Melissa Burke is the vice president of US operations at Grayce, a change and transformation specialist company headquartered in Manchester.
Burke heads up the team responsible for US growth and operations, following the organisation’s expansion into the region earlier this year. She has worked at Grayce for 10 years and has held a number of different roles including,transformation director and chief customer officer, with one of her highlights including successfully delivering a multi-million-pound change programme for a global pharmaceutical company.
Here, Burke takes us through a recent week in her life during her first visit to the US…
Monday
The start to my US trip did not go quite to plan. On the journey here I was met with a 28 hour delay in Amsterdam where I only had my passport, lip gloss, and Grayce intro deck! They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and it turned out this is all I needed. I ended up having a great conversation with a technology director at a global nuclear and energy organisation where I pitched the Grayce proposition.
After a good night’s rest following my 28 hour delay in Amsterdam, I’m ready and raring to go for my first day. I start by catching up with our fantastic US team who have settled into our clients’ change and transformation programmes brilliantly, hitting the ground running.
During my meeting with them today, I really want to spend the time learning more from them, their ways of working, their experiences here so far, and make plans for the future to ensure this expansion is the success we know it can be.
I also have some exciting announcements for them as we’re kicking-off some key initiatives based around the US team and people engagement specifically – watch this space!
Tuesday
It’s an early start for me today and I am eager to continue the great conversations we started yesterday about future plans for the organisation.
Today, the focus of the conversation is shifting from the people side to the future strategy as we plan to grow our pipeline in the US and have important meetings to prep for with new potential stakeholders tomorrow.
In the afternoon I have some face-to-face meetings with clients. One of the most exciting things to come from our expansion across the pond has definitely been getting to meet clients in person. Today feels particularly momentous because I finally get to meet clients we’ve worked with for years in their US offices.
Wednesday
It’s now my third day over in the US and driving on the left-hand side of the road for the first time is a surreal experience!
We’re on our way to meet up with new stakeholders and discuss how our niche model can support large-scale CAPEX transformation.
The Grayce proposition involves developing and deploying high-performing emerging talent into businesses. It is a low-risk and scalable solution that enables long-term capability build, allowing businesses to deliver change and transformation programmes at pace. It is not a common business model in the US so there is lots of opportunity to discuss with organisations what this model could mean for them.
Heading to my hotel for the night, I have to say being located in Boston when the Celtics are playing is an experience like no other!
Thursday
I started my Thursday morning with a run in an attempt to counteract the enormous portion sizes over in the US.
Today is also an exciting day for the organisation as we spend our time meeting and interviewing potential future employees. We have built a really strong culture back home at our headquarters in Manchester and it is critical to me that our team over here aligns and fits seamlessly with our colleagues across the UK.
After reflecting on the day with my team, I finished my evening off with a session in the gym, as one run in the morning wasn’t enough!
Friday
As my week in the US comes to an end, I have the chance to reflect on all the progress we have made. The conversations I have had with the team here, current and potential clients, as well as stakeholders, leave me feeling very positive about the role this expansion will play not only in Grayce’s history, but also the extra capacity this will give us to support organisations here in the US as they roll out their own change and transformation programmes.
While thinking about the big picture and plans for the US, I am still balancing my responsibilities here with my priorities in the UK. So, I have a couple of meetings booked in today with my UK team. Navigating the different time zones between the two countries is tricky but we value finding the time for each other to ensure we are always in the loop with activity.
After a busy week, this Friday afternoon I am given the opportunity to experience my first ever Broadway show – The Book of Mormon – it’s an incredible experience to say the least and a perfect way to end my week in the US.
