"we enter your business on a temporary basis, do what we were invited to do and then leave"

"After overseeing the Transition Plan and designing the future shape of the streamlined SSC, the work was handed on to an incoming SSC Director."

"the project was also completed in time and under budget"

We have always had that 'know when to go' principle as part of our company culture. We make it clear that we enter your business on a temporary basis, do what we were invited to do and then leave. But as Nick Lieberman can tell you, we can sometimes be around for longer than we or the client first envisaged. And while it breaks our golden 'know when to go' rule it is one of the highest client compliments to be asked to stay or be invited back to do more.

In Nick Lieberman's case, he has recently completed his third major project for a client over a two year period with each assignment running consecutively. Nick is a highly qualified, experienced and powerful Project Manager and was first assigned to this particular FTSE 100 client to work on a three-month Planning and Efficiency Programme at their Shared Service Centre (SSC). After overseeing the Transition Plan and designing the future shape of the streamlined SSC, the work was handed on to an incoming SSC Director. Impressed by Nick's results, the client then asked him to become, Interim Head of System and Application Support.

The task there was to drive a newly formed support function for the SSC, managing a team of fifteen, turning what had previously been a group of individuals performing disparate function into a coherent group with a single vision and working to agreed formal Service Level Agreements (SLAs) within the SSC. This took a further eight months.

When that task was complete, Nick again, willingly handed over the reins and prepared to leave. But barely had that assignment finished when the client asked Nick to work on another key project for the SSC. The financial system of a subsidiary needed to be transferred onto the same management accounting and financial reporting platform as all the other parts of the group.

We're pleased to say that that project was also completed in time and under budget (yes it does happen) and perhaps all the more remarkable as halfway through the project the goal-posts were moved substantially. The group structure changed and this caused a massive shake up to the reporting structure with a consequential knock-on effect for the finance function. But Nick took it all in his stride, taking on the work of consulting with the relevant departments to ensure the required changes went ahead, ensuring all the blueprints were correctly and successfully updated. This was achieved within the original timeline which for statutory reporting purposes could not be shifted.

These were three substantial projects for the company, part of a larger assignment which Peter Charles managed and completed, all vital for the reshaping of this major business. For Peter Charles there were many pleasing aspects but being asked to carry on working for a client is a huge testament to the knowledge, skills and attitude of our team as a whole and individual members such as Nick. As long as we're being useful and productive we're always happy to stay at the party.

Peter Williams