is now living out the strategy that we defined.
Work/life balance?
In terms of the main work that I’m doing here. It’s, in the main, London and South East based. And if there are client jobs that are outside London and the South East then there is a genuine conversation between Consultant and Partner as to whether the Consultant is willing to do that, and the Consultant’s wishes are really listened to. So there is never any un-due pressure to go and work in the far reaches of the country or abroad.
Highlights?
Highlights would probably be the Away Weekend. We do this every year. I’ve been on two now; to Goodwood House, and then to Newquay this year. It’s really just a fun weekend where we have the whole firm together, have a little bit of light sporting competition between all the Consultants and good food, a bit of entertainment and a nice weekend away in the summer to get everyone together.
Any advice?
I think the best thing to do is just talk to people at Berkeley – get in touch with anyone that’s working here. They’ll be able to tell you a bit more. Figure out if you think you might be a good fit in Berkeley, or if Berkeley works for you, then figure out after that if you’d like to go through the application process.
After receiving a first class Engineering degree from the University of Bristol, Tom spent his first six years in the Management Consulting industry with Accenture, taking on the role of IT Project Manager. In that time, Tom worked through all stages of the IT project lifecycle, sharpening his expertise in everything from supply chain and order to cash processes to financial modelling – earning a reputation for high quality and diligent delivery. It was in 2009 and with career development firmly in mind that Tom decided to make the transition to a smaller firm and joined The Berkeley Partnership.
During his time here, Tom has worked on a range of large projects across the public, retail and online sectors. From managing the project turnaround for a £2bn high street retailer, to merging two competing business units onto a common IT platform, Tom has not only proved his talents, but enhanced them too – always ensuring the wider business benefits of IT change are realised.