Rachael Taylor
West Yorkshire
Summary
Experienced change management professional with expertise in driving strategic business transformations and fostering agile change initiatives. Demonstrates proficiency in change readiness, change portfolio management, and impact analysis to ensure seamless organisational transitions. Skilled in stakeholder engagement, facilitation, and building effective relationships with senior leaders to influence outcomes and deliver benefits realisation. Committed to delivering measurable results through innovative approaches to change and fostering sustainable growth within dynamic environments.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
2
2
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work history
National Change Lead
Change Grow Live
2023.02 - 2026.04
- Lead transformation agile cross-functional delivery team to execute 5-year strategic change initiatives.
- Establishment and Leadership of Change Management department using best practice frameworks including ADKAR, Prosci
- Implemented strategic frameworks for scalable change delivery, focusing on cross-programme collaboration and stakeholder engagement, positively affecting 6000+ employees.
- Coordinated various change activities within complex portfolio, utilising advanced tools and techniques including 'Change Portfolio Management' to influence decisions and improve organisational change capabilities.
- Designed and facilitated comprehensive stakeholder engagement and communication strategies using tailored approaches to address diverse audience needs and enhance clarity.
- Design learning and organisational development plans in collaboration to bolster transformation efforts.
- Conducted thorough assessments of organisational change readiness and structures, identifying saturation and cumulative impact to influence sequencing to enhance benefits realisation.
P3O (Portfolio, Programme and Project) Manager
Change Grow Live
2021.10 - 2023.02
- Developed and delivered Change Grow Live approach to portfolio management, enabling strategic alignment and effective programme delivery.
- Designed and implemented methods and standards for project and change management, including agile approaches, fostering continuous improvement.
- Established governance practices, overseeing progress, risk and success reporting for multiple projects and programmes.
- Collaborated with consultants to create agile work packages that support key organisational goals.
Services Manager
Change Grow Live
2012.01 - 2021.10
- Led strategic development and service expansion for Lancashire area (circa £7 million), ensuring high quality service delivery, leading multi disciplinary team with over 120 employees
- Registered Manager for Care Quality Commission, ensuring compliance within regulations and guidelines.
- Implemented new business contracts and services, managing large scale operational and people changes including TUPE transfers, employee engagement, and overseeing change initiatives.
- Built strategic partnerships and maintained key stakeholder relationships to support business growth.
- Optimised performance and fostered strategic partnerships, overseeing multiple subcontracted organisations to streamline operations and improve efficiency.
- Implemented cost-saving measures which resulted in significant budget savings without compromising service quality or efficiency.
Education
NVQ Level 5 - Coaching and Mentoring
Institute Leadership And Management
Leeds 2014.04 - 2015.03
NVQ Level 3 - Health and Social Cate
Dixons CTC
Bradford 1997.09 - 1999.04
Skills
- Change Management
- Change Readiness
- Change Portfolio Management
- Influencing
- Strategic Business Change
- Building Effective Relationships
- Facilitation
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Agile Change
- Change Impact
Certification
- Change Portfolio Management - Change Management Institute. March 26
- LEAN Six Sigma Yellow Belt - Provided by The Knowledge Academy. Feb 24
- Change Management Practitioner - Provided by The Knowledge Academy. Nov 23
- Scaled Agile Lean Portfolio Management - SAFe Scaled Agile, inc April 2022
- P3O Practitioner - Axelos. Certificate in Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices. Jan 22
- Level 5 Coaching & Mentoring - Certified by Institute of Leadership & Management. 2016
Accomplishments
- National Improvement of Entry Into Services - Product Manager and Change Lead for improvement to Entry into Services programme. Improving UX, streamlining processes humanising assessment to improve the experience of those accessing support and reducing duplication. Development of vision, strategy and roadmap, stakeholder management, leading launch of products and ongoing improvement, delivered benefits realisation increasing referrals by 7% in 3 months and 40% time savings.
- Creation and leadership of national Change Management department - Developed a sustainable organisational framework for change to support large-scale transformation programmes, providing structure and clarity, ensuring alignment and improving confidence. Management and leadership oversight of a portfolio of strategic change initiative, engaging and influencing senior leaders, embedding change methodologies, organisational readiness planning and execution and benefits realisation. As a centre of excellence - Toolkit for delivery of BAU and CI change; developing organisational change capability. Inception of a successful Change Advocate network, across multidisciplinary directorates and teams.
- Change Adoption Toolkit - Created toolkit and network boosting change adoption by 40%.
- Level 1 Social Value Award - Driving force behind achievement of national certification. The first Health and Social Care organisation to achieve this award.
- Led campaign to implement National Wellbeing Hour for all employees - As an innovative and open leader I implemented a pilot for a 'Weekly Wellbeing Hour' to improve wellbeing of colleagues. This successful initiative was recognised for its innovation and evidenced to reduce sickness absence, which was then implemented across the organisation to over 5000 employees to become a recognised organisational benefit.
References
References available upon request.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
- 2017-2021 National Social Value Lead (alongside existing role)- Change Grow Live; Increased social value impact by developing organisation's guiding principles for social value. Achievement of Social Value management level 1 certification for the organisation and development of Organisational Social Value Framework.
- 2010-2012 Services Manager, Lifeline Substance Misuse Service, Kirklees
- 2006-2010 Service Manager, Crime Reduction Initiatives, Leeds
- 2005 - 2006 Outreach worker, Crime Reduction Initiatives, Leeds
- 1999-2005 Speech and language therapy assistant, NHS, Bradford
Timeline
National Change Lead
Change Grow Live
2023.02 - 2026.04
P3O (Portfolio, Programme and Project) Manager
Change Grow Live
2021.10 - 2023.02
NVQ Level 5 - Coaching and Mentoring
Institute Leadership And Management
2014.04 - 2015.03
Services Manager
Change Grow Live
2012.01 - 2021.10
NVQ Level 3 - Health and Social Cate
Dixons CTC
1997.09 - 1999.04