Dr Sherril Kennedy
Founder and Managing Principal
Dr Sherril Kennedy and Kennedy is on a mission to equip the Board and Executive with the tools to shape and secure the future of their organisation. If Boards and Executives are effective decision-makers they will make a positive contribution to society and the economy, support a committed and thriving workforce, and strengthen the local community. Everyone wins.
Sherril’s early career was as an academic. She started out as a social psychologist and then quickly moved into marketing as an area where she felt she could be of most direct use to industry. This led to a successful career as a marketing academic with close links to the business world; first at Bradford University and then Cranfield School of Management. She was also a founding member of the International Management Centre, the first action learning post-graduate school to be established in Europe.
Returning from a secondment in the Middle East, Sherril decided that she would like to be more directly involved in implementing her advice and support. She established Kennedy in the 80’s, through which she successfully used the knowledge, skills and experience gained in the academic environment to help organisations to embrace and manage constructively the necessary changes to thrive. Not afraid to challenge, Sherril has instilled a discipline in the Kennedy firm of rigorous analysis, innovative thinking, and persistence to resolve impediments to progress.
She has particular experience of working with top teams to enhance organisational effectiveness. Her numerous clients come from both the public and private sector including various NHS organisations, many of the UK’s largest Housing Associations, the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, Manx National Heritage, and a range of commercial organisations. Her solutions have, in some instances, had national implications.
Assignments are always endorsed by the top of the organisation, and frequently start by addressing the dynamics and decision-making around the table.
Getting this right enables the Leadership Team to steer the organisation to a great future. Where problems are allowed to continue and fester, the organisation might simply tick over, stagnate, or worst case, suffer a slow and painful death. The responsibility is huge and the consequences plain for all to see.
Over the years she has built Kennedy into an organisation with an impressive ability to tackle complex issues other firms find too daunting. This reputation is what sets Sherril and the Kennedy team apart.
To find out more, contact Sherril today
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“I have known and worked with Sherril for many years and I never hesitate to put her in front of my clients.
She is very comfortable (and very good) in dealing with teams of executives and Boards. She also has very good diagnostic instincts and capabilities.”
Jean Pousson, Finance and Strategy Trainer
“Sherril is an outstanding OD practitioner. The task she took on with me and my colleagues in a major public sector organisation was quite daunting but she tackled it with total confidence and carried it through to a highly successful conclusion. She is a one-woman poster-person for the arts and science of OD and a pleasure to work with. I can whole-heartedly recommend her as offering powerful direction and support for top teams and HR departments who want to achieve transformational change in their organisation.”
Mike Emmott, Associate adviser at Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
“Sherril undertook an Organisational Review of an organisation on whose Board of Directors I have served for several years. She worked closely with the Executive team and Board during several months developing a Governance & Strategic Framework clearly identifying Purpose, Priorities & Objectives as well as critical success factors. As a consequence, the Board and Executive have a clearer focus, work more effectively, and provide clear and consistent leadership.
Sherril has a remarkable capability to get everyone engaged, involved and contributing to the process. She is a clear thinker and very focused as well as highly analytical. She is a pleasure to work with and a true team builder and leader.”
Eva Wisemark, Owner of Optima Management (IOM) Ltd
“Sherril provided highly valuable insights into the senior management of my company and assisted in the successful restructuring of the whole organisation.”
David Wertheim, Chairman at Arts Aid
“Sherril is a highly skilled development professional. She works very successfully with complex teams and individuals, working in high-pressure areas where relationships and achievement were critical. Her work is challenging, but the outcomes are both impressive and long-lasting.”
Zoe Van Zwanenberg
“I had the recent pleasure of working with Sherril on an Executive Coaching, Board Development and Change Programme, working with the Executive and Board Directors of DHU Health Care. Sherril very quickly assesses the issues and main drivers for effective change and quickly gets to work in providing tools, experience and recommendations based on underpinning knowledge and academic resources. Sherril has the ability to work with the participants to understand the root causes, analyse the findings and guide colleagues into a new way of working and thinking. Sherril successfully removed red tape and complex processes and provided a framework for effective decision making, responsibility matrices as well as designing a more succinct Board Reporting structure. I would highly recommend Sherril in supporting with Board Development, Executive Coaching and Organisational Design and Development.”
Lisa Wallis, Executive Director of HR & O.D. Derbyshire Health United
“Thank you for the summary and the session, it was really enjoyable. I picked up some reflective moments and certainly an approach to factor into Board behaviour and their own preferences and styles that once smartly considered will improve their collective performance. The session was the right amount of time. The interactive chat worked well, and allowed us to get involved and share and you picked up our questions – made it feel more personal across the screen.”
Karen Malone, Deputy CEO (Governance), Department of Health and Social Care, Isle of Man Government
“When we were faced with extremely tight timescales, Kennedy were able to design an organisation structure and detailed role profiles for all staff within a remarkably short period. The result was robust, comprehensive, and helped us change our whole approach to providing client-focused services.”
Taroub Zahran, Director of Organisational Development, Glasgow Housing Association
“Kennedy developed the model that enables us to tackle a key issue - the prevention and control of infection and communicable disease. The model details how each person in the healthcare system contributes to preventing and controlling infection and provides the tangible measures by which we can monitor our success in tackling this issue. The innovative and professional approach taken proved to be great value for money, and was undertaken at remarkable speed.”
Mary Henry, Nurse Consultant, Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health