Philip J. Burns

www.burnspartners.net

Specialities Strategic account management and planning Customer strategy Strategic buying Alliance development Strategic partnering Global account management

Industries High technology Professional services Information technology services Commercial Industrial Healthcare

Client Benefits

Burns Partners provides senior level management consulting services that help clients improve business performance. Client's benefit from experienced professional advice and assistance developed from helping many of the worlds largest firms with complex business process, transformation, and information technology initiatives.

We offer a blend of general management combined with specific capabilities and skills to help clients achieve strategic and operational goals and business objectives.

Our base capabilities are in the areas of:

1. Program management and strategic project planning and execution
2. Process performance improvement and Lean supply chain
3. Information technology strategy and execution
4. Change management and transformation
5. Revenue growth and enhancement

Our approach is to work with client executives as a partner, bringing a consultative problem solving process to help clients address their needs, while at the same time build their capabilities.

Professional Background

Philip J. Burns is President of Burns Partners Inc., a private management consulting firm helping clients improve business performance.

Mr. Burns has extensive experience helping some of the worlds largest companies transform their business and improve performance. His background includes working with client executives to diagnose issues, evaluate opportunities, develop strategy, create action plans, and manage large projects and organizational change to help companies achieve their goals.

Before starting Burns Partners, Philip worked in senior level roles with some of the largest global management consulting and systems integration firms including PWC Management Consulting, CSC Consulting, and SHL Systemhouse. He was responsible for leading and managing professional services, practice development, alliances, and managing global client relationships and projects. He has international project experience and a deep background in operations, transformation, value chain performance, and information technology.

Client Case Histories

• To increase competitive go-to-market capabilities and strengthen key customer value propositions, a global high technology manufacturer with multiple business units created a global customer solutions organization to coordinate across internal product groups and align all firm capabilities with key customer needs. Working with the client on a select complex strategic customer relationship, joint planning and solution work sessions were facilitated between executives, account teams, operations, and solution groups in each organization. The two firms, which were both customer and supplier to each other, were able to increase the depth and breadth of their business relationship, increase their value propositions, and increase sales.
• To increase competitive advantage and open up new revenue opportunities, a global high technology manufacturer set out to established alliance relationships with leading global systems integrators. Working with the client in the early stage of the alliance program and bringing detailed knowledge of the large-scale systems integration business, the alliance program vision, marketing messages, and communications strategy were developed. A voice-of-the-customer summit was held with alliance partners, building momentum and mobilizing the organizations into action. As a result, several immediate joint bid opportunities were identified and pursued.
• To transition from a transactional product-focused firm to a customer-driven services firm, a global provider of IT products and services created industry vertical organizations to act as the single point of coordination and accountability for business development and service delivery across multiple business units and geographies on global customer accounts. Working with the organization, key accounts were selected and account teams were organized globally. Customer strategy and planning sessions were conducted to mobilize teams around key accounts, understand customer needs, and develop stronger, consistent value propositions and marketing messages. Account teams were led to market as one-company and the firm was able to increase go-to-market traction and open up new revenue opportunities.
• A complex Fortune 500 industrial manufacturer with multiple business divisions outsourced its IT operations to a major IT services supplier. While the buyer viewed the supplier as a strategic partner for all IT related needs, poor integration among the supplier's business units effectively shielded the client from having access to other supplier capabilities. Working with the services firm, a cross-organizational account team was created to provide the customer with transparent access to all supplier capabilities. Better alignment of supplier capabilities to client needs was created and a single point of accountability was established. The services firm avoided loosing significant opportunities to competitors.
• A large consulting and IT services firm sought to redesign their approach to developing and managing clients. The existing structure of sales and client management needed to be redesigned to have an effective senior relationship executive with total ownership and accountability for key clients, managing P&L, and leading business development, services, and alliance partners into key accounts. Working with the organization, a senior key account relationship role was modeled and rolled-out on select accounts in targeted industry groups. With total accountability for managing a portfolio of accounts as a business, the level of customer relationship shifted from a transactional orientation towards a long-term customer orientation, with a corresponding increase in the breadth of services provided and executive client relationships developed.

Throughout his career Mr. Burns has served over 30 major clients and business partners including Gillette, United Healthcare, General Dynamics, Cargill, Carlson Travel, EMC, GE, Motorola, and the Centers for Disease Control.