“As a consultant, you get exposed to all sorts of different methods, resources, tips and tricks – best of all, people with incredible experience.”
My unexpected journey LUCY GOSS JOINED NEWTON IN 2021 AFTER SEVEN YEARS AT NISSAN, AND NEARLY TWO AT EY.
She shares how transferring her skills to consulting has been an exhilarating journey.
Theatre has always been a real passion of mine. However, realising a life treading the boards might not be the most stable of professions, I made the sensible choice to study History instead. I was never very tactical about what other career I’d end up in. I basically curated my university experience around passions, interests and people.
After producing a play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in my last year of university, I was still toying with the idea of working in the arts. Then I discovered communications, which felt like it offered the next best thing. Running events, creating videos, hosting PR stunts, and managing teams – it felt like ‘professional theatre’ and I loved it from the beginning.
My time as an Internal, Events and Partnerships Manager at Nissan was such an enjoyable and enriching time in my career – I could wax on about it for ages. Not only did I take internal comms from a few daily emails to a full strategic function, I was in charge of managing every car launch and press event. I was also promoting Nissan’s partnerships which included the UEFA Champions League, the Rio Olympics and the ICC Cricket World Cup.
I met some very interesting sports people and did some very cool things. The variety, the creativity, and, importantly, the people element all suited my personality and skillset. Looking back, I think my interest in people has motivated me more than anything. It’s what I liked about history and its insights into how we get to be who we are. And, of course, what’s wonderful about theatre is the chance it gives you to step into other people’s lives.
Timeline
While on the surface consulting may seem quite a different world to communications and events, the focus is much the same. Again, it comes down to people. Processes, change management, they’re all ‘people’ things. Coming into consulting I was excited to be working with a whole firm of people-focused people like me and get deeper into internal communications – the specialism I felt most passionate about.
When I first joined EY, however, it felt a little like everyone spoke a different language. It took time to build up a different kind of confidence and appreciate that I wasn’t starting from scratch – I just had a slightly different way of approaching things.
My in-house experience made me more attuned to what clients and leaders wanted and helped me solve problems more effectively by cutting through some of the…embellishment! I was also able to challenge the ‘consulting parlance’ to some extent, not to mention the number of PowerPoints we were creating!
I joined Newton because most of all, it felt right. And it’s proven so true. It has the soul of a start-up, the ambition of a global powerhouse, and inspirational intellect that would rival the brightest TED talkers. I regularly find myself in awe at the people who make up this business, from all pockets – it’s humbling, but in the best possible way. It’s such a pleasure to work among them.
Since joining, I’ve been encouraged to apply my different experience and ‘people’ lens, as well as hitting the ground running on some of the country’s largest brands. I’ve also had the opportunity to strengthen leadership skills and stretch my training muscles. I’m learning so much and thriving.
I love the variety at Newton, and working with so many bright people. It’s challenging at times, but in a good way. I’m energised.
Lead Consultant
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