Book Launch: 'People Centric Organizational Change, engaging employees with business transformation'

In the post-pandemic work there is a need to rethink not only how change is managed but also how teams and others are engaged with it and inspired to contribute to it. This is about recognising that any role in the organisation, can influence change and its outcomes and means everybody having the permission and autonomy to think beyond their job description, to be able to look for ways to contribute to the broader organisation’s goals, and to help to transform the workplace and the work that they do.  A people-centric approach to change helps to re-align transformations as an opportunity, rather than a threat. This means being able to reshape how business transformations are done, by finding ways to engage people with them. 

For effective planned transformations people need to be centre stage in evolving the change. Traditional change management as we know it is obsolete and the very notion that change can be managed in a top-down way feels absurd given the reality and pace of business especially since the context in which organisations operate is fundamentally shifting. Engaging people in a business transformation has, therefore, never been more important and to do this successfully, organisations need a culture as well as the capabilities and capacity which supports people-centric change. To justify and help advance a people-centric approach to change this session will outline some of the key approaches for engaging people effectively with business changes. 

Professor Julie Hodges (Professor in Management)

Professor Julie Hodges is a leading expert on change in organisations, particularly the role and impact of people during transformations.  Before entering the academic world Julie worked as a business consultant for over 20 years in several profit and non-profit organisations, including PwC, Vertex, and the British Council.

Steve Tunnicliffe (MBA, Trevelyan College, 2003) 

Steve is a Board Director and Chief Strategy Officer for Commercis Plc, a leading provider a of technology and connectivity solutions. Steve has over 30 years of experience in the telecommunications, satellite, and broadcast industries. Prior to Commercis he served as the Senior Vice President, Global Sales for ST Engineering iDirect, a leading satellite ground segment technology.  Before joining iDirect, Steve worked for BT Global Services and Plenexis, the former satellite division of Deutsche Telekom, delivering innovative connectivity solutions in complex environments within defence, government, maritime, aviation, telecom, and enterprise markets. Steve is widely respected and trusted by both customers and partners alike. 

Zuhair Imran (MBA, Ustinov College, 2014)

Zuhair is an accomplished digital marketing and communications professional with a proven track record of leading successful digital transformation programs. He has extensive experience in driving change management and process improvement plans for various multinational organisations in the health and development sector. 

In addition to his professional experience, Zuhair also teaches and coaches undergraduate and postgraduate students in multiple countries, including Europe, the UK, and Pakistan. 

His educational credentials include MBA from Durham University Business School, UK and a certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from INSEAD, France.