In this episode, I’m very pleased to welcome Adrian Bettridge, Managing Partner of Baringa. Adrian’s been with Baringa since 2007, and serving as Managing Partner since 2014. In that role, he brings his 25 years’ experience as a consultant to bear on ambitious plans for Baringa’s growth: moving into new markets, creating new parts of the business, and always looking after our people who make our business thrive.
For Adrian, creating lasting impact for clients isn’t about just agreeing with what they say, but asking the insightful questions that uncover something new. What if you looked at that challenge from the opposite perspective? Is this really a technology and process problem, or a cultural one? He’s happiest when a consulting relationship extends into a coaching relationship – helping CEOs and senior leaders to get the best out of their top teams; convince the naysayers; articulate their vision in a way that gets everyone motivated.
That people-first mentality is evident in the culture Adrian’s fostered at Baringa. From going to every single new joiner session, to setting up a fund for each team member to spend exploring their hobbies – wine tasting, guitar lessons, pottery. His Monday morning emails are just as likely to contain quotes from tennis players as they are ideas from the business and leadership titles that inspire him. He’s proud to see that culture of kindness and curiosity recognised, with Baringa ranking in the top ten in the Great Place to Work awards for more than 10 years in a row.
Adrian loves running, cycling and tennis, and is an avid Liverpool FC fan – he counts the day they beat Barcelona four nil in 2019 as one of the best of his life. After his wedding and the birth of his four sons, of course.
Baringa
Founded in the UK, they’re now a global partnership working with clients in every sector from hubs across Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and North America. Their experts bring an average of 12+ years of industry experience. And every partner has a team of no more than nine consultants, so their people learn and work together across all levels of the business. They’ve been voted a ‘Great Place to Work’ for over a decade, and recognised for their commitments to women and well-being in the workplace.
Over 80% of their new business comes from referrals, recommendations, and returning clients. And their clients and peers have consistently voted for them as one of the UK’s leading management consultants in the FT Awards. In 2022, they picked up 17 medals in the FT Awards for their work across several sectors and for their specialist capabilities – for their core industries including energy and resources, financial services, and consumer goods and products, and for their expertise in sustainability, risk and compliance, operations and supply chain, among others. And they've been recognised by Forbes as one of the World's Best Management Consulting Firms.
They’re a Certified B Corporation®, which means they’ve been independently verified as using business as a force for good. Their aim is to be net zero by 2030, and they’re already carbon neutral across our global scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. In their largest office in London, they’ve switched to 100% renewable electricity, diverted 100% of their waste from landfill and achieved a high rate (87%) of recycling. Their people dedicate hundreds of hours of their time and expertise every year helping communities around the world.
Adrian Bettridge