The UK member firm of RSM International, a top ten accounting network, has appointed industry executive Alex Fraser as a business consulting director.

Fraser, who brings nearly two decades of Big Four experience to the role, will be responsible for RSM UK’s people and change offering. This is a set of services the firm provides to help companies with large-scale business transformation initiatives.

RSM International generated about a third of its revenue from consulting services in its most recent fiscal year. The accounting network’s business model places an emphasis on working with midmarket companies. Such organizations typically have more limited resources than the Fortune 500, but must nevertheless deal with the complexities of managing large workforces with upwards of thousands of employees. This leaves their leadership teams and consulting partners with a unique set of challenges to navigate. 

RSM UK’s people and change offering, the set of services for which Fraser is now responsible, is designed to help companies address those challenges. The offering places a particular emphasis on the stakeholder management tasks involved in major business model updates.

Nowadays, many of the business transformation projects that companies embark upon are driven by new technology. A regional bank, for instance, might roll out a mobile app that lets its help desk and sales representatives interact with clients remotely instead of in-person. Such a delivery model change may require training customer-facing teams in using new videoconferencing software or hiring additional IT staff with specialized Zoom-related skills.

Technology is also increasingly influencing the change management workflow itself. Boardroom Insight caught up with Fraser before publishing this story to understand how that process is playing out, particularly in the context of the consulting sector’s AI adoption push. As the executive put it, “AI is leading a transformative wave for change management professionals.”

Fraser pointed to data analysis, predictive modelling and personalised support as three AI use cases that could prove to be particularly valuable for the industry. But, she added, people will continue to be front and center in change management.

“Amidst this technological shift, the human element will remain indispensable for successful transformations,” Fraser explained. “AI will be an invaluable ally, providing data-driven insights, automating routine tasks, and delivering tailored guidance. However, the strategic vision, cultural nuances, and emotional intelligence required to inspire and unite teams through change will remain the domain of skilled change leaders.” 

As for the technology’s impact on change management professionals’ day-to-day work, here’s how Fraser sees the state of play. “As AI augments their capabilities, change management professionals will be empowered to focus on the human aspects that machines cannot replicate – fostering trust, aligning values, and harnessing the collective ingenuity of their organisations. Embracing this cohabitation of human expertise and artificial intelligence will unlock unprecedented opportunities for driving impactful, sustainable change. Where the technology ends, the creativity begins.”

Technology modernization initiatives are not the only type of business transformation that RSM UK’s consulting practice can help with. According to an official press release, Fraser’s team can also advise leadership teams on organizational structure updates, acquisitions and other kinds of business changes. 

The executive brings more than 25 years of experience in the transformation and change advisory field to RSM UK. She spent nearly 20 of those years at Big Four members PwC and KPMG. Fraser also held senior roles at other companies, most recently Hays, a major provider of recruiting services where she was group head of organisational change before joining RSM UK.

text

text