Peter C. Williams, also known as Petercw, is an experienced and highly skilled transformation, strategy and change consultant in the European financial services sector. Peter has used his 20-plus years of experience in offering consulting-related services, writing and providing his thoughts and opinions on a wide range of subjects and themes, often sharing his perspective based on his experiences rather than theory alone. Peter will frequently tackle difficult and complex subjects and topics, and through his unique style and delivery, make most subjects fun and much easier to understand.
Peter is a strong communicator and has a diverse set of skills, which includes expertise in a range of delivery and analytical areas, coupled with a proven track record in driving and delivering multi-million-dollar projects from regulatory to transformation programmes. Peter is an experienced problem solver in the change management environment, including process automation, strategy, organisational redesign activities and much more.
A highly experienced and skilled transformation, strategy and change consultant and published technical author with over 20 years in the European Financial Services industry. Peter has a diverse and versatile skill set, having worked across a broad spectrum of disciplines in the insurance and banking sectors, all of which have resulted in a strong track record in both a delivery and analytical capacity, as well as an in-depth knowledge of insurance and investment-related products. Peter is a self-starter and problem solver with financial management skills (experienced in defining and managing budgets c. £60m), ability to manage large multi-discipline teams successfully and a proven track record in driving and delivering multi-million-pound projects and initiatives (regulatory, divestment, integration and transformation programmes).
Peter is adaptable and focused on providing high-quality results on time and within budget and is not only able to manage processes and people but also complex and technical initiatives. Peter is strategically minded, a strong communicator and highly effective at stakeholder management, with the ability to communicate and work with people from across the organisation. Peter’s more recent experiences include technical writing, organisational design, digitalisation, transformation and automation.
Peter was born in London in the United Kingdom and is part English and part Cypriot. Growing up between the two distinct cultures and within a multicultural London gave Peter the opportunity and insight to understand more about different cultures and those from various socioeconomic backgrounds. Peter loves to travel and has visited many countries around the world, all contributing to the person he is today, someone who is well-spoken, articulate and who can find common ground and empathy with all different types of people and the confidence in speaking from senior members of the board to the operatives on the ground.
After finishing college, Peter was unsure of what path to take in terms of a career and has been fortunate to have the opportunity to work in a range of fields, which included working as an analyst within a systems department for a large FTSE 100 company to delivering complex life and pension products within the European markets. The one common theme throughout his career has been his strong ability to analyse, interpret and present, often relaying complex information in a straightforward way. Peter has always picked up information quickly and spends time researching topics and themes in order to gain a good grasp of the subject. Coupled with his love of writing, Peter is both a natural leader and a when it comes to mentoring and developing those around him, and he is a strong believer in both nurturing and providing the opportunity to help people develop skills, especially with his direct reports.
Early in his career, Peter quickly developed his problem-solving skills when managing in-house and offshore development teams where issues would frequently occur. Peter would often take time to understand the problems better, working collaboratively with the team and brainstorming different potential options to provide a positive outcome, solutions that were frequently outside of the box, all of which have given Peter a “no problem cannot be overcome” attitude. Peter can analyse situations from a variety of different angles and come up with solutions given his vast and varied background and experiences from the various roles he has performed within the business, project and delivery spectrums.
Peter applies a flexible, adaptable approach to his work, is enthusiastic, is committed to the end goal, and endeavours to deliver top-quality solutions that meet the customer’s expectations. Peter’s unique background means he is confident when speaking to all types of people, whether those who are more technical or those who are more business-minded. Working within the heavily regulated financial services industry has meant that in the past, he has often worked on complex regulatory projects in which the project’s aim and objectives were not always immediately known or understood. All of these experiences have culminated in a delivery approach that is both adaptable and yields results.
Peter is personable, has strong communication skills, and measures high in terms of emotional intelligence and empathy. Peter never takes himself too seriously and has a great sense of humour and an infectious laugh. Though he is often focused and professional, he also has a fun side that frequently shines through. Most people meeting Peter for the first time would usually believe him to be an extrovert; however, growing up, Peter was shy and introverted. Over the years, Peter has worked on becoming more outgoing and confident, especially when speaking in front of crowds of people. Peter is a self-starter who works to get things done and works well within teams and groups. In a group setting, many often find his humour and approach engaging, which usually relaxes the environment in order to obtain the best results.
