WHERE IT BEGAN
In 2020, the Sullivan & Stanley team came together to envision a bold future for our organisation. This inaugural Vivid Vision sparked new thinking and innovation across our team as we strived to realise our purpose to inspire and develop the future of work.
In the four years since, along with our clients we’ve achieved great success – growing geographically with a new office opening in the Middle East, becoming more famous by winning Gold at the UK Customer Experience Awards for our work with Shell Energy and creating a workplace to be proud of, recognised by Great Place to Work® in the UK. Having nurtured successful partnerships, pioneered client-focused service delivery, and supported our key charity partners, we’re proud to have ticked many things off our Vivid Vision 2023 bucket list.
But following these huge achievements, we now look ahead to 2027 with renewed ambition to guide executives through the exponential changes that are reshaping industries. We’re forever ambitious and will strive for our own workplace transformation to mirror the journeys we encourage client leaders to embark upon. This Vivid Vision 2027 encapsulates what we’d like to achieve and maps a path to get there.
A SNAPSHOT OF 2027
It’s 31st December 2027. We’re now 11 years old and we continue to challenge the status quo, making waves in the industry and taking significant market share from the Big 4. We wanted to make a global movement towards client-side consulting and the fruits of our labour are starting to manifest at scale. We’ve led global businesses through disruption by pioneering award-winning transformations focused on client needs that deliver real-world value. Alongside profit, planet and social impact shape our decisions. We’re now proud B-Corp certified leaders in using business as a force for good. Our conscious culture and client-centricity have made us a trusted guide for many of the FTSE 250 and other prominent organisations across the world. We’ve won global awards by enabling these organisations to accelerate transformation that strengthens them from the inside out.
HOW WE’VE ACHIEVED SUCCESS
It started by truly living our purpose – we exist to inspire and develop a future of work, providing innovative solutions for modern consulting that help our clients change faster and accelerate business success.
We envision a world where business is a profound force for good, where companies enable humans and the planet to thrive, and where work unlocks personal and professional fulfilment and shared success.
And at the heart of this are our core values…
Be transparent and honest: We care enough to tell people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. We’re quick to surface problems, worries or to ask for help.
We always tell our clients the truth, even if it risks our business interests. We believe that integrity is non-negotiable.
Give more than you receive: We are generous with our time and resources. We believe in creating bright futures for ourselves and others.
Our communities exist to share knowledge, resources and support. We believe in investing our time and resources through our community-first, commerce-second ethos.
Look after one another: Our clients and relationships are for life. We work to grow and protect the S&S tribe and are recognised for our unique contribution within it.
Fostering enduring relationships through personalised solutions, continuous support and shared thought leadership, ensures our clients and associates see us as trusted partners throughout their career journeys and beyond.
Follow through: We take personal responsibility for starting and finishing what we commit to. We value action over intent – and definitely over PowerPoint!
We uphold accountability and reliability in everything we do, ensuring that we deliver on our promises consistently.
By living these values and empowering passionate, purpose-driven professionals across all industries, we believe we can catalyse positive ripples across communities worldwide. As we reinvent client-side consulting, we’re ultimately working to reinvent business itself – and build a brighter future.
WORLD-CLASS CLIENT EXPERIENCE
In this next section, we explore how nurturing life-long relationships with our clients and putting them at the heart of everything we do has enabled us in 2027 to deliver meaningful and sustainable change that helps their businesses win.
Consistently delivering accelerated outcomes with clients, helping them transform, fast.
The business landscape grows ever more complex by the day. Leaders must navigate VUCA conditions – volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. We’ve elevated our ethos of “leading through chaos” and are respected guides through the storm with deep expertise in our clients’ specific industry contexts. Our capabilities have matured to serve clients across four core capabilities:
1. CUSTOMER-CENTRICITY
We enhance customer service through adaptive models, strategic execution, and operational excellence.
2. EMPOWERING PEOPLE
We build leadership and team capabilities to foster an empowered and agile organisational culture.
