Ocado is now the largest technology company in the UK. The business has sold its sophisticated delivery platform – known as the Ocado Smart Platform – to leading grocers across the world, marking their shift from UK online grocer, to global technology solutions provider. They needed an operating model that would support rapid growth while still retaining their innovative and unique culture. This had to deliver best-in-class solutions to their new grocery clients across the world.

I can truly say, I have never worked with consultants like Arca Blanca before. They are so passionate about doing the right thing for the client and immediately operated as part of the Ocado team, going above and beyond anything in the contract to ensure success of both the transformation.

Ocado is constantly innovating. Arca Blanca matched this with an iterative design process, which was tailored to enhance collaborative thinking. We brought together a passionate team of clients and consultants, each bringing different expertise to build upon new ideas and opportunities. The operating model we co-designed is flexible and able to evolve fast to capture market opportunities, and deliver results sustainably. The business has an embedded capability that can review, rethink, and reinvent the business as it grows.

Ocado: Enabling 10x growth through global expansion

Our client is one of the world’s largest and most ethical fashion networks. Every day, it delivers over one million items of clothing to 200 of the world’s largest fashion brands through a global network of 50 offices in 18 countries, supported by over 18,000 colleagues. Despite tremendous revenue growth, the group has seen margins reduce due to rising costs and lower prices. They needed greater economies of scale and to add superior value to partners and customers.

investment saved while delivering greater benefits faster

The rise of fast-fashion has created a complex multi-billion-pound networks of apparel retailers, product designers, fabric suppliers and garment manufacturers. One of the largest and fastest growing networks challenged Arca Blanca to look ahead 10 years and rethink the fashion value chain. We designed an ecosystem that incorporates leading technologies.

Arca Blanca was challenged to look ahead 10 years and determine what the client’s future fashion value chain should look like. The result was a complete rethink about how the fashion value chain would work. The network should become a business platform, that allowed its ecosystem of partners to plug in new capabilities and access valuable data-led insights. We laid out a clear roadmap, which saved tens of millions of pounds in investment.

Creating the fast-fashion platform of the future

Gitte is a trusted partner to the boards and executive teams of some of the UK’s largest companies and public sector bodies. She has over 20 years of experience in delivering award-winning transformational change programmes.

Gitte specialises in operational and digital transformation programmes that generate and sustain outstanding returns for customers, employees and investors. She does this by engaging widely with staff, and embedding better ways of working in operating models that overcome complex business issues. She brings broad cross-sector experience to all her clients, which include large scale retail, technology, property, infrastructure, utilities, insurance and public sector organisations.

She has a straight talking, no-nonsense style and a practical focus on getting things done. Gitte is passionate about people and will go to great lengths to ensure that her programmes maximise both results and engagement.

Outside work you are most likely to meet Gitte either climbing up a mountain, or skiing.

Gitte Ganderup

Lizzie has over a decade of experience consulting and delivering retail results. She specialises in business transformation led by data; particularly in the implementation of innovation labs and decision support tools to drive business outcomes and bring data back into day-to-day operations. She has worked across sectors from property to satellite services, with extensive in-depth experience of working for retailers in the UK and globally, such as Walgreens, Boots and the Post Office.

Starting in the design, development and supply of soft furnishing to all levels of the high street before moving into consulting, Lizzie has worked across both physical and online-only, and multi-channel retailers to transform their offering.

Lizzie is an accomplished Senior Manager known for her positive practical cross-sector understanding and retail advocacy. She enjoys working closely with clients to drive a future-proof approach to changes, both big and small.

Alongside project work, Lizzie owns the Arca Blanca Operating Model approach and leads our CSR Committee. Outside work, you will find her swimming in the sea and slowly but surely renovating her ‘lockdown project’ of a seaside home.

Lizzie McKinnell

Paul advises major retailers on transformation programmes including turnaround, performance improvement, operating model design, and growth strategies.

Paul has nearly 20 years of experience working in the retail sector including senior roles in retail operations, supply chain, and operations development. Paul worked for three of the UK’s largest retailers (M&S, Tesco and Asda) implementing major operational change programmes and core operational roles, including four years as an Asda General Store Manager.

