Industry
Primary: Not for Profit / Charities
Key Contribution
Improved Management and the Board’s understanding of their business by providing better quality and more timely information and a strategic approach that resulted in a new organisation structure delivering greater focus, increased ownership and accountability, reduced senior/middle management costs and a significant turnaround in performance.
The Business
The not-for-profit, incorporated society organisation was a long established and well proven New Zealand-owned employment service for people with a disability or health condition (i.e. long-term injury or illness) with its mission being to deliver inclusive, successful and durable employment opportunities for Jobseekers throughout New Zealand. This organisation delivered a significant proportion of the employment outcomes under the Ministry of Social Development’s Employment Services for Disabled People contract.
The Challenge
The retirement of the organisation’s Corporate Services Manager created the opportunity for the Chief Executive and the Board to engage on contract a senior, commercial finance person at a high level to review and assess the national support functions and business systems and identify the requirements for the successful recruitment of a permanent Corporate Services Manager.
The Assistance Required
The Chief Executive was looking to engage someone capable of working effectively within the organisation but also to operate as an enabler to help challenge and lead the organisation as it continued developing. The organisation was prepared to make a material investment over a relatively short period necessary to ensure a successful outcome.
The Approach
The contract Corporate Services Manager was based in Auckland working with the Finance Team but spent considerable time working at the National Support Office in Wellington with the Chief Executive and Senior Management Team colleagues.
The Results Delivered
The contract Corporate Services Manager engagement lasted for 12 months, concluding with the successful recruitment and induction of a permanent Corporate Services Manager.
Key results during this engagement included:
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Introducing a range of reports (weekly, monthly and quarterly) for both management and staff that regularly reported progress against key requirements/objectives to reinforce the business’ focus on key outcomes;
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Recommending and contributing significantly to the implementation of a new organisation structure that delivered greater focus, increased ownership and accountability and reduced senior/middle management costs;
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Working closely and effectively with the Chief Executive and Senior Management Team in driving a significant turnaround in performance to materially outperform the previous two years’ employment placement outcomes results under the Ministry of Social Development’s Employment Services for Disabled People contract.
“Kerry Ludlam has provided outstanding services to our organisation and has skilfully introduced disciplines into the organisation and provided a strategic approach which we value. As a Board we now have much greater insight into our business than was possible in the past and the systems created by Kerry should allow for this to continue. We have had the benefit of Kerry’s strategic analysis and approach during a critical period for the organisation and his input has helped our board as we fulfil our governance responsibilities”.
Board Chairperson
