As fractional Chief of Staff and membership consultant to the CEO at the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors (CIEHF), Di worked across the senior leadership team during a period of significant organisational evolution.
The role sat at the intersection of strategy, governance, operations and delivery, helping translate ambition into practical execution while strengthening the Institute’s commercial and operational foundations.
Challenge
Like many professional membership bodies, CIEHF was balancing a complex mix of priorities: modernising systems and ways of working, improving member engagement and financial sustainability, while ensuring governance and operational delivery remained aligned with the organisation’s broader mission.
Alongside this sat the practical realities of coordinating staff, volunteers, Board stakeholders and external suppliers, all while maintaining momentum across day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives.
Approach
Working as a close adviser and operational partner to the CEO, Di provided strategic counsel across organisational priorities while also leading delivery on several high-impact initiatives.
This included delivering a CEO-sponsored organisational change programme designed to align strategy, governance and operations around four mission-driven pillars. She also introduced more structured reporting, planning cycles and executive dashboards, improving visibility, accountability and leadership decision-making across the organisation.
Alongside this, Di led work to reform membership structures and payment systems, helping strengthen financial sustainability while improving the member experience. Her role also extended into digital evolution and organisational capability-building, including CRM optimisation, implementation of a new community platform and the introduction of AI-enabled tools to improve insight, engagement and operational efficiency.
Throughout the engagement, she acted as a bridge between strategic intent and practical delivery, helping maintain pace, alignment and clarity across multiple concurrent priorities.
Outcome
The work contributed to stronger organisational alignment between governance, strategy and operations, alongside measurable improvements in reporting visibility and executive oversight.
Membership reforms improved renewal performance and reduced late payments, while commercial and strategic recommendations supported projected income growth and increased member engagement. At the same time, the organisation accelerated its digital capability and strengthened internal planning and delivery processes, creating a more robust operational foundation for future growth.
Testimonial
“Di brought a rare combination of strategic judgement, operational grip and pace. She quickly became a trusted adviser, helping translate ambitious ideas into practical delivery across the organisation.
She has a strong instinct for where focus is needed most, and an ability to bring people together around change without creating unnecessary friction. Her contribution significantly strengthened both our operational effectiveness and our confidence in decision-making at leadership level.”