Paul Gilhooly

Marco is an expert in delivering growth and value for businesses by solving their most important problems. He has two decades of experience advising the boards and executive teams at a wide range of organisations. His sector experience spans Technology, Infrastructure, Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, Higher Education and Automotive. He often works with private equity firms to increase the enterprise value of their assets.

Previously, Marco was instrumental in reshaping a Fortune 100 tech giant in preparation for a successful demerger. In big pharma, he helped revolutionise organisational approaches to molecular development, after which he set up a challenger healthcare provider for their ambitious and impactful expansion.

Marco enjoys working on challenging problems, which entail rational, emotional and political awareness: embedding transformative changes in business is what motivates him. He has worked in more than 20 countries across in four continents, which has made him particularly effective in managing difficult, multifaceted and culturally complex business issues.

Before becoming a consultant, Marco worked in manufacturing and logistics, specialising in Lean and TPS. Outside of work, he likes to take a drive in one of his troublemaking classic cars, ideally to somewhere warm and Mediterranean.

Marco Mormone

Alasdair supports boards and executive teams to modernise their organisations and grow customer impact & revenue. This follows from more than twenty years of business transformation experience as a consultant and as in-house lead for strategy and transformation working with listed companies, privately owned businesses, charities and governments.

He leads Arca Blanca work in life sciences and sustainability projects, with wide-ranging credentials and the experience from board and executive team membership. He has led large teams across four continents, and held budget responsibilities in excess of £100m-per-year. 

An advocate for life-long learning, his favourite professional moments are in bringing diverse groups together to creatively solve valuable, interesting and purposeful problems. 

He has lectured to MBA students, speaks at conferences from time-to-time, and is a Fellow of the Association for Project Management. He also has a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors. His early career was in structural engineering design and construction project management. And, outside of work he is an active coach for his children’s sports.

Alasdair Ramage

George has a strong track record of delivering cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence solutions to industry leaders across a wide range of sectors. He has spent the last ten years at the forefront of AI research, and possesses a deep understanding of the strengths, weaknesses and potential of the technologies. 

George excels in bridging the gap between business needs and academic research. His work to create pragmatic solutions has delivered measurable value to businesses ranging from global enterprises to fast-growing start-ups.

George holds a PhD in Theoretical Neuroscience from the University of Cambridge.

George Cevora PhD

Philip is an experienced consultant with over 20 years experience working with executive teams to deliver major change programmes. He has in-depth expertise in leading the design and implementation of new business models and operating models, involving step-changes to ways of working, technology innovation and customer-led service transformation. This has included operating model design and implementation for major multi-national companies, and setting up and running innovation / incubation and pilot activities.  

Philip leads Arca Blanca teams in delivering projects across sectors, with particular focus in infrastructure and technology services. Comfortable and adept in both private and public sector environments, he has experience of working in Europe, US and the Middle East.

Philip brings a very results-focussed approach and drive to all projects that he leads, combining big picture thinking with an attention to the details that matter. He is deeply committed to working closely with client teams to deliver sustainable solutions with real and exceptional benefits.

Before becoming a consultant, Philip designed and managed major bespoke software projects, and was IT and Quality Manager for the UK start-up of a major FMCG company. Outside the office, Philip enjoys keeping active, playing hockey, cycling and hiking in different parts of the world. 

Philip Hay-Jahans

Chris has extensive industry and consulting experience to major public and private companies in property, construction, software, media and telecoms. He has become a trusted partner to Boards and CEOs, and he has a track-record of delivering market-leading transformation programmes.

He was the MD and one of the founders of Boxwood, an award-winning specialist business transformation consultancy. Prior to its acquisition by KPMG in June 2015, Boxwood won industry recognition for work at Carphone Warehouse, Guardian News and Media, Trader Media Group, Grosvenor Estates, Tube Lines and Balfour Beatty Utility Services.

Prior to Boxwood, Chris was Global Head of Operational Information Systems at the UK MOD PJHQ. In the early phase of his career, he was an aircraft engineer and military pilot. He has an MBA from Cranfield University.

Chris is married with three grown up children. He was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire during his military service. He is keen on skiing, walking and listening to music and is currently learning to fly the Magni autogiro.

Chris Wakerley MBE

Ravi has over a decade of experience in leading major transformation programmes for FTSE 100, S&P 50 and public sector organisations, delivering nine figure increases in revenue, profit and realised value.

