Programme Director | Richard Keenlyside – Transformation Leadership

Expert Programme Director Delivering Strategic Change Across Global Enterprises

As a highly experienced Programme Director, Richard Keenlyside has consistently delivered high-impact transformation and IT programmes for global enterprises across sectors including retail, manufacturing, utilities, logistics, transport, financial services, and private equity. With over three decades of leadership, Richard brings a unique blend of strategic insight, operational execution, and deep technological expertise to every engagement.

Operating across interim, fractional, and advisory capacities, Richard excels in managing complex, multi-year transformation programmes, ERP implementations, IT strategy roadmaps, and process optimisation initiatives. His leadership has repeatedly driven cost reductions, enhanced service delivery, and significantly improved organisational efficiency.

Programme Director

Driving Business Transformation Through Strategic Programme Leadership

Richard's approach to programme direction is deeply rooted in aligning business goals with transformative IT and operational strategies. He has led global teams of 600+ personnel and managed portfolios exceeding £120 million. His ability to navigate complexity, manage risk, and execute with precision ensures consistent delivery of transformative outcomes.

He has spearheaded transformation initiatives across:

Digital and AI strategy enablement
ERP and enterprise systems (SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Fusion, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics)
Robotics Process Automation (RPA) and Intelligent Process Automation (IPA)
Business process reengineering and operating model optimisation
Post-merger integration and business carve-outs

Richard’s programmes are designed to generate measurable ROI, frequently achieving operating cost savings, technical debt reductions, and improved time-to-market performance.

1

ERP and Digital Transformation at Global Scale

A hallmark of Richard’s Programme Director credentials is his success in overseeing global ERP and digital transformations. At a leading global footwear retailer, he led a multi-million-pound ERP initiative, replacing legacy systems with NetSuite SaaS across EMEA and APAC. His leadership realigned global operations, standardised data governance, and reduced annual technical debt by over £2.5 million.

His programme delivery methodology ensures:

Full lifecycle programme governance
Stakeholder engagement and communication
Vendor selection and contract negotiation (RFI/RFP)
Agile and waterfall delivery frameworks
Change management and training enablement

These structured programmes consistently meet timelines, budgets, and deliverables while aligning tightly with evolving business needs.

2

RPA, AI, and Process Optimisation

Richard’s expertise in RPA and AI technologies further strengthens his Programme Director capabilities. While leading a major utility provider’s AI and automation programme, he introduced robotic process automation to remove 50 FTEs and save over 75,000 hours annually. His work included establishing a Centre of Excellence (CoE) and implementing advanced analytics dashboards for real-time performance monitoring.

In other engagements, Richard has delivered:

AI-based invoice processing
Machine learning for financial operations
Power BI dashboards and centralised data lakes
Chatbot AI to improve HR and finance efficiency

These automation initiatives have consistently delivered tangible results, such as 40% process efficiency gains and significant cost reductions.

3

Mergers, Acquisitions and Strategic Carve-Outs

Richard has deep experience supporting Private Equity and Venture Capital firms in managing end-to-end M&A transformations. His role as a technology carve-out lead for an EV charging business divestment involved detailed assessments of infrastructure, ERP transitions, and application portfolios, resulting in investment-ready separation strategies.

Key M&A programme capabilities include:

IT and data readiness for acquisition
Technology due diligence
Carve-out planning and execution
Integration roadmaps and strategic alignment

He has played a central role in over fifteen global M&A activities, ensuring seamless transitions and maximum portfolio value creation.

4

Board-Level Engagement and Advisory Influence

Richard regularly operates at board and C-suite levels, advising on strategic transformation initiatives. He has held fractional and advisory CIO roles, guiding businesses through post-investment transformation and IT maturity uplifts. His influence extends from high-level strategic planning to detailed programme execution.

By engaging across retail, logistics, food manufacturing, and private equity-backed businesses, Richard ensures that transformation programmes are not only delivered but embedded and sustainable.

Delivering Consistent Results in Every Programme

Richard Keenlyside’s career as a Programme Director is built on a foundation of measurable success, including:

£40 million in cost savings through change programmes
29% reduction in supplier invoice debt through AI automation
£1.4 million increase in revenue via digital home delivery solutions
Consolidation of 17 global business units under a single IT model

His ability to deliver complex programmes, influence senior stakeholders, and embed long-term value ensures his engagements deliver transformative business outcomes.

Richard offers:

34+ years of transformation leadership across multiple sectors
Proven track record in ERP, RPA, AI, and data governance
Global delivery experience with culturally diverse teams
Expertise in interim, fractional, and advisory capacities
Deep understanding of operational, technical, and commercial landscapes

Whether navigating a digital transformation, enabling a carve-out, or leading an enterprise-wide ERP rollout, Richard Keenlyside provides the strategic oversight, executional rigour, and leadership to ensure success.