Description

I partner with founders and leadership teams as a Fractional COO or Chief of Staff, stepping in to bring operational clarity, build the systems that support growth, and make sure strategy actually gets executed.

I'm particularly effective in the messy middle: where ambition outpaces infrastructure, where the team is growing faster than the processes, or where a leader needs a trusted partner to hold the operational engine while they focus on the bigger picture.

With experience running end-to-end transformation across multiple organisations - from operating model design to workflow automation to governance - I know how to spot what's slowing you down and move quickly to fix it.

If you need someone who can think strategically and roll their sleeves up to deliver, let's talk.

Industry field of expertise

Languages

English
Native or bilingual

Workplace preferences

Can work on-site

Dover (up to 50km), London (up to 10km)

Emma J Clayton Coaching & Consulting
Founder
CONSULTING AND AUDITS
January 2017 - Today (9 years and 5 months)
Dover, United Kingdom
• Led end-to-end transformation initiatives, from problem definition through to implementation and embedding, across multiple organisations
• Designed and implemented scalable operating models integrating process, systems, and decision frameworks
• Delivered workflow automation and system redesign initiatives improving efficiency, visibility, and execution pace
• Established governance structures, planning cadences, and performance tracking frameworks to strengthen execution discipline
• Acted as a strategic execution partner, ensuring alignment between strategic priorities and delivery across cross-functional teams
• Built and tracked business cases, ensuring initiatives delivered measurable operational and financial outcomes
• Supported senior leaders through complex change and ambiguity, improving clarity, confidence, and quality of decision-making during transformation
Strategic planning Implementation & Execution Team management Operational Excellence Digital Transformation
SWISS RE
Head of Strategy & Operations - Digital Catalyst
TECH
January 2016 - October 2017 (1 year and 9 months)
London, United Kingdom
• Led end-to-end build of a global transformation function, including operating model, governance, and delivery frameworks
• Partnered with senior stakeholders to prioritise and execute strategic initiatives across business and technology
• Designed governance forums, planning cycles, and decision frameworks to enable disciplined execution
• Managed ~$8m budget and full operational planning cycle
• Ensured alignment between innovation initiatives and core business priorities, embedding delivery discipline and measurable outcomes
Strategic planning Communication strategy Project Management Operational Excellence Digital Transformation
SWISS RE
Manager - Global Reinsurance Operations & Consulting
BANKING AND INSURANCE
January 2013 - December 2015 (2 years and 11 months)
London, United Kingdom
• Led global transformation initiatives across operations, underwriting, and IT within a complex matrix organisation
• Translated strategic priorities into structured programmes with defined scope, milestones, and measurable outcomes
• Played a key role in global strategy execution, supporting a +$700m growth ambition
• Facilitated senior stakeholder alignment across business units, ensuring timely decisions and delivery progress
• Strengthened programme governance, planning, and execution discipline across multiple initiatives
Digital Transformation Strategic planning Team management Project Management Stakeholder Management