He leads Arca Blanca’s work in the property sector, where his recent projects include CEO-sponsored initiatives at three FTSE 350 property businesses and several social housing providers. He also has significant experience in the technology, finance and professional services sectors, and regularly advises private equity funds on increasing the value of their assets.

Asked what he enjoys most on a project, he cited the joint client-consultant teams his projects establish and the previously unimaginable results they achieve through a combination of human ingenuity and low-investment technology.

Before becoming a consultant, Ravi worked in investment banking, providing strategic advice to the boards and executive teams of listed UK companies. During this time, he also helped raise and invest a mid-market private equity fund. Outside of the office, Ravi provides investment and advice to numerous UK-based start-ups.

Ravi Lal-Sarin

Chris has over 15 years of experience consulting and delivering real estate market research and property projects for both the private and public sectors. He specialises in the practical applications of Data Science and AI to urban development, property financing & investments, and construction both within the UK and several emerging markets. He has extensive technical knowledge surrounding property valuations, land use, GIS mapping, property management, revenue optimisation and the operations of property focused companies. He is a Chartered Surveyor (Valuations – RICS) and an AssocMember of the RTPI.

He has spent over a decade working for various global donor agencies across Asia, advising on public policy and financing mechanisms before switching over to private sector consulting. Over the last few years, Chris has delivered change across some of the largest property companies, REIT’s and institutions in the UK, building market leading decision support tools, designing innovative approaches to development, and contributing to standards setting within the RICS and RTPI. 

Chris is known for his practical cross-sector expertise. He enjoys most being embedded with clients, getting his hands dirty understanding sites and operations, and finding efficiencies wherever possible. He speaks English and French and enjoys going on far-flung expeditions to odd corners of the world. In his spare time, he enjoys good food and wines as well as clay pigeon shooting. 

Christopher de Gruben

A senior transformation professional with extensive experience in consulting and data science. Chris works with executive teams to design and deliver change using a hands-on, collaborative approach.

His decade of consulting has included leading large-scale change programmes in the property, pharmaceutical, retail, transport and technology sectors. Recent work has focused on the development and deployment of machine learning powered decision support tools. 

In addition to his consulting experience, Chris has led a technology and insights programmes for a leading pharmaceutical company as an interim director. Chris’ early career was in procurement where he ran global strategic sourcing programmes.

Chris Watterson

Vignesh is a growth transformation expert, who works with business leaders to translate their strategy into real business outcomes. He is regularly called upon by CEOs for his experience in embedding new business and operating models.

He has a successful track record of helping organisations in the FTSE 100 and the public sector to achieve substantial top-line growth and bottom-line improvements. He brings cross-sector experience to every client, having worked in a diverse range of industries that include technology, retail, pharmaceutical, consumer goods and transportation.

Vignesh excited about and prides himself on working with clients to build solutions that balance pragmatism with the right design, iterated rapidly. He applies this across a broad range of areas that include new business model innovation, operational turnaround, cost transformation, post-merger integration, organisation re-design and performance improvement.

Vignesh is highly analytical and has an MBA from Cambridge University. Outside of work, Vignesh has a young family and is a keen runner.

Vignesh Chandran

Javier is a seasoned project lead with over 10 years of consulting experience helping ambitious leaders across a range of industries to drive lasting business change.  He specialised in using data to solve growth and profitability challenges leveraging his expertise on strategy, business design, and use case design and delivery.

He is a dynamic, results-oriented professional with a sustained track record of high achievement across Data Strategy, Business and Operating model design, and delivery of company-wide transformation programmes. 

Javier’s sector expertise spans across Technology, Financial Services, Life Sciences, and Infrastructure, among others. He has worked with organisations ranging from some of the UK’s largest FTSE100 to privately owned and PE-backed SMEs.

Javier has an MBA from Cambridge University. Outside of work, he is a keen reader and enjoys winter sports, surfing and, since more recently, sailing. 

Retail & Consumer

Becoming more competitive using creative problem solving and data science

Retail & Consumer leads

Gitte Ganderup

Lizzie McKinnell

Paul Gilhooly

Case Studies

Ocado: Enabling 10x growth through global expansion

Creating the fast-fashion platform of the future

Our Sectors