3. EXPLOITING TECHNOLOGY
We help businesses adopt cutting-edge technologies through data-driven and AI-enhanced strategies for innovation.
4. MODERN IMPLEMENTATION
We employ agile, programmatic, and change methodologies for efficient delivery, enabled by technology.
In such turbulent times, relevance has a short shelf-life. In response we take an agile, mission-based approach with our processes, to pivot quickly as client challenges evolve. We’ve developed an industry-leading Value Toolbox – a set of frameworks, methodologies and tools that are reusable yet tailored for rapid delivery. They strike a balance between customisation and repeatability to drive value quickly. We power these through a blend of our in-house consulting teams and the expertise of our associates in the thriving Change Society.
We’ve created our own niche – a fresh approach that is client-side. Our teams blend experience with leading market research, bringing insight and innovation together to power transformation. This helps us to anticipate the issues and challenges our clients face. We speak with our clients continuously to understand their challenges and objectives, getting ahead of problems before they arise.
The Mission is Everything. Our competitors recognise that our leading-edge, differentiated capabilities – like our mission-based working/Product Operating Model proposition – empower our clients to change faster and more sustainably. Our collaborative approach to unlocking this value is what sets us apart. Our delivery teams partner with client teams to drive real change – integrating seamlessly as we bring our bold orange approach to complement and amplify our clients’ own capabilities. This supports our clients’ needs to collaborate and source capability beyond their boundaries.
We work with premium, established brands as well as emerging challengers and the public sector. We never lose sight of the human element – people determine success. We enable less competitive and more collaborative mindsets, bringing compassion and empathy to rapidly create high-performing teams that break down silos. We also bring together both the ‘human’ and ‘tech’ elements to unlock sustainable transformation, motivating, inspiring and supporting clients through moments of truth, celebrating small wins that build momentum.
There’s a real buzz as we walk the halls, unlock insights in pop-up delivery zones, and navigate complexity to turn strategies into reality. Go into a client’s office and you’ll be sure to see some of their laptops proudly adorned with an S&S sticker or an orange notebook sitting on their desk.
Execs that we work with are proud to be known to challenge the status quo and be the mavericks who do change differently. We transfer knowledge so they can sustain success independently. Our goal is transformation that lasts – not dependence on our services. The results speak for themselves – we deliver accelerated value realisation, translating into billions in cost savings, significant time efficiencies, higher performance, enhanced innovation, and reduced risk.
This equates to outstanding client feedback and engagement through our executive network, communities and events to share insights and referrals. Our clients beam with pride at the recognition they’ve received – global industry awards made possible by our work together. Their transformed organisations and empowered people doing their career-best work is the ultimate testament to our impact.
BECOMING A MODEL ORGANISATION DOING BUSINESS FOR GOOD
The following section looks at how S&S has evolved internally to best serve our clients’ needs and how we’ve created a truly Great Place to Work for our people.
We are the sought-after business to work in and work with, globally recognised for prioritising social and environmental impact alongside profit.
We’ve had a radical transformation since 2023. Our B-Corp status underscores how we show up for our people, our clients and our partners. Our teams are passionate about giving back. As a patron of The Bates Foundation, we’re embarking on a 3-year journey to directly support their mission to empower and educate underprivileged children worldwide. We’ve invested time and resources into our other charity partners to significant impact, organising volunteer days, fundraisers and non-profit consulting, with our consultants donating hundreds of pro bono hours annually for community impact.
Our people are our superpower. We’ve blossomed into a high-performing team akin to an elite sports team, approaching 300-strong. We have expanded across the UK and the Middle East. We’ve matured, yet we retain the same “Team Orange” culture – inclusive and empowering where every voice matters, supported by our DE&I policy and an exemplary leadership team. By becoming a workplace built on trust, autonomy and meaning, we’ve positioned ourselves as guides helping client organisations create change cultures where their people thrive. We don’t just consult on the future of work, we actively demonstrate it in how we show up – everyday.
