About us

What differentiates BTC?

Byron Thomas Consulting combines the advantages of a consultancy, coach and interim. Fully conversant in consultancy frameworks and methodologies, Byron combines the line experience of delivery within an organisation and having to navigate and adjust as conditions change. In addition, his expertise in building rapport, asking questions, and listening from the perspective of a business leader goes beyond pure coaching.

Who we are

Byron Thomas

After 30 years as an executive leader covering General Management, Finance, IT, Operations and Strategy, Byron has now chosen to establish BTC to share the experience, analysis skills and coaching that has worked in his past career.

He has worked in the Engineering sector (Spirax Sarco Engineering plc), Consumer Goods (Unilever plc, Mondelez) and with smaller public sector facing organisations. In each of those organisations he has been called upon by Chairmen, CEOs, CFOs and Operations Leaders to resolve the hardest operational problems facing them.

As a qualified coach, accountant, technology leader and strategic consultant he has been key to resolving situations in relation to acquisition integration, business performance, organisation governance, regional organisation, implementation of large-scale IT, business systems design and change programme delivery.  

He has travelled extensively across Europe, Asia, and the Americas and has lived in the Netherlands, Australia, USA and Cyprus for over 8 years.

Experience

  • Unilever plc – Director of Strategy, Finance – Netherlands, UK and Cyprus – 10 years

  • Mondelez International, Inc. – Director of Purchasing, IT, Finance – UK, Asia, Europe – 10 years

  • Spirax Group plc– Group CIO, Division Finance Director – Steam & Electric Thermal Solutions – UK, USA - 13 years

Qualifications

  • Theoretical Physics Degree (Cambridge University)

  • Qualified Accountant (Fellow Chartered Management Accountant)

  • MBA (Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus)

  • Accredited Coach Mentor (Oxford School of Coach Mentoring)

  • NED Diploma (Financial Times)

How we work

  • A brief is not always clear at the start of the assignments we work on. We work with you to hone the brief in advance of any financial commitment, to ensure that all parties are clear on how and whether value can be added. If the way forward doesn’t add sufficient value or justify the use of an external party, then we will share that.

  • We focus on building a strong rapport, anchored by positive regard for people and the company, to create the right conditions for gaining alignment on the issue and solutions. This atmosphere encourages bolder and deeper insights to be captured, that ultimately lead to more sustainable plans being created.

  • We always base our recommendations on evidence that supports those. Sometimes our input is sought on topics or projects where it is difficult for the current team to change course and where an objective outsider’s input it welcomed – able to say things that hadn’t been considered previously.

  • Our report and feedback will always be simple and engaging. We believe that by being structured, visual and clear the evidence can be understood quickly and allows everyone to engage and see what needs to be done. The clear and visual format provides maximum time to be devoted to conversation and collaboration on what should be the solutions – rather than becoming confused in what the evidence is showing.

  • We always begin with the question ‘ what is the problem we are trying to solve’. That ensures that the project stays concise and addresses the rea issue that the organisation faces.

When to use BTC

… rather than an Interim

Use BTC rather than an Interim when the answer is not yet clear that an interim is needed. An interim can trigger organisation change and is useful in many situations – but it may not always be the best path. BTC can augment existing leaders through coaching and helping them develop the way forward. Working closely with existing leaders I have helped organisations further understand their situation and develop the right next steps.

… rather than Strategic Consultancy

Use BTC when you are seeking consultancy analytic skills, but also want seasoned experience and the knowledge of how organisations work. BTC brings experienced leaders, who have been responsible for delivery, but that also understand frameworks and methodologies. BTC has no ‘vested’ interest (to generate more revenue) other than the client success.  BTC have few overheads to recover, take on only a few clients and can be quicker to value. You will get more ‘bang for your buck’.

… rather than Pure Coaching

When you want more than individual one to one coaching. Pure coaching is often delivered by specialists with less operational line experience used to improve the performance of individuals. BTC uses a coaching approach to build rapport, gain trust and listen closely to leaders within the organisation.