The team

Practitioners, not consultants.

Cairn Novaris draws on a curated network of senior practitioners — former advisory professionals from leading consultancies, and operational leaders who have held C-suite and director roles in the sectors we serve. We match the right expertise to each engagement, rather than deploying whoever is available.

🎯

Right expertise, right engagement

We match practitioners to engagements based on specific sector experience and the nature of the challenge — not availability or billing targets.

🏭

Advisory and operational depth

Our network spans both advisory professionals and practitioners who have held operational roles — P&L owners, department heads, programme directors — in the industries they now advise.

🔒

Cleared where it matters

A significant proportion of our network holds SC or DV clearance, enabling us to work across government, defence and sensitive commercial environments without delay.

Advisory practitioners

Former advisory
professionals.

Senior practitioners with backgrounds in leading advisory and professional services firms. Experienced in strategy, change, technology and performance improvement across complex organisations.

CH
Strategy & Transformation Director
📍 London
Advisory

Fifteen years in strategy consulting across public sector and financial services. Former engagement lead on government-wide transformation programmes spanning digital, operating model and workforce redesign. Developed an...

Operating model designOrganisational changeGovernment transformation
Government & Public SectorFinancial ServicesDefence
SC Cleared
RB
Technology & AI Strategy Director
📍 London
Advisory

Former technology strategy lead at a global advisory practice. Specialised in AI readiness assessments, data architecture strategy and digital transformation for regulated industries. Led multiple AI programme designs fo...

AI strategyData architectureDigital transformation
Government & Public SectorHealthcareFinancial Services
SC Cleared
MK
Performance Improvement Director
📍 London / Midlands
Advisory

Twelve years in operational improvement and cost transformation, primarily with FTSE 100 and public sector clients. Deep expertise in Lean Six Sigma, Value Stream Mapping and the design of target operating models. Delive...

Cost transformationLean Six SigmaValue stream mapping
Government & Public SectorRetail & FMCGHealthcare
AT
Commercial Strategy & M&A Director
📍 London
Advisory

Former strategy and deals partner at a top-tier professional services firm. Twenty years advising boards on growth strategy, market entry and transaction support. Extensive experience across pharma, life sciences and con...

Growth strategyM&A advisoryCommercial diligence
Pharma & Life SciencesRetail & FMCGTechnology
SC
Programme Delivery Director
📍 London / South East
Advisory

Former senior manager in a global programme management practice. Specialised in complex, multi-supplier government and defence programmes. Holds MSP (Managing Successful Programmes) and P3O practitioner qualifications. L...

Programme managementMSP / P3OProgramme recovery
Government & Public SectorDefence & Security
DV Cleared
LW
People & Change Director
📍 London / Remote
Advisory

Senior change management practitioner with Prosci Master Practitioner accreditation and fifteen years across public and private sector transformation. Former lead on workforce transformation programmes involving signific...

ADKAR change managementProsci Master PractitionerWorkforce transformation
Government & Public SectorRetail & FMCGPharma & Life Sciences
SC Cleared
Operational practitioners

Sector leaders
turned advisors.

Former C-suite executives, directors and heads of function who have operated at the most senior levels in the industries we serve. They bring the perspective of someone who has made the decisions our clients are facing.

JF
Head of Digital Transformation | ex-MOD
📍 South East
Operational

Twenty years as a senior civil servant within the Ministry of Defence, including roles as Head of Digital Capability and Senior Responsible Owner for multiple major capability programmes. Retired from the civil service t...

MOD programme deliveryDefence procurementDigital capability planning
Defence & SecurityGovernment & Public Sector
DV Cleared
PH
Chief Commercial Officer | ex-FMCG
📍 London / North West
Operational

Former CCO at a top-10 UK grocery brand, with prior senior commercial roles at two global FMCG businesses. Twenty-five years of P&L ownership across category management, pricing, supply chain and customer strategy. H...

Category strategyPricing & revenue managementCustomer strategy
Retail & FMCG
DM
VP Commercial | ex-Specialty Pharma
📍 London / South East
Operational

Former VP Commercial at a European specialty pharma company, responsible for three product launches across UK and European markets. Prior roles in market access and health economics at a top-5 global pharma company. Deep...

Specialty pharma launchMarket access strategyNICE / HTA submissions
Pharma & Life Sciences
KA
CTO & AI Lead | ex-GovTech Scale-up
📍 London / Remote
Operational

Former CTO at a government technology scale-up that grew from Series A to acquisition. Architect of AI-enabled public services platforms deployed across multiple UK local authorities and NHS trusts. Deep engineering expe...

AI product developmentGovTech architectureCloud infrastructure
Government & Public SectorHealthcareTechnology
SC Cleared
NR
COO | ex-B2B SaaS Scale-up
📍 London
Operational

Former COO at two venture-backed B2B SaaS businesses, both of which successfully navigated Series B and beyond. Specialist in the operating model transitions required at the scaling inflection point — from founder-led to...

Operating model designScaling operationsOKR implementation
Start-up & Scale-upTechnology
GS
Director of Supply Chain | ex-Retail
📍 Midlands / London
Operational

Twenty years in supply chain leadership across major UK grocery retail and wholesale distribution. Former Director of Supply Chain at a top-five UK retailer, responsible for end-to-end supply chain strategy, supplier rel...

Supply chain strategyDemand forecastingSupplier management
Retail & FMCGStart-up & Scale-up
Join the network

Senior practitioner?
We want to talk.

We are actively building our network of sector specialists, advisory professionals and cleared practitioners. If you have deep expertise in the industries we serve and want to work on substantive engagements — without the overhead of a permanent employment structure — get in touch.

We value breadth of experience, intellectual curiosity and the willingness to challenge standard thinking. We do not have a formula for the right background — we have a standard for the quality of judgement and expertise we bring to every engagement.

Get in touch

Join our practitioner network

Tell us about your background, the sectors you know deeply, and what kind of engagements you are interested in. Cleared practitioners — particularly those with government, defence or regulated industry experience — are especially welcome.