Niall Foster
Helping organisations navigate change, improve
performance, and align leadership with strategy.
Sample Outcomes
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Improved organisational performance
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Stalled initiatives recovered
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Faster strategy execution
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Stronger leadership alignment and effectiveness
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Higher employee engagement
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Better customer experience
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Greater operational control
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I also teach on MBA programmes at Edinburgh University Business School, ISG Paris, The University of Law Business School, the Baltic Management Institute, and Kyiv National Economic University.
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Testimonial
“A rare combination of strategic thinking and operational delivery.
Niall quickly established credibility at board level and brought clarity and discipline to a complex transformation.”
Richard Macklin, Global Vice Chairman, Dentons
Sample Clients
30+ years experience | 2+ countries | Trusted by global clients
Aligning Organisational Elements
I work with boards, CEOs, and senior leadership teams to improve organisational performance and accelerate execution.
I’m typically engaged (as a trustee, interim director, organisational change consultant, behavioural trainer, or executive coach) when progress has stalled, transformation programmes are underperforming, or leaders need greater clarity, alignment, and momentum.
Most organisations don’t suffer from a shortage of ideas. The challenge is turning ambition into coordinated action. Sustainable results require clear direction, aligned priorities, disciplined execution, and accountability at every level.
My approach focuses on aligning five critical drivers of organisational performance:
– providing direction, governance, and decision-making discipline.
– translating vision into clear priorities and actionable plans.
– defining value and ensuring the organisation remains market-focused.
– creating the capabilities and systems needed to deliver consistently.
– building engagement, capability, and accountability to execute effectively.
When leadership, strategy, customers, processes, and people are aligned, organisations perform better, adapt faster, and create lasting value for stakeholders and shareholders alike.
Leadership
Strategy
Customers
Processes
People
Sample Projects
Here are examples of my work. Confidentiality limits what can be shared publicly - details on request.
I help you to get and keep all the vital elements of your organisation – leadership, business strategies, customers , processes, and employees – aligned and headed in the same direction at the same time to obtain breakthrough results including sustained growth and profit, loyal customers and a high performing workforce.
Technical Competencies
Context
A multilateral development bank with headquarters in the City of London͘ requested that I create and embed functional competency frameworks in a number of their departments.
Challenge
The Bank wanted to clarify the technical competencies that apply to all department staff. These competencies are the skills, attitudes and knowledge that can be observed as behaviours and that contribute towards how employees should perform their jobs.
My Role
The Bank required me to design a model of best practice to show how the competencies should be used to develop a career, maximise employability and align employee objectives with performance expectations.
What I Did
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I designed a competence framework that clarified what each competency was and was not as it applied to department staff at each hierarchical level.
Outcome
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All training and professional development activities are more productive, goal oriented and cost effective.
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Employees have clear job performance and behavioural expectations.
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Improved employee mobility, greater flexibility, scale and flex.
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Enhanced clarity and feedback in recruitment, training and appraisals.
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Enhanced employee development and promotional paths.
Strategy Audit
Context
A telecommunications regulatory authority in the Middle East required a current state assessment and gap analysis of their strategies.
Challenge
The authority wanted to go beyond TQM and reengineering and create a new aligned approach that linked their strategy with employee objectives, customer needs and continuous improvement of operational processes and procedures.
My Role
Provide focus on the critical elements of organisational leadership to ensure consistency of their vision, strategies, ways of working, performance and reward mechanisms.
What I Did
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I audited their strategies and organisational design
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Provided a clear framework for improving the way they aligned and linked the crucial elements that build and sustain organisational success.
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I provided tools and benchmarked measures to help the authority get and stay on a best practice track.
Outcome
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Better focus on the critical elements required by leaders to deliver clearer strategic direction.
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Clarity of their strengths and areas for improvement.
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Stronger leadership alignment.
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Practical actions to help employees to relate their activities to the authority's vision and strategic objectives.
Recruitment and Onboarding
Context
The client was undertaking a major IT-enabled business transformation.
Challenge
Their existing IT function lacked the strategic leadership and specialist capabilities required to support the transformation and deliver sustainable business outcomes.
My Role
I designed and led the end-to-end recruitment process: candidate identification, assessment, selection, offer negotiation and onboarding.
What I Did
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Clarified role accountabilities and competencies.
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Conducted a comprehensive market scan, including domestic and international competitors.
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Assessed and interviewed candidates.
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Created innovative benefits and remuneration packages.
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Designed and facilitated the delivery of an onboarding programme to accelerate integration and productivity.
Outcome
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Successful recruitment and integration of 40 senior executives critical to the transformation programme.
Interim Leadership During Organisational Transition
Context
My client was experiencing leadership transition and operational uncertainty during a critical period.
Challenge
Maintain stability, rebuild confidence, and ensure momentum continued while longer-term leadership plans were developed.
My Role
I became an interim director for 12 months supporting the board, leading a change team, and guiding organisational priorities.
What I Did
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Stabilised the structure and decision-making.
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Clarified priorities and short-term objectives.
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Supported key stakeholders through the transition.
Outcome
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Confidence restored across leadership and staff.
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Clear direction re-established.
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Smooth handover to permanent leadership.
Consulting on Strategy and Organisational Performance
Context
The leadership team wanted sharper strategic focus and improved organisational alignment.
Challenge
Too many priorities, unclear direction, and limited execution traction.
My Role
Strategy and performance advisor to senior leadership.
What I Did
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Facilitated leadership discussions to clarify priorities.
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Challenged assumptions and sharpened decision-making.
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Helped translate strategy into actionable plans.
Outcome
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Clearer strategic direction.
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Stronger leadership alignment.
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Practical actions that led to measurable progress.
Executive
Coaching
Context
A senior executive was navigating role complexity, pressure, and organisational expectations.
Challenge
Build confidence, strengthen judgement, and maintain effectiveness under pressure.
My Role
Executive coach and confidential sounding board.
What I Did
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Provided structured, reflective coaching sessions.
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Supported decision-making on complex leadership issues.
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Helped strengthen leadership presence and confidence.
Outcome
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Improved confidence and clarity.
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Stronger leadership impact.
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Better decision-making in challenging situations.
Get in Touch
Let's talk if your organisation is navigating transformation, performance challenges, leadership alignment, or cultural change. There's no obligation - just a chance to explore whether I can help create the behavioural and operational foundations for sustainable success.
+44 7711 290 457
+353 89 653 5654
1 Kellet House, Tankerton Street, London WC1H 8HE, England
8 Pakenham House, Spencer Dock, Dublin D01 W640, Ireland