Meet the team ... Steve Baillie

What's your background? 

I’ve been lucky enough to spend some of my working life at a variety of different places - a small company, a huge pharmaceutical firm and a top tier management consultancy. Throughout this time I got more and more attracted to business changes and challenges.

What attracted you to Project One?

Three things really; the simplicity of the proposition with an overwhelming desire to do a top class job for clients, a very simple operating model without the baggage and complications of big corporates, and finally, the feeling that this was a growing company intent on winning.

How have you found life in Project One?

I would say Project One is one of the few companies which truly lives by its values and principles. If you like hard work and getting results, you’ll love this company. Oh yes, and it’s good fun too.

 

My most memorable assignment so far

 

There have been lots. One of the most unusual was to close a department store business of 36 stores, employing approx. 700 staff, and, in doing so, to continue the UK-wide buying and distribution group. We invested a lot of effort on communications and stakeholder management, and were able to find buyers for many of the stores, and carefully closed the rest.

 

What did your client value?

 

  • We provided a framework which scoped the work into manageable chunks. This gave the team confidence in the approach to mobilising and successfully delivering elements of the programme
  • A clear decision making structure (project team and steering group) for understanding and managing the programme, backed up by timely and relevant information
  • Specific support to work streams where they needed additional capability  e.g. transition of buying group

 

What did the assignment mean to you?

 

  • It was very rewarding to see how effectively our chosen management style worked for the team of operational managers e.g. "light touch" project management systems
  • Experience guided us to recommend “re-baselining” the programme half way through and this provided an excellent formal opportunity to check that we would still achieve the overall goal
  • Our client genuinely appreciated our style and the way that we fitted in with their team, helping them to drive through a very challenging programme in a professional and sensitive manner

 

 

And what do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Whilst working in Project One I've been able to take up my passion for competitive cycle racing again - a little talent and some hard work has got me quite a few wins recently. And by working close to home most of the time, I also get to be the embarrassing dad for our two teenage daughters.