Liza Clay

International Transformation & Organisational Effectiveness Leader | Operating Model & Talent | Culture | Global & Europe

Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands

About

I operate at the intersection of strategy and organisational effectiveness. I am passionate about making organisations excel both structurally and culturally. Over the last 15+ years, I've led global OE agendas across culturally diverse multi-geographical environments. I am known for active partnering with leadership teams and cutting through complexity to deliver real impact. I've particularly enjoyed leading large scale operating model redesign, designing strong talent practices, leadership strategy & development, culture transformation, post-merger integration, employee engagement and inclusion. I’m energised by complexity and am often brought in when organisations feel stuck or need a fresh lens. Making an impact matters deeply to me, and I focus on delivering practical, measurable people solutions - especially during periods of significant change in matrixed, global organisations. Currently, I lead Organisation, Talent & Development for DP World Europe (26,000 employees across 35+ countries). In parallel, I have shaped group‑level operating model and organisational blueprints and co‑defined the group talent strategy for DP World. Based in the Netherlands, I’m most effective in global/regional roles where organisational complexity and performance matter, and where the mandate is to shape and scale a long-term leadership and people strategy. [email protected]

Experience

  • DP World (Hybrid)
    • VP: Organizational Design, Talent & Development
      Jan 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 6 mos

      Lead organisational effectiveness, talent and culture across 35+ countries and 26,000+ employees, helping the business integrate acquisitions, strengthen talent and improve performance across a complex European network. ·       Built and led the European Organisational Effectiveness function ·       Led acquisition integration and organisational redesign initiatives across multiple markets ·       Embedded talent, succession and performance processes with >95% participation ·       Improved employee sentiment by >5% year-on-year ·       Expanded the graduate programme, doubling intake over four consecutive years

    • VP: Organisation and Talent
      Feb 2022 - May 2023 · 1 yr 4 mos

      Led the Talent and Organisational Design team integrating two large international entities into DP World. ·       Co-designed global and regional operating model blueprints following acquisition ·       Developed workforce transition plans across 70+ countries to maintain business continuity ·       Led talent integration, employee engagement and culture alignment during large-scale change

    • Imperial - Global Vice President: Organisational Effectiveness
      Sep 2019 - Dec 2022 · 3 yrs 4 mos

      Established the Group Organisational Effectiveness department and led talent, culture and organisation design during a period of transformation and acquisition. ·       Led the 'One Imperial' transformation, aligning ways of working across regions and businesses ·       Built a global talent and performance framework across 21 countries ·       Simplified organisational structures and people processes to support growth and integration ·       Supported the successful acquisition by DP World while retaining critical talent and maintaining performance

  • Associate Partner: People Advisory at IQbusiness South Africa
    Aug 2017 - Sep 2019 · 2 yrs 2 mos

    Grew and repositioned the People Advisory practice, expanding it from a change management offering into a broader organisational effectiveness and transformation business. ·       Increased revenue by 28% while delivering margins above 40% ·       Established Organisational Design and Executive Coaching service lines ·       Led CEO-sponsored strategic initiatives and major client transformation programmes

  • Global Change Director at Anheuser-Busch InBev
    Oct 2016 - Aug 2017 · 11 mos

    Led people and change integration during the acquisition of SABMiller by AB InBev, supporting transformation across 32 countries. ·       Directed change, communications and training teams across the global brewery network ·       Led cultural and organisational integration during one of the industry's largest acquisitions ·       Supported the delivery of enterprise-wide transformation programmes while maintaining business continuity

  • Global Change & Organizational Development Director (Pre-acquisition by AB InBev) at SABMiller
    Oct 2012 - Oct 2016 · 4 yrs 1 mo

    Led global transformation, culture and organisational development across SABMiller's operating model and ERP transformation agenda. ·       Oversaw 350+ initiatives across 32 countries ·       Led change and organisational readiness for the One Africa Operating Model ·       Played a key role in preparing and integrating SABMiller into AB InBev

  • Associate Partner | Organizational Transformation & People Advisory at Deloitte
    Nov 2011 - Oct 2012 · 1 yr

    Advised multinational clients on organisation design, transformation and performance improvement across multiple industries. ·       Led complex transformation programmes for global organisations ·       Partnered with executive teams on operating model and organisational effectiveness challenges ·       Contributed to growth of Deloitte's people and transformation practice