ABOUT HBC - experience, clients, referrals, projects

All Helen Bouchami Consulting services are designed uniquely to fit client requirements, although I draw upon a breadth of experience and an extensive repertoire of methodologies and tools as required. On this page you can find out about my background and what is distinctive about my approach, read what clients say about me and check out some sample projects.

Corporate Experience
I have a passion for developing people in organisations and have devoted all my career - over twenty years - to this field. Some of this has been in large organisations, and some in independent consulting. For eleven years I worked in Digital Equipment Corporation, which was long recognised for its leading edge work in Human Resource Development. Because I have direct experience of the complexities of modern organisations, (including the specific challenges of both rapid growth and globalisation, and of restructuring and cost containment), I can help make a clear business case for people development initiatives and I can offer practical support to ensure their effective implementation.

International Experience and Languages
The early part of my career was spent in Algeria where I was Human Resource Development Manager for a division of the State Oil and Gas company. I have continued to work across cultures and have substantial experience of working in a global context whether this means developing processes to be implemented across geographies, working with mixed language/culture groups, or leading distributed teams.
I am fluent in French.

Contacts
I have had the privilege of working with many talented people over the years and work hard at my networking and relationships. I am confident of fielding an outstanding team for larger projects. I am committed to this virtual form of organisation as the way of the future, and my clients benefit by accessing the best talent - the very same talent often, that is marketed by leading consulting firms, but without expensive consulting firm overheads.
I have also worked closely with leading business schools in Europe - as the largest client of INSEAD, a business partner of IMD, an Associate of Ashridge, guest speaker at Henley and an adviser to London Business School. I can guide and help clients in accessing and getting the best from business school resources.

Coaching the HRD Department
When I work with HR/HRD clients to create strategy, develop processes or design programmes I don't receive the company's Excellence award or get to address the Board - my client does.
I am committed to achieving real transfer of expertise and my most satisfying assignments have involved close working in a client/consultant team. I particularly value longer-term relationships, where a partnership can build, based upon trust, in-depth understanding and real added value.

Public Service
I am proud to serve as a Deputy Chairman on the Board of the Royal Berkshire Ambulance NHS Trust.

SAMPLE PROJECTS

Leadership Development
Designed a six-month development process for new leaders in a major multi-national company. Conducted diagnostic interviews, designed the process, including a three-day workshop, created all materials and trained client facilitators. This programme has now been very successfully launched in the US and Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Training Strategy
Created a training and development strategy for a newly privatised rail company. Subsequently developed a workshop to enable managers in the company to assume greater responsibility for their own development.

New-Hire Orientation/Flexible Learning materials
Devised a world-wide orientation process for a major international bank to assist in staff retention, faster integration of new-hires and better understanding of Control and Compliance requirements. Flexible materials including a Personal Organiser, a strategy presentation kit for managers and a Control and Compliance case study.

Identification and Development of potential
Designed a process to identify, assess and develop the next generation of General Managers in an international Healthcare company. This project, sponsored by the COO, required an analysis of the changing strategic context of the company and its implications for the role of the General Manager. A competency model was developed to describe these future requirements, and formed the basis for identification, assessment and development processes, all operated by senior line managers with support from HR.

Business School programme
Re-designed the flagship Strategic Management Programme of a leading business school. Worked with the tutor team over a six-month period to differentiate the programme from those of its competitors, to increase its flexibility and to reinforce support for application to participants' own organisations.

Team Effectiveness
Designed and facilitated a one day workshop to enable more effective inter-group working between two engineering disciplines, in a company whose future success relies on providing a more integrated service to its customers.

Development Planning
Created a Development Guide for the management population of a multi-national company, including Development Planning process and suggested development options (on-the-job, self-study and internal and external programmes) mapped against the company's leadership competency model.

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