John Smythe, partner in 'Engage for Change' (2005)

John Smythe is a founding partner of Engage for Change, a consultancy dedicated to advising on engaging leaders and everyone at work to drive change, transform organisations and raise day to day business performance

After leaving SmytheDorwardLambert in 2003, a consultancy which was acknowledged to be the thought leader in organisational communication, John was invited by McKinsey and Company to take a short term role as a visiting Organisational Fellow, undertaking research among sixty corporations and institutions in Europe and North America into current approaches in engaging leaders and employees in driving strategy and change. The research is available from Engage for Change.

John also believes that technology will change the face of organisational communication and is part time advisor to two leading technology based consultancies. He is part time chairman of HeathWallace, a consultancy which creates the most user friendly websites for customers of financial service organisations and the most interactive intranets. He is also an advisor to Broadview, a specialist in communication via desk top TV through the net.

Before starting SmytheDorwardLambert in 1989 John had been behind a start up in the same field called Wolff Olins/Smythe (1985-1989). Prior to that he held senior public affairs posts for three American corporations; Occidental Oil working for the legendary Dr Armand Hammer, Bechtel Corporation where he was the first head of European public affairs and Marathon Oil Company.

He published (with Colette Dorward and Jerome Reback, fellow founders of SmytheDorwardLambert) Corporate Reputation, The New Strategic Asset in 1989 and is currently working on 'The CEO: The Chief Engagement Officer. How to engage leaders and everyone in strategy and transformation' for Gower. He passionately believes that the first era of internal communication has been corrupted into being a tool of the command and control style of leadership and that the discipline needs to reinvent itself. He speaks extensively on engaging leaders and employees in strategy and transformation.

He can be reached at johnsmythe@engageforchange.com or:
Direct: 44 (0)20 7 462 7703
Mobile: 44 (0)7710 130 755

Engage for Change
67-69 Whitfield Street
London W1T 4HF
44 (0)20 7462 7848