To summarise, Peter is an experienced professional with years of experience in a wide range of fields and expertise. He is a strong communicator who is fun to work with and who has a proven track record of delivering results.
If you would like to learn more about Petercw, why not get in touch? Alternatively, there are a number of questions and answers designed to help you get to know Petercw better
I thrive in environments in which there is a significant amount of change, challenge and transformation. Though many permanent and in-house roles can provide opportunities for these types of activities, the vast majority of the time, it is within the consultancy sphere that these opportunities are more readily available.
My skills and strengths are in areas such as organisational redesign, change initiatives, and transformation-type activities, which most organisations will do as one-offs and typically carry out less frequently.
Throughout my career, I have had a mixture of permanent, freelance and consultancy-type roles; for me, it is not about the employment status but more about the opportunity and the challenge the role presents. Though I do not have any immediate plans to become a permanent employee, I have not ruled it out in the future should the perfect role come along.
I have always admired people who have had specific career goals from a young age, especially when they have achieved their goals. When I was younger, I would dread being asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, as I had no idea. I would occasionally get a eureka moment when I stumbled onto a career that sounded interesting, but over time, I would often lose interest.
It was only when I first started working and was given my first opportunity to be involved in a project that I knew what I wanted. I instantly loved everything about projects: the variety, the often fast pace, problem-solving and being able to see something from conception to completion.
Projects suit my personality; I work well in change and thrive on new challenges. I also liked the structured and organised approach to the project, with every task and activity being identified and strategically mapped out and assigned.
I think that I fit firmly centre ground on those two role types and have even carried out both roles in the same project in the past.
I am naturally curious, so I love investigating, interacting with people, learning, and finding solutions to problems. On the delivery side, I am organised and focused. Throughout my career, I have had the fortune to do both roles a number of times, and I like both equally.
I am naturally an empathetic person, so my biggest challenges are when I am working on projects that are affecting people. Whether it is retraining, redundancy or simply something that creates uncertainty, though I am experienced in handling these situations, I still find it difficult when you consider the individual’s position.
I do, however, believe that you can deliver a successful project and still support and aid those affected. My approach has always been the same: try to be as transparent as possible; if I do not know something, I will tell the person that I will come back to them and be as supportive as I can. You can help in other ways, too, whether it is helping someone with their CV or Resume or just being someone that they can talk to about their future.
I have been very fortunate to work on some interesting projects. However, the accomplishments that I am most proud of are the ones where I have personally developed my colleagues. In a number of organisations, I had the opportunity to work with people who were inexperienced in the world of analysis or project management. Whenever they showed interest, I gladly mentored and trained them in the principles so that they could go on to have very successful project careers. To date, I have mentored over 30 people who are now all successful project managers and analysts in fields where they use those skills regularly.
My greatest strengths are my communication skills, which also include my ability to manage stakeholders and my strategic mindset. I have always been a strong communicator, and the older I have become, the more empathetic I have become in all of my dealings and negotiations. Understanding the person, putting yourself in their shoes, understanding their perspective and what they might want, and always being fair can be highly effective in getting a good outcome for all parties.
I have also always been very strategic; I love challenges, so thinking something through, looking at opportunities and potential issues, and devising a plan are things that have always come naturally to me.
One of my greatest weaknesses was my ability to delegate. Over the years, I have learnt to become a much more efficient delegator. Part of the problem in the past was the fact that I am very delivery-focused and take pride in whatever I do, so I would, on occasion, complete tasks assigned to others if they were falling behind or the work was not up to the standard I was expecting.
I have learnt to accept that people might not always do it the same way as you do and that sometimes they might not do it as fast as you were expecting, but making a commitment and putting the time in developing people is highly rewarding and remembering that everyone has to start somewhere.
This is an interesting question. In the past, I have worked with project managers who believe success is completing the project on time and within budget. Those are indeed major factors, but I also think that customer satisfaction is important. Poor stakeholder management might result in the project delivering to the agreed (or revised) scope; however, if your key stakeholders are not happy, then, in my opinion, the project has not been successful.
