About
Thorpebird Consulting
Who we are
Thorpebird Consulting Ltd is an independent organisation.
We work with organisations to develop and improve their people, their culture and the way they do things.
We do this by designing and delivering development programmes for staff. We also work more strategically by working with intact teams or senior leaders trying to bring about change in their organisations.
The majority of the work we do is within the NHS and that's not an accident. People in all sorts of professions in the NHS from directors through to porters are generally motivated by doing the right thing for patients and families.
We help them do that by supporting them with things they find difficult to manage and help them find additional ways they can do they things they want to.
Thorpebird Consulting
Team
Click each team member’s profile picture to read more!
Simon Bird
Director
Simon has been a development professional, coach, consultant and facilitator for over 15 years. He has an interest in innovative development approaches, as well as ongoing design and implementation of sustainable and pragmatic solutions. He works across the Organisation Development disciplines – which includes culture, change, leadership development, systemic team coaching and one to one coaching. He works with a wide range of clients in the public, private and not for profit sectors.
Simon was most recently a partner with the global consultancy Korn Ferry Hay Group, where he led a portfolio of heath and government clients. He left Korn Ferry Hay Group in 2017 to establish Thorpebird Consulting.
Simon has worked at chief executive level, with executive teams, operational and frontline teams to support them in building capability, bring about improvements and develop ways of working. He has worked extensively with people from all levels and many professions – and on a one to one basis, through to organisation wide development interventions.
Before joining Korn Ferry Hay Group in 2012, Simon’s career included roles at The King’s Fund, the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, NHS England, Mars Confectionery and The Terrence Higgins Trust. In his consulting career, clients have included NHS England, NHS Leadership Academy, Faculty of Medical Leadership & Management, Post Office, National Air Traffic Services, University of Exeter, Merrill Lynch, Rolls Royce, CGIAR, Reebok International, British Telecom, Cambridge Assessment and Diageo amongst others.
Simon’s MSc in Organizational Behaviour is from Birkbeck College (University of London), he is an accredited coach through The School of Coaching/University of Strathclyde – and Systemic Team Coach through the Academy of Executive Coaching (AoEC)
Simon Bird
Director
Karen Lynas
Associate
Karen is also owner/director of Karen Lynas Consulting
Karen Lynas is an established and respected senior leader in healthcare and leadership development. She is accustomed to working at a national level and playing a key role in the development and delivery of current and future leadership initiatives. In her roles as Managing Director of the NHS Leadership Academy and Director of Leadership at the King’s Fund she has established a deserved reputation and track record for success and is regarded as an authoritative source on leadership in health.
Karen has a wide portfolio of experience and skills to offer organisations, systems and senior leaders and their colleagues. She has the ability to understand, critically analyse, creatively address and respond to complex issues and then to skilfully manage the business process from planning to delivery. Adept at communication and people skills Karen presents as a formidable ally for change and development.
Karen understands the key issues and challenges faced by leaders today. She has steadfastly remained true to the values of public service and these in turn underpin her own belief systems and behaviours.
As an accomplished facilitator of both small and large groups where there are difficult issues to face, Karen is skilled in offering challenge and questioning so that fundamental problems are addressed and resolved. Karen is skilled in providing support to Boards and senior teams helping them to think creatively about seemingly intransigent problems, guiding them through a process of exploration, understanding and the development of practical and workable solutions.
Equally as powerful and effective, Karen works on a one to one basis to offer development on personal leadership issues and real work dilemmas.
She is a proven strategic thinker with a track record of significant input and contribution at local, regional, national and international levels. Her passionate and engaging speaking style coupled with expertise and knowledge in leadership development has led to frequent invitations to speak on national and international platforms and advise other international health systems on their leadership development.
Karen Lynas
Associate
Kelly Evans
Associate
Kelly is also Director at BN1 Brighton Consulting
Kelly is a Leadership and Assessment Consultant with 14 years of experience in supporting leadership improvement and talent development. She specialises in helping people to explore insights about their motives, traits, and behaviours, and committing to make improvements. Her key areas of expertise include designing and delivering development programmes, running assessment centres to identify talent, facilitation and providing coaching and 1-1 development feedback. She works with clients in the public, private and third sectors.
Kelly was most recently a senior consultant and expertise lead in learning & development and assessment,with the global consultancy Korn Ferry Hay Group. She left Korn Ferry Hay Group in 2016 to establish an independent consultancy, BN1 Consulting.
Kelly has worked with Chief Executives, top teams, middle managers, new leaders and high potentials to create and deliver effective strategies, manage change, build effective teams and create plans to support ongoing development. This work has been delivered through individual coaching through to large scale development programmes.
Before joining Korn Ferry Hay Group in 2004, Kelly’s career included roles at an international college in a pastoral support capacity and as a freelance HR book researcher. In her consulting career, clients have included The Home Office, The National Archives, Faculty of Medical Leadership & Management, Middlesex University, National Air Traffic Services and Vodafone.
Kelly has a degree from University of Reading. She is accredited to use a range of psychometric tools, including Leadership Styles & Climate, Emotional & Social Competence Inventory (ESCI), Hogan’s, and TalentQ.
Kelly Evans
Associate
Sharon Crabtree
Associate
Sharon is also Director, Longstock Consulting
Sharon is a highly experienced consultant working across all areas of organisational effectiveness. Her approach is firmly rooted in finding pragmatic solutions to help people and organisations work even more effectively. This means being a true partner and trusted adviser who is always supportive and never afraid to challenge existing thinking. She looks at things creatively and seeks to build on strengths, not to highlight negatives, using an evidence-based approach adapted to specific needs.
