Every month we pose 7 questions to a Chamber member, this time it’s Matt Warren, CEO of The Evolution Group.
1.Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Matt, CEO of The Evolution Group (TEG). In a nutshell we’re a consultancy firm that specialise in providing high-quality business transformation services to a diverse range of sectors across the Channel Islands and now also in the UK.
2. How long have you been doing this?
My experience in projects and business transformation spans about 25 years, but as far as TEG is concerned,
I founded the business in 2017. I moved back to Guernsey after a spell of working in London and did some research on the local market here to analyse the provision of good quality programme, project, business analysis and change management professionals. I found that there was a lack of real experience in the offerings at the time and decided to fill that gap in the market by establishing TEG.
The aim then was to offer great quality service for a sensible price, and that is still at the core of our business eight years down the line.
3. How did you get into this field?
I was fortunate enough to get some incredible exposure early on in my career at Specsavers being part of the team transforming and modernising their finance operations. That experience really set me on the path to where I am now. If I’m honest, my time at Specsavers came about more by chance than any great career plans that I had at the time. A mate from football worked there and persuaded me to join so we could split the ‘recommend a friend’ fee and that was exactly the push I needed at that stage in my life!
4. What’s the ‘why’ behind your work?
There are two aspects to the work in business transformation that I love. The first is working with such a variety of people, all in different roles, sometimes from numerous organisations, who are all working together to achieve a common goal for a business to successfully transform and improve. The second element is the results of the transformation process itself.
It’s so incredibly rewarding to see the impact on a business. Sometimes the benefits are immediate, sometimes it takes time for the changes to have an impact, but either way seeing a business improve as a result of the transformation is a great feeling.
5. How do you approach problem-solving?
Problem-solving is at the heart of what we do and ultimately what we provide for our clients. I won’t go into the detail of the process, or we’d be here all day, but I will say that the key to successful problem solving is collaboration.
We work closely with our clients to ensure we fully understand the issues they’re facing to develop solutions that fit their individual and unique requirements to help them reach their peak performance.
6. What book (or podcast) has shaped your thinking?
I don’t think I could say there is a single book that I could credit with shaping my thinking. It’s more of a blend of many different sources. Over the past few years while TEG has grown rapidly I’ve found ‘Traction’ by Gino Wickman to be a helpful guide. It has provided quite simple steps that have really focussed my thinking. The short-term objectives with a focus on future goals has been invaluable, and getting the right people in the right positions has made a big impact.
7. Tea, coffee, or something stronger?
I may have enjoyed a drink or two over the years, but I’m currently training for the Lakeland 50 (well I was, as need a knee operation) so I’m trying to steer clear of the stronger stuff for now!