For me, good delivery is about taking everyone with you on the journey, from agreeing on what will be worked on upfront, deciding on the best way to keep everyone informed and involved throughout the delivery, and evaluating progress to expectations at key stages, which all ensure a successful and satisfactory outcome.
I have always worked within a 5-year plan. For my current plan, I would like to continue writing more technical books, hopefully writing at least one book per year. I would also like to continue consulting, as I enjoy the challenges it presents. At the moment, with all of the uncertainty around the world, some interesting opportunities are coming up in the change sphere.
I have had a lot of managers over the years, and the qualities that I most like are more around their approach, especially when senior executives are all about accountability. Typically, these types of leaders will assign you tasks and then trust you to get on with delivering them. If there are problems or delays, it is your responsibility to resolve anything that comes up, as you are held to account for your assigned tasks.
You often hear the term ‘blame culture’, but for me, the only time that there is ever blame is when roles, responsibilities and accountabilities have not been correctly assigned or understood.
I also admire leaders who foster environments that support and develop their staff. Not only that, but they also provide opportunities in which staff are given the tools to deliver the best possible solution.
Quality and customer satisfaction. I am naturally a passionate person; I take pride and care in whatever I do. When I am working on a project or activity, I am focused and like to ensure that what I deliver is on time and within budget but also meets the customer’s needs and is of the highest possible standard.
I believe that I am pretty easygoing and likeable. I have views and opinions that I share, but I like to debate and listen to the views and opinions of others and, ultimately, devise the best solution or plan. I believe I am supportive and help out my colleagues wherever possible, and my focus often means that I am not only working on my deliverables but also motivating others within the team to deliver their commitments on time. I take pride in whatever I do and do not like failing to deliver anything that has been assigned to me, especially when I have been asked to change priorities or the overall approach.
No. The truth is I always try to work within the parameters that have been set. Not necessarily bending the rules, but sometimes businesses have legacy approaches or barriers that hinder delivery. In a situation where a roadblock is going to impact the delivery, I would create a rationale around the problem, propose a solution and communicate the rationale to the relevant parties to gain agreement from the key stakeholders and decision-makers. By not rushing into decisions and having sound reasoning, if any rules had to be navigated for a good reason, then I would be able to evidence why and ensure that it was agreed and accepted by all parties. Unfortunately, sometimes, within project deliveries, you have to be somewhat flexible; however, being transparent is not so much about breaking the rules but rather redefining them.
Yes, I have been assessed using a number of different psychometric assessments over the years. In terms of one the best-known and most popular Myers–Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI), I was assessed as being an ENTJ. ENTJ is defined as ENTJ Extraversion (E), Intuition (N), Thinking (T), and Judgment (J) and people with ENTJ preferences are often competitive, focused, and highly motivated. They see just about everything that is going on around them by focusing on the big picture. ENTJs thrive when they have opportunities to set long-term goals and make highly analytical decisions.
Another popular question is around: If you were an animal, which one would you be? I know I should be trendy and say a lion or a cheetah. However, I have always been fascinated with hyenas. To start with, when you look at them face-on, they resemble dogs, but there is also the fact that they are highly effective pack animals. Every member of the pack (or cackle as it is officially known) works for the collective goal, which often means that they take down animals much larger and stronger than themselves. There is also the fact that they have a very efficient digestive system, in which they can digest the skin and bones of the animal, so no part of their prey is wasted.
I do not have a favourite methodology, but each methodology has a particular purpose or use. I have worked with project managers who may only have been trained in one or two methodologies and want to follow them to the letter. I believe that you should choose the best methodology that is most applicable to the project you are working on, and you should adapt the method to suit the project and not the other way around.
I hope that people will see me as hard-working, supportive, and fair but also fun and passionate about whatever I am working on or doing. I do believe a lot of the team dynamics relate to communication, so being inclusive, not only listening but hearing the people around you and not always taking yourself too seriously can often make complex activities less stressful and, in some circumstances, even fun.
