Willson works with teams and organisations that are “stuck” in their change, by facilitating awareness and understanding of the blockers, and to release new energy and focus to deliver results. He works with leaders to develop a transformational mindset to develop plans that engage and empower their teams. He brings a direct facilitation style that enables issues to be brought to the table, and resolutions to be identified and agreed more quickly, and effectively. In his practice, he draws on his insights into complexity, systems, and transformational leadership, together with his experience in movement practices, improvisation, systemic mapping, and embodied awareness. He works through conversation and dialogue, with the objectivity to challenge, and empathy to build understanding and co-creation.

He has worked in large corporates (BT, Reuters) as Head of Organisational Development, and as Head of Global HR Programmes. His career has encompassed strategy consulting with Gartner Group, and marketing with a range of technology firms. Today he works with established and fast growth businesses, as well as companies undertaking significant transformation. Recently completed assignments include organisation design and implementation planning with a media business, leadership team development with a strategy consultancy, leadership development with a leading financial services firm, and individual and team coaching with leaders in a global professional institution.

He is currently architecting a new initiative, known as Digital Talent @Work, to put people at the heart of how digitally transforming businesses work. Through this work, he has developed a pioneering design thinking inspired people change toolkit, and run “smart mob” events on digital talent archetypes, digital transformation leadership, and multi-generational working.

Willson graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, in Modern Languages, and Philosophy. He holds an MBA specialising in HR with Distinction, from Cass Business School, and was awarded the Guild of Management Consultants’ prize for the best MBA project. He has completed the Ashridge Coaching for Organisational Consultants programme.

What clients say about Willson:

  • Driven to find out what really matters to clients
  • Clear structured thinking and strong facilitation skills
  • A clear and visionary thinker, particularly taking an ambiguous problem about how to move work forward, and determining simple next steps
  • Ability to make really complex things simple, with a calming influence and measured approach which really helps to get to a solution or a result much more quickly
  • Able to stretch people’s thinking in a challenging and supportive style, demonstrates a strong questioning and coaching style which provides honest feedback, as well as helping people to reach their own conclusions by themselves
  • Has a calm, measured and reassuring manner which helps to maintain calm, direction and focus under pressure