Finance Awards 2019

26 | SME NEWS - Finance Awards 2019 Born after the financial crisis of 2007/8, Alistair Hutchinson noticed a hole in the market for project managers with practical experience of how banks really work across multiple functions whilst working on the asset disposals process. We profiled this award-winning company to see how it continues to distinguish itself in the greater financial landscape. Best Financial Services Project Management Consultant 2019 Crosslet Vert Limited After spending seven years working on loan asset disposals, trade finance disposals, and helping to close various foreign domiciled branches, Alistair Hutchinson, the founder of Crosslet Vert, became increasingly aware that there was a shortage of business transformation project managers who truly understood how banks work internally. Having had to coordinate all post-trade elements such as legal documentation, litigation, systems decommissioning, and dealing with regulators, he thought he was in the perfect position to fill this void in the market. Indeed, since starting Crosslet Vert, Hutchinson has worked across a number of investment banking, corporate banking and retail banking companies, including a digital challenger bank where he has been able to utilise the same skills built up over a career of work. Ultimately, the mission behind Crosslet Vert is a relatively simple one: to ensure that firms are fully equipped and prepared to make changes to stay relevant within a constantly changing market. Alistair is aware that whilst Agile project methodologies can be extremely powerful, sometimes changing to more agile delivery methods are unwelcome, resulting in a half- hearted reporting cycle that makes token use of some of the vernacular. He’d also be the first to admit that sometimes the changes aren’t required, and it’s – simply - change for change’s sake. As an independent party with no agenda, Crosslet Vert is the perfect company to advise on this front. The focus is on delivery and ensuring that any advice can be practically implemented by a client. They aren’t wed to any single delivery system, happily adjusting their methodology to meet a client’s needs. Crosslet Vert are equally at home designing and delivering waterfall projects as they are agile ones, showing the true range that has drawn a loyal set of customers towards the business. This brand loyalty has served Crosslet Vert well. While the last twelve months have negatively affected many smaller consultancies in the financial sector, Crosslet Vert have used the solid reputation they’ve built up for delivery across multiple banking sectors to retain their customers. Their excellent record of thoughtful delivery in challenging circumstances means that clients continue to recommend and reach out to them. Another reason behind Crosslet Vert’s success can be found in its deliberately broad outlook on the business. Never allowing themselves to be pigeon-holed in one specific area, they can stretch themselves intellectually and explore emerging developments as they happen. This means they are often in the thick of changes legally and practically, and able to use that experience on their next project. This applied recently with the new GDPR legislation. To this end, Crosslet Vert will regularly partner with outside experts who specialise in some of the larger systems such as Loan IQ and Salesforce. While, to many, the constantly changing financial landscape can prove to be quite challenging to work within, Crosslet Vert has proven time and time again that they are more than up to the task. Currently, regulatory changes continue to keep apace of an industry which remains almost in a state of constant flux as challenger banks and FinTech firms look to threaten the status quo. Naturally, this also means a world of flux for the clients that Crosslet Vert works with. The continued low-interest environment means that banks continue to have to cut costs while new challenger banks not only target traditional bank customer bases but build their services on new tech stacks with far less overheads. Crosslet Vert is one of the few small consultancies to have worked in both the traditional banks and new FinTechs. In a market beset by continued change, we have no doubt Crosslet Vert will be happy to help. Born of a gap in the market, Crosslet Vert has proven to be a triumph. Offering support to a range of different clients in a range of different ways is the heart of the company’s success, and that range only looks set to grow wider as time goes on. Contact: Alistair Hutchinson Company: Crosslet Vert Limited Email: alistair.hutchinson@crosslet-vert.co.uk

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