We’ve created a People Plan that outlines development paths that allow team members to flourish and scale-up. Through the ‘Orange Academy’, our bespoke learning and development programme, we provide talent journeys that accelerate growth and careers, helping us to better serve our clients and develop our people simultaneously. Our Employer Value Proposition strikes the optimal balance between organisational needs and personal fulfilment that has attracted and excited top-tier talent. Such programmes have consistently garnered positive industry feedback, seeing us excel in employee experience awards.
Our ways of working embed agility through adaptable organisational design. Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) enable alignment and focus on client satisfaction and growth. Our policies and processes enable flexible working with a focus on efficiency and productivity. We still have regular stand-ups to celebrate wins, big and small. Recognition comes in many forms – from handwritten notes to retreats abroad. But simple encouragement means just as much. Of course, work isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. We’ve embedded authentic, courageous feedback mechanisms at all levels. Our leaders hold themselves accountable and openly share results. 360-degree reviews help us improve.
In our quest to become a model organisation, we have revolutionised our Delivery capability to ensure excellence and consistency. We’ve developed a resilient and differentiated delivery approach, embedding principles from our signature Future Business Formula into how we work – bringing in lessons from Formula 1™️ racing to drive value at speed and ensure future success. This demonstrable integration of next-generation leadership and management frameworks shows our commitment to inspiring the future of work.
Step into any of our global offices in 2027, and you’ll find energy, collaboration and innovation in full flow. Splashes of orange remind us to stay bold and unconventional. Our spaces have been thoughtfully designed to spark creativity, connection and wellbeing. Walls display memories from company retreats, client success stories, and our core values. We balance hard work with fun – the wellness of our people is a priority. There are cosy pods for recharging, but most team members opt for the collaborative circles or standing desks. Terry, our chocolate (orange) Labrador offers our team – and our visiting clients – a warm welcome each day. Our annual retreat overseas re-energises us to take on new challenges.
We’ve always believed in human-centred, tech-enabled transformation and have now fully connected our teams with state-of-the-art collaboration and AI technology, which is enhancing productivity and performance. Our connected ecosystem of services enables frictionless engagement between teams and clients, from Copilot to MissionHub – our advanced high-performing teams portal. This seamlessly matches world-class experts to client needs in mission-based teams, based on the latest academic insights. With over 20 clients now using the platform to power their businesses, this ground-breaking tool and its insights are generating real impact for our clients.
CAPTURING EXECUTIVE ATTENTION
This section uncovers how our strategic marketing plan sets the business up for further growth and ensures our messaging is seen by the right people at the right time.
A marketing trailblazer. The top-choice for Executives seeking a change and transformation partner.
Sullivan & Stanley is famous. Our differentiated proposition alongside thought-provoking content has helped us to establish a strong reputation within the industry. Our marketing strategies have reached new heights, resonating powerfully with senior executives across global organisations. Through engaging events, relevant content and impactful media campaigns, we have significantly expanded our brand presence.
Our ‘Transformers 50’ campaign- where we celebrate and elevate the top 50 business leaders driving organisational change – has been an outstanding success. This multi-year campaign has positioned Sullivan & Stanley as the go-to experts in business transformation, enabling us to build strong relationships with hundreds of influential executive leaders and their organisations. It’s brought us new clients, generated significant revenue, and garnered attention in key national media. Alongside other leading-edge content, we’ve won prestigious marketing awards – including Campaign of the Year at The Drum Marketing Awards.
We’re a Campaign-Driven Enterprise, with our ‘7-11-4’ marketing strategy (7 hours of content and 11 interactions across 4 different channels) ensuring that our services are so in demand that we are oversubscribed with a waiting list of clients wanting to do successful transformation with us. This also extends to our events. From multi-day symposiums and immersive workshops to networking and intimate dinners – we’re now able to cherry-pick delegates to attend for maximum value exchange between us all. Such events gather business leaders across global industries to explore emerging trends and inspire new thinking, skillsets and perspectives.
