It’s 25 years since you created AMION Consulting. What drove you to set up the company in the first place?
Because how hard could it be? (Answer: very!). I was a Senior Partner at KPMG heading up its UK Infrastructure & Government sector. Of course, I loved my job, but it involved so much management time and travelling. As the role developed, it was pulling me away from my family and my favourite part of the work – people. And whilst we had a fantastically talented pool of consultants at KPMG in economic development, the firm was changing direction towards IT and large Government departments such as the MoD. I came to realise that my most enjoyable work was working alongside Graham Russell, so in 1998 we sat in KPMG’s Liverpool office car park and agreed that neither of us wanted to stay on the KPMG ship – not least to save the world from IT Consultant Graham! Together – like true consultants – we developed a business plan for what is now AMION Consulting. I left KPMG in early 2000 before starting AMION Consulting in Silkhouse Court, Liverpool in early April. Whilst we both had to make some financial commitments given the nature of a startup, we quickly won some large pieces of work early on. And since then, we’ve just kept on growing.
I must ask, what was behind the name “AMION”?
In one of our many high-flying and upmarket business planning sessions (at my kitchen table) in 1999 we tried, unsuccessfully, to register names to trade with and for a website (thankfully the whole internet thing never really took off!). In the end, we had to be more creative and, following some weird and wonderful suggestions, Caroline Russell thought of expanding the word ‘AMI’, (friend in French) into AMION. It sounded fantastic, so we registered it…and we were off!
Any particular fond memories that stand out over all these years?
The main joy of the job for me has always been our team and the people. I’m really proud of the fact that we’ve recruited our own team of consultants and have seen them grow into outstanding professionals, who’ve stuck with us to further their careers – through thick and thin. That really is very rewarding. Other memories include winning some extraordinary and high-profile projects over the years, including our first evaluation over £1 million with the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). Of course, I can’t fail to mention Homes England (née English Partnership!), and our continuous presence on their Economics Panel, which has been a tremendous source of pride for all in the business. But it’s not all about work or clients either. We have delighted in family news and achievements, new births and exam successes and try to mark these annually.
In your view, what’s changed most in the field of consultancy in the last 25 years?
The biggest change came five years ago. The pandemic changed what it meant to be a consultant. It changed our operating method, communication styles and the overall nature of the field. Had it not been for Teams and Zoom, I’m not entirely sure how we’d have evolved. And, whilst I love the flexibilities of WFH (did I use that acronym right?) I do miss the camaraderie of always being in an office with a team – but the benefits of widening our recruitment catchment and reducing our travel and carbon footprint have been significant. I have been in awe by how we have managed to retain such a resilient and strong team spirit despite the change in our working methods, although there’s nothing like getting together and enjoying each other’s company (especially after a few glasses of bubbles at the Christmas do)!