Sharon was a Director at Korn Ferry Hay Group with multiple responsibilities including leading major pieces of work with large clients both in the UK and internationally over 15 years. Before this she was a social worker and then a teacher and head of department before taking on a school improvement role for Central Government.
Sharon has worked with clients in all sectors and industries but with a clear emphasis on the public and not-for-profit sectors. Recent clients that she has worked with have included different organisations within the NHS, local authorities, school improvement organisations, the Green Climate Fund, World Platinum Investment Council, The Global Green Growth Institute, the National Archives, Migration Exchange and ICCROM. Work has included culture change, organisational restructure, leadership development, talent development, performance management, assessment, performance evaluation of senior leaders, competency modelling and board development.
Sharon has worked in areas as diverse as Mexico, Malaysia, Kenya, Indonesia, Bangladesh and South Korea as well as within the UK and across Europe. She has worked with people at all levels of organisations from front line staff through to senior executive teams and boards. Her aim is to ensure that people are equipped with what they need to do a really great job.
Sharon has a range of accreditations to use a broad variety of feedback tools and psychometrics alongside a MA in leadership and management.
Sharon Crabtree
Associate
Liz Saunders
Associate
Liz is also Director, Liz Saunders Consulting Ltd.
Liz is an energetic and skilled leadership development and organisational development practitioner. She is passionate about development as a means of empowering teams and individuals to improve the quality of the services they provide. She has worked in the field for 13 years, principally within the health and social care sector but has also worked with clients in the third and private sectors. Liz is very experienced in creating innovative development design as well as delivery. She has worked with the ‘flipped classroom’ principle on a number of national projects for the NHS Leadership Academy and is as comfortable designing and delivering in the virtual environment as she is face to face.
Liz is experienced in working with individuals, teams, organisations and whole systems either in service of personal development or broader organisational/ systemic goals. Her design and delivery enable participants to have brave conversations with themselves and each other, to develop confidence and competence in their leadership practice and lift their eyes beyond their day jobs to see the bigger picture. She has experience in working with the most senior teams however is passionate about developing emerging leaders and those operating in mid level roles to build their capacity, capability, resilience and ability to lead change.
Liz has a first class honours degree in English and Theatre Studies from the University of Warwick. She is accredited to use a range of psychometric tools including MBTI (step 1), Leadership Styles and Climate, Emotional & Social Competence Inventory (ESCI) and TalentQ. Liz is also a qualified Executive coach.
Liz Saunders
Associate
Laura Burton
Associate
Laura is also Director at Kingswood Coaching & Development Ltd
Laura is an experienced Business Psychologist, Coach and Leadership Development Facilitator with over 25 years’ experience working with individuals, teams, and organisations, to develop leadership and management strengths. Additionally, Laura is a supervisor for post-graduate students through the University of Chester. Laura has a deep passion for helping individuals build their self-awareness and achieve satisfying developmental growth. Through her practice, Laura facilitates a trusting partnership and brings her depth of knowledge and experience to her relationships, and to the design and development of impactful initiatives. Her clients tell her she is intuitive, authentic, insightful, and emotionally intelligent.
As well as coaching, Laura facilitates, designs, and consults on a broad range of talent programmes, particularly management and leadership development programmes. Laura also has much experience in the assessment and selection space and, at the core of all her work, strives to build meaningful relationships with people. Her clients span both public and private sectors and include Aon; ARM; Barclays; Barlow Robbins; Betit Group; BMS; CofE; CPPE; Senior Civil Service; E&Y; Havas Health; HM Treasury; Herbalife; ICAP; Intuit; Liberty Mutual; Microsoft; Mondelez; NHS; QVC; RG Carter; Rolls Royce Civil; Sellafield; SopraSteria.
Prior to becoming an independent consultant in 2011, Laura worked as a Global Talent Program Manager for an international professional services organisation. She was responsible for leading succession and talent assessment and development programs for a population of 4,500, with the remit and accountability to align high potential talent with appropriate opportunities in the organisation. Prior to this, Laura was a European performance consultant and business partner and led the professional development team for a professional services partnership.
Laura completed her MSc in Business Psychology at Kingston University in 2015, focusing her dissertation on engagement, job satisfaction and values. Laura has also completed a post-graduate certificate and diploma in management and holds a certificate in coaching with a cognitive behavioural focus. She is also qualified in stress and performance coaching and is accredited to use a variety of psychometrics including Insights Discovery, Hogan 360, HPI, HDS and MVPI, Human Synergistics LSI, Saville Wave, 15FQ+, KornFerry Styles and Climate, ESCI, Growth Factors and TalentQ.
Laura lives in Surrey, England with her young daughter. She enjoys all the usual fun things life has to offer, particularly cooking, theatre, music, travel, reading, yoga, and gym. She is also currently learning to ride a motorbike and training as a psychotherapist and is a Crisis Volunteer for SHOUT.
Laura Burton
Associate
If you are looking for a consultant to help your team resolve a knotty problem, talk to Simon. He has the great gift of listening with an open mind and then asking perceptive and probing questions. He subtly steers you around rabbit holes and opens fruitful avenues for you to explore. Consequently, you can be confident that you are fixing problems, not treating symptoms
David Barnard
Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry
Clients
If you'd like to know what we can do for you, your team or your business please get in touch.