Barclays Corporate needed to transform. Fast. But they didn’t just need a vision — they needed trust.

After years of stalled initiatives and rising expectations, the question wasn’t just what to do. It was: How do we prove value fast, build internal design capability, and win back stakeholder confidence?

What we did

We reframed the transformation as a self-funding journey — one driven by measurable quick wins that earned credibility and unlocked momentum.

We started by engaging leaders across the business to define a shared vision. Then, through collaborative workshops and interviews, we surfaced pain points, found opportunities, and aligned around what success could look like.

We designed for traction, not theory:

• 🎯 Quick-win initiatives that delivered immediate CX and business value

• 💸 ROI-driven funding loops to fuel the next round of transformation

• 📊 Outcome maps tying each initiative directly to business metrics

• 🧠 Capability-building through mentoring, knowledge transfer, and embedded squads

Each cross-functional squad delivered tangible results — and had a clear mandate:

1. Measure both customer and business impact

2. Use data to guide iteration

3. Broadcast wins to build internal momentum

4. Build business cases to secure ongoing investment

As the quick wins gained traction, we expanded the roadmap into a comprehensive service design blueprint. It mapped every journey, system, and touchpoint — and was printed large-scale and hung in the office as a daily reminder of the path forward.

Result

• 💥 A transformation program that earned its own funding
• 📈 Measurable business impact and improved CX outcomes
• 🤝 Renewed trust from stakeholders, backed by real-world results
• 🔄 A culture shift toward continuous innovation and internal capability

Behind the scenes

I led stakeholder engagement, roadmap design, and service blueprinting — balancing creativity with structure, and helping analytical teams feel safe in ambiguity.

This project taught me that transformation in finance isn’t just about tools or tech — it’s about mindset. Integrating data into the creative process early created space for both logic and imagination to thrive.