Background
As a leader in culture change at a ‘big 4’ consultancy, Natalie Wharton could see that consultancies were failing to get the most out of a core pool of talent; that of working parents. The environment did not allow flexibility, client expectations were based on charging models of time and materials (leading to high expectations of facetime rather than value) and there was a long-hours culture screening out talent unable to meet this demand.

Being a single mother herself Natalie had also fallen victim to these competing demands and she spotted an opportunity: the need for a challenger consultancy focused on attracting and retaining talent through a culture of flexible working and agility and focusing on what truly delivers client impact.

"An inspiring leader who is a shaper of culture and making a difference to her team's careers and lives"

Approach
And so Wharton Business Consulting was born, with a structure based on three disruptive changes. Firstly, creating a culture of flexibility through contract type, hours, location and pay; communication focused on frequent contact, including virtual competitions to encourage idea sharing, collaborative tools to encourage remote working; and reverse mentoring to encourage diversity of thought.

Secondly, reframing client expectations by charging for deliverables and continuously engaging clients in flexible working and inclusivity practices. And thirdly, creating the right internal practice structure with clearly delineated internal and client-facing roles and a supporting capability framework.