Large-Scale HR Operating Model Transformation: The Journey Unpacked

Real lessons from leaders navigating the realities of People & Culture change at scale.

This is not another polished transformation case study.

This is a candid conversation with HR leaders who have recently led large-scale operating model transformation and can share what actually happens at each stage.

Behind every new operating model are bold ambitions, complex choices, shifting priorities, leadership tensions, and plenty of lessons learned along the way.

As a partner in BT’s HR transformation journey, supporting the shift towards more agile ways of working, mindset and operating model change, we wanted to bring some of those real insights and reflections to our community. 

In this meetup, we’ll hear directly from BT P&C leaders who have been through this transformation – from setting the ambition and planning the change, through to taking people with them, improving what does not land the first time, and sustaining change over time.

Rather than presenting a polished “happy path” story, this panel will bring honesty and realism into the conversation. You’ll hear what it really takes to lead a successful People & Culture change at scale, including the myths and assumptions that often sit behind the transformation roadmap.

You’ll hear…

• How BT approached large-scale HR operating model transformation, including the ambition, context and complexity behind the change
• What needs to be in place before transformation begins – and why understanding where the organisation is really starting from matters
• How to take people through the change when work, roles, responsibilities and expectations are shifting
• Why the operating model will not be perfect from day one – and how to keep learning, adjusting and improving as reality unfolds
• What it takes to sustain change beyond the initial transformation activity
• Honest reflections from HR leaders on what they learned, what they would do differently, and which transformation myths they would challenge

The value of this session is in the real experience – the decisions, tensions, lessons and leadership insights that come from being in the middle of complex change.

Why join us…

This is a valuable opportunity to learn from HR leaders who have actively led large-scale operating model transformation and can share practical insights from every stage of the journey.

Whether you are setting the direction, deep in delivery, trying to make a new model stick, or reflecting on what comes next, this session will help you place yourself on the transformation timeline and take away lessons for the stage you are in now.

Don’t miss it – register now to secure your spot.

The panel

Jennifer Ashton
People, Culture & Inclusion Director at BT Group

Jennifer’s career spans global organisations and fast-growth start-ups, including Sainsbury’s, the BBC, Amazon and BT Group, as well as Boston-based tech companies. Today, Jennifer is People, Culture & BT Group Inclusion Director, supporting the Consumer Division at BT Group and partnering with senior leaders across marketing, commercial, product, brand and strategy. Alongside this, she leads BT Group’s inclusion agenda, bringing a practical, commercial lens to the barriers colleagues raise and the realities customers face, with a focus on helping teams make inclusive choices in everyday decisions.

James Freeman
Organisation Design Lead at BT Group

James is a senior Organisation Design leader with over 25 years’ experience across telecoms, retail, media and services. He specialises in operating model design, strategic transformation and large-scale people change. At BT Group, he partners with senior leaders to align structures, capabilities and culture to strategy, delivering measurable business outcomes through agile ways of working and continuous improvement.

Lauren Rowe
Senior Culture Change Programme Manager at BT Group

Lauren is a senior culture change and transformation specialist focused on people-centred transformation, helping organisations align structure, culture and ways of working to deliver strategic outcomes. During her time at BT, Lauren has played a key role in shaping and delivering large-scale People & Culture operating model transformations. Today, Lauren leads the group-wide cultural transformation programme, We Are BT, partnering with senior leaders to embed new behaviours, habits and ways of working across the organisation. She has led some of the UK’s most ambitious change programmes, including the country’s largest workplace relocation and complex culture change initiatives that have redefined how teams collaborate and perform.

Riina Hellström
Founder & Agile Enterprise Coach,  Agile HR Community

Riina is the Founder of Agile HR Community, an Agile Enterprise Coach and a global pioneer of Agile HR. With more than 25 years’ experience across HR, organisational development, strategy, change and Agile transformation, Riina has spent the past 15 years working directly with HR leadership teams and executives at some of the world’s largest and most complex organisations. She holds an MSc in Technology and a Master’s in Applied Neuroscience, and is co-author of Agile HR: Delivering Value in a Changing World of Work, the definitive guide to Agile HR.