Governance and structure: Business cases

Paul Sypko
Consultancy Director

“Charities and not-for-profit organisations are demanding users of information systems and digital technology. There’s a clear sense of purpose in the sector, and that shows in how technology is used to achieve impact and obtain real value. Not-for-profits often hold massive amounts of data, much of which is highly sensitive in nature, and they engage in many different ways with a very broad range of stakeholders. Whether it’s using digital channels to support personalised ‘user journeys’ or high-impact campaigning and engagement, or diligently taking care of back-office systems to deliver an efficient and cost-effective service, it’s great to be working in a sector where technology can be used so effectively to make a tangible difference to people's lives.”

Paul is a highly experienced technology management consultant, with a senior-level CIO/CTO background and expertise in areas such as technology strategy development, digital solutions, infrastructure and systems management, function reviews, information security and data protection, and selection and management of technology partners. He has 25 years’ experience of leading high-impact consultancy engagements, the majority of which have been with clients in the not-for-profit sector. Prior to Adapta, Paul held senior roles at not-for-profit specialists Sayer Vincent, Crowe UK, and BlueSpark Consulting. He also brings to his engagements significant experience from the commercial sector, having worked for “Strategy &”, a leading firm of strategy consultants that is now part of PwC, where he was awarded their Professional Excellence Award while leading a large-scale digital transformation and innovation programme. Paul has led assignments for more than 100 organisations, including charities, membership organisations, trade unions, trade associations, royal colleges, professional institutes and other not for-profit and commercial organisations. Paul's recent clients have included ActionAid UK, ClientEarth, Cranstoun, Tate Britain, St. Peter's Hospice, the Institution of Civil Engineers, British Gymnastics, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, the Education Support Partnership, National Children's Bureau, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Lymphoma Action, SPANA, the Woodland Trust, the Trussell Trust, Volunteering Matters and Woking & Sam Beare Hospices. Paul specialises in strategic planning for information systems, function reviews and outsourcing, commercial contract negotiation, project planning, data protection, information security management, business process improvement, and procurement of business applications such as CRM. Paul holds a MA (Oxon) degree from the University of Oxford, having gained a scholarship to read Economics and Management at St. John’s College and the Saïd Business School. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Consulting and has a particular interest in helping others to achieve their potential. Following a long period of time spent on various committees in a voluntary leadership capacity, he was pivotal to the development of the ‘Chartered Management Consultant’ award which was launched in 2020, and he often provides guidance and support to people working towards their professional qualifications. Paul is also a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management, a Certified Business Advisor and a member of the British Computer Society’s IT Leaders Forum. In his spare time, he is also the chair of trustees for a local Scout group.

“Paul is enthusiastic, dedicated and a highly capable person who works with such integrity and to a high standard. I very much value Paul’s support and guidance and know I can always rely on him.”

Libby
Principal Associate Consultant

"I chose a career in the sector because of its focus and ethos. As a consultant, I'm fascinated by the range of charities I work with and the opportunities to help organisations and people be more successful in what they do."

Libby specialises in helping organisations with project governance and programmes of change. She has a post-graduate diploma in voluntary sector management from Cass Business School, is a PRINCE2 project management practitioner, an MSP (managing successful programmes) practitioner and an Agile Project Management practitioner. She develops strategies and business cases, leads on project governance, coaches and mentors project managers and teams, and provides quality assurance and project reviews. Libby helps organisations achieve successful IT projects with activities such as business processes analysis, requirements identification, software selection and implementation. She works with organisations to achieve efficiencies and improvements in operational areas. A former senior manager with Sayer Vincent, Libby has extensive experience of the not-for-profit sector. She has worked with a wide range of clients including British Horse Society, Christian Aid, Crisis, Enham Trust, the Football Foundation, I CAN, RNLI, Sue Ryder Care, the Vegan Society, WAGGGS, Womankind and World Animal Protection. Before joining Sayer Vincent, Libby held several senior roles within charities, primarily international aid and development organisations. Libby is a member of the British Computer Society, The Chartered Institute for IT, and formerly was an advisor to the third sector project management forum. She has previously been a volunteer and trustee of a small charity that carried out holidays and other activities with disabled and socially disadvantaged children.

"Libby Hare was the consultant that we worked with on our IT change project. We achieved the change needed and our goals were met in an appropriate timescale."

Philip
Associate Principal Consultant

Philip is a senior IT professional, experienced in leadership positions such as IT Director / Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO). He has a particular focus on technology strategy, architecture and consultancy. Adapta clients have included Asthma UK, Cranstoun, Earthwatch, Enham Trust, the Labour Party, Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, Lymphoma Action, the Mental Health Foundation, NSPCC, PCS Union, Pony Club UK, SignHealth, the Royal Society, the Trussell Trust and the Woodland Trust. Commercial experience included senior management roles at Sopra Steria and its public-private joint venture Shared Services Connected Ltd (SSCL), 2012-2016. Before that (2003-2012), Philip provided IT leadership as a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Justice (CTO) and the National Offender Management Service (CIO). Earlier, as Technical Director, Philip led the European professional services team for Software.com (later known as Openwave), specialising in email software, following a similar role with HP Consulting. He has travelled widely and worked overseas in the Americas, Europe and Asia, including having lived for three years in India as a British Council officer. Philip has significant experience at board level in both commercial and voluntary organisations, as non-executive director, charity trustee and chairman. Philip was previously Chair of Trustees at Eduserv, a not-for-profit IT services business. Philip has held numerous voluntary roles within the Church of England and the United Reformed Church, from local to national levels. He has advised both the Alzheimers' Society and the Church of England on IT strategy, information security, programme delivery and organisational design, on a voluntary basis. He has also been a school governor in both the UK and in India, and served as the chair of trustees for Hands of Compassion, supporting primary education in Zambia. Philip read Natural Sciences and Mathematics (MA MMath) at the University of Cambridge. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, a Fellow of the British Computer Society and a Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIoD FBCS MIET).

Suzy
Change Delivery Associate

Suzy is a supportive, reliable, innovative and versatile project management and change management professional with strategic and operational experience in both private and not-for-profit sectors. She has worked with not-for-profit organisations for 15 years and in project management for over 20 years. Suzy’s specialties include project and change management, mentoring and coaching, business analysis, workshop facilitation, influencing and stakeholder management, system implementation, team management, communication, risk management, strategic planning, agile development, lean thinking, training, material development, and translating IT terminology into accessible language. Suzy started her career in the charity sector with the British Red Cross International Division to successfully manage a complex change programme to provide an efficient, accessible and effective way to manage the division’s information and support the project cycle methodology. This led to working for a Swedish IT consulting company to expand on what we’d developed, and deliver a streamlined efficient programme and information management system to many not-for-profit organisations facing similar challenges. Suzy has extensive experience of International not-for-profit organisations, having worked with a wide range of clients to provide robust, accessible and intuitive solutions. These included organisations such as UK based World Vision UK and ActionAid International; North American based Heifer International, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and Canadian Red Cross; Swiss based Solidar Suisse and Swiss Red Cross, and Australia based Australian Red Cross and Oxfam Australia. Suzy continues to leverage her skills and experience to make a positive impact in the not-for-profit sector. She remains committed to helping organisations thrive through coaching and mentoring, driving innovation and fostering a culture of collaboration and supported improvement.