Technology adoption: Processes and ways of working

Mark Dendy
Senior Consultant

Mark specialises in guiding organisations as they successfully implement digital change. With many years supporting third sector and commercial organisations in using technology to improve their offerings to customers, members and donors, Mark is particularly experienced in the replacement of legacy systems and helping organisations navigate what can be a time of great upheaval. Having performed various roles across operations, sales and HR, Mark brings a balanced and sympathetic approach to projects which can look daunting to clients whose teams may never had been through a large-scale change. Whether it be CRM/membership/donor systems or finance and HR, much of the success is down to careful planning and understanding what lies ahead. As such, one of Mark’s strengths is demystifying the project and keeping relationships within the client organisation and with suppliers positive. Mark’s third sector experience includes projects with the ABI, RICS, various Royal Colleges and Societies plus some organisations using technology to underpin a move to a more commercial focus. His experience of working with banks and car manufacturers means that he is particularly able to bring commercial experience into his work with not-for-profit organisations. You may recognise Mark as a former presenter and sponsor at the popular Memcom conferences. Mark has a keen interest in rugby and golf. He was formerly a rugby referee and now, in his spare time, often spends his afternoons contemplating which tree might be concealing his golf ball.

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."

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.