Our Transformation Advisory Board, composed of veteran industry leaders and academics, provides both in-the-moment advice as well as forward-looking guidance. This collective focus on instant expertise and objective consultant further cements our brand positioning as trusted partners through complexity.
Our community-first ethos is generating exceptional business value, with The Change Society standing as the crown jewel of our approach. This vibrant network has evolved into a 500-strong community of elite change professionals, representing the top 5% in their respective fields. The Change Society embodies our commitment to putting first-class service, connection and continuous learning at the heart of everything we do.
Our associates consistently express that they’ve never been part of anything quite like The Change Society. This unique ecosystem nurtures purpose-driven change makers who are not just experts in their fields but are also deeply committed to shaping the future of work.
A guiding coalition of seasoned associates helps us continuously refine the associate journey and redefine the very essence of professional community. This collaborative approach has resulted in unprecedented levels of engagement, with associates actively participating in knowledge sharing, mentorship and cutting-edge project delivery.
Our client communities turbo-charge our growth and insights, feeding business development leads, referrals, thought leadership, marketing and more. Women in Transformation, Leaders in Transformation, Tech, Information & Digital Executives, CEO and our MEA communities are flourishing, bringing people together around a shared purpose where the sum is more than the parts. We’re able to get in front of senior execs and inspire them to reimagine what’s possible, and our clients value them as a key differentiator in our reputation and value.
Growth feeds on itself, with the communities getting richer as we build partnerships for life.
Our owned channels like our website, social, and podcast, reach executives on their own time. S&S TV, our award-winning YouTube channel, has hit 100k subscribers. It lets us share ideas worth spreading and is now the leading platform of choice for executives to get their regular dose of industry insight. Earned media broadens awareness further. Through our PR strategy, our reach and reputation has grown exponentially. Our leaders are quoted widely as trusted experts across industry press and national titles and are regularly invited to share their expertise at high-profile conferences and events.
Most importantly, the work we’ve delivered for our clients is the star of the show. As our client roster expands, we gain more client success stories to promote.
This impact has impressed judges worldwide, winning global awards and creating viral ripples across industries, catapulting the leaders we’ve worked with to amazing career highs.
Internally, our growth and marketing machines use data and AI to optimise efficiency and effectiveness. Our research and insights focus on key personas and industries, helping us create targeted campaigns that speak directly to executives’ needs. Our tech supports automation and personalisation at scale enabling an excellent experience for our clients and S&S teams. Growth metrics inform how we sharpen strategies, and we have connected insight-driven, scalable marketing directly into growth.
A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE FROM OUR FOUNDER: LOOKING TO 2027 AND BEYOND
A decade ago, I had a vision – to bring a new kind of consulting firm into the world that would disrupt the status quo and make work better for all. That vision became Sullivan & Stanley, named after my own children, the next generation who deserve a transformed future of work.
I assembled Team Orange to challenge old ways that no longer serve. In a turbulent business landscape, we knew there was a better path to de-risk change and tackle the toughest challenges head-on.
I’ve watched S&S grow from a fledgling startup to a mature business ready to graduate and be unleashed on the world stage. My hope is that the next 3 years will make the last decade look like a warm-up. We’ve already taken significant market share from the big legacy consulting firms, and now we look to continue to carve out our niche in client-side consulting and take this to the next level.
In my book, ‘The Interim Revolution’ published back in 2017, I predicted where the future of business is heading – and we are seeing this manifest today. Organisations must now reskill over half their workforce for jobs yet to be invented as tech disrupts every role. The C-suite dynamics are shapeshifting and decentralised business models and de-layered organisations accelerating – these are the exact conditions where S&S can make a huge impact on a global scale.
I built S&S to be the North Star through this new business landscape. We are uniquely positioned to help organisations not only adapt to a new world, but to actively create the future they want to inhabit. By 2027, I fully expect S&S to take our place among the titans of consulting. Team Orange – our moment is now. We can show the world how it’s done and continue to spark the revolution we’ve begun.
