Gerry Purcell

January 31, 2019
|In Black Belt, My360 Writers
|By adnantalic

Managing Director and Principal Consultant, Innovation 360 Canada

Gerry has over 25 years of experience as an operations executive and a principal consultant in leading global consultancies including BCG, A.T. Kearney, and in several boutique firms.

An intuitive thinker and an experienced advisor, Gerry has a confident, collaborative, and personable working style. A classically trained consultant, he has worked as an analyst, program manager, and engagement executive in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East, along with executive roles at two national financial institutions in Canada.

His experience and understanding of the underpinnings of how strategy execution works, and the social, physical, and structural dynamics of organizations, enables his clients to harness their entrepreneurial spirit, break new ground, communicate broadly, uncover new ideas, and seek that thought unattainable.  He has had delivery oversight for product development and execution as an executive and draws upon this experience to help clients to develop and execute their own business strategies.
Gerry derives insight into the root cause of complex business problems and works with clients to develop a road map to address them and to harvest tangible results and sustainable outcomes.

Selected Case Examples

  • Retail and commercial bank. Under the auspices of the COO of a large bank, designed and implemented an enterprise workforce management capability across a population of approximately 5,000 employees.  This included laying the foundation for significant improvements in efficiency, cost, and service quality performance across the enterprise and resulted in a 15%+ improvement in productivity across the board in a 12-18 month timeline.
  • International insurance company. Worked with the CEO and CHRO to assess the organization’s strategic execution capability.  This led to an ongoing engagement over several months addressing operations management, corporate structure and strategy alignment issues across the enterprise
  • Global media and entertainment company. Assessed overall performance to develop a strategy to improve share price.  Analyzed its business and organization from idea conception through production and distribution, developed core metrics for success, and recommended a series of strategic interventions to enable dramatic growth.  The organization has grown substantially since that time (approx. 800% increase in share price) and is now the leading global provider in its market segment.
  • HVAC & water heater provider. With the CEO, CFO and leadership team to assess the performance and structure of the organization.  Recommended changes in corporate structure, including the improved integration of prior business acquisitions and repositioning the organization for ongoing national expansion.  This included refinements in the underlying principles and performance criteria and a realignment of national sales territories and management structures across the enterprise.  Following our work, the organization has continued to grow, attracted significant equity investors, and is one of the leading national organizations in its market.
  • Global risk management function, international bank. For the Chief Risk Officer of this global bank, redesigned the global risk division; formalizing its risk management framework and management structures.  As a result, the organization was better able to respond to industry and regulatory expectations, as well as client and business priorities, and weather the “credit crisis” storm without significant implications.  Worked with the overall executive team of the Bank to facilitate the implementation of improved senior management team practices and behaviors to enhance enterprise performance.
  • Leading aerospace and recreational equipment company. Called on by the newly appointed CFO to assess the viability of a complex IT project which was severely over budget and two years behind plan.  Over the course of a 3-month review, identified major deficiencies in the new system’s capability to meet business needs, significant present and future cost overruns, and deficiencies in required functionality.  Recommended and executed a shutdown of the program with a significant cost and reputational savings for the company.
  • Large public-school system. Engaged by the Director of Education to facilitate an improved delivery model for the Program Department of a large school board.  Worked with management and staff to review and refine the organization’s mission, vision and values, and organizational structure; assessed and recommended curriculum development strategies in support of the goal of enhanced instructional practices for teachers, administrators, and management.  All recommendations were implemented.

Examples of Social Impact

  • An advisor and investor in the Halifax Partnership and Halifax Gateway for several years. HP/HG are the economic development agencies of the Halifax Regional Municipality and the Port of Halifax respectively.  Recently chosen to facilitate the development of an Innovation Strategy and District for the Halifax Region
  • An active participant in the not for profit world. As the Board Chair of one of the largest social purpose enterprises in Toronto, oversaw its growth to help almost 4,000 families to furnish their homes each year in partnership with over 70 social service agencies, the Federal Government and the City of Toronto.