Jane Clarke

Jane Clarke (Author) Jane formerly wrote the `Office Politics' column for The Independent. John has over 13 years experience as a business consultant. Jane's background Author of two books, Office Politics and Wired Working, Jane's career began as an insurance underwriter. She moved into consulting in 1988, in an OD role, initially advising on structures, systems and processes. Having completed her MBA, she then moved into the area of organisational culture and change and joined Nicholson McBride in 1993. Managing Nicholson McBride's contribution to the largest corporate recovery ever achieved. Jane was involved in helping to effect a dramatic shift in organisational culture, followed by a significant programme of leadership development. Helping partners in professional services firms and MDs in investment banking to develop more productive relationships with their clients and ultimately become trusted advisors to them. Helping leaders to develop the mindset, confidence and competence to achieve their individual potential and that of the businesses they manage; in particular, pioneering the development of Leadership 21, an intensive development process for high-flyers. As well as publishing a book on `office politics', Jane was also a columnist for The Independent newspaper on the same subject and has since worked with many organisations to help people understand the politics - and how to handle them constructively. John Nicholson (Author) John started his career in Psychology, teaching at Oxford University. His career as an Advisor began in the UK Cabinet Office in 1973, when he was asked to devise some means of improving the quality of Cabinet Ministers' decision-making. Later projects have tended to be less ambitious. Since founding Nicholson McBride in 1988, John has helped more than 250 organisations, in both the public and private sectors, to change the way in which they organise themselves and manage their people. The challenges John has particularly enjoyed have been around the breadth of work and the range of clients he has been involved with. This experience has encompassed large-scale corporate recovery, working with a fashion house, working with central and local government, and advising people at the top of the most successful financial institutions. John has experience of working in more than a third of the FTSE Top 100 companies. A challenge John particularly enjoys is offering advice to others who spend their life advising. Before he started his career in psychology John made a living as a musician, composing music for TV and playing at private venues. He is still known for his excellent piano playing.