Testimonials

Walgreens Boots Alliance

“I have worked with Stuart Cross for over a decade. Stuart has always helped me to think and act differently, and that is the key to innovation in any leadership role.”

Alex Gourlay, Chief Executive, Walgreens Boots Alliance

DFS Limited

“Stuart is a scarce resource. He delivers rapid results, but he also gains the trust and commitment of the executives and managers he works with to ensure longer-term success.”

Ian Filby, CEO, DFS Limited

Topps Tiles

“Among other things Stuart Cross helped us define a specific and clear goal that galvanised the entire organisation and has been a key part of our success. I would recommend Stuart to any executive team looking to create focus and growth for their business.”

Matthew Williams, CEO, Topps Tiles

Diversey Inc

The partnership with Stuart Cross allowed us to focus on our key strategic goal and develop a very clear path to make things happen. His hands-on attitude, communication with the management team and constant challenge to leadership assumptions were critical to our successful strategy turnaround.

Pedro Chidichimo, Chief Executive Officer, Diversey Inc.

WM Morrisons Supermarkets

“Stuart has had a really good impact on the business. He works at a strategic level, but he’s also pragmatic so that the ideas really can be implemented.”

Nick Collard, Marketing Director, WM Morrisons Supermarkets plc

Vivona Brands

Stuart Cross was invaluable in helping me, my executive team and our private equity owners to develop a clear and compelling future strategy for Vivona Brands. His mix of ideas and advice, coupled with his ability to help us have powerful strategy discussions, enabled us to create a future direction that maximised the value of the business. I would recommend Stuart to any company looking to set a clear future direction that maximises growth and value.”

Tim Wright, Chief Executive Officer, Vivona Brands

Masco UK Window Group

“Stuart brought a new perspective to the team, constructively challenging us to look at the business from different angles and helping to raise our collective ambition for growth. As a result, we now have a much clearer view of our priorities, are far more confident about our ability to transform our sales and profit performance, and are committed to a growth goal that will transform our business. Quite simply, Stuart Cross is the best consultant we have ever worked with!”

Wayne Devine, Managing Director

Consulting and Coaching Assignments

 

“Stuart’s extensive subject knowledge and his sense of humour made for an enjoyable and, more importantly, productive series of strategy sessions. The message was clear and his methods were very effective – creating our new strategy seemed easy!  We have seen great results from this engagement and a strategy that is now embedded across the business.”

Andy Garrett

Group IT Director, Lookers plc

“The biggest benefit of involving Stuart was the speed at which we got things done. He was able to bring discipline, focus and consistency to our senior people, which enabled us to move much faster than we would have done without him. I have no hesitation in recommending Stuart to any business that needed to rapidly make some strategic decisions or get some difficult projects moving quickly.”

Andrew Stephenson

HR Director, DFS Limited

“Working with Stuart has provided the necessary support and challenge we needed as a business, and has also given me the opportunity to learn from his pragmatic and straightforward approach to strategy. Stuart added tremendous value to our thinking and worked at pace to ensure we generated real momentum. He has a refreshing high-impact and collaborative approach to consulting that delivers rapid and tangible results.”

Andy Ferguson

Managing Director, Boots Opticians

“Among other things Stuart Cross helped us define a specific and clear goal that galvanised the entire organisation and has been a key part of our success. I would recommend Stuart to any executive team looking to create focus and growth for their business.”

Matthew Williams

CEO, Topps Tiles

“We work with Stuart Cross because he takes a pragmatic, hands-on yet insightful approach to strategy that forces us to address some tough questions, but which gives us the tools and support to answer them.”

David Johnston

Chief Executive, Aimia Europe (owners of Nectar)

“Stuart quickly understood the opportunities and challenges facing our business. The combination of thought provoking insights and a personable and engaging style got the full engagement of the executive team. The lasting benefit of Stuart’s work is series of growth initiatives which are pragmatic, focused and achievable.”

Darryl Walford

Finance Director, Mines Rescue Service Limited

“Stuart, thank you for all your help in our ‘creatology’ session. The pre-work made sure we all got the most out of it and you made us think in a different way. You helped to create a real breakthrough! We now have a fantastic pipeline of innovative products to drive future growth. I look forward to working with you again on a different project.”

Jo Stevenson

Product Brand Manager, Boots the Chemists

“Not only have you been able to give me valuable support, ideas and advice through the course of this project, but you have also been able to rapidly gain the trust, support and respect of my executive team, helping us all to focus and act on the key issues and opportunities facing this business. It’s great to work with a consultant that not only understands and meets our business needs, but who can also tailor their approach to the dynamics of a particular team and organisation. I’m delighted with the results that we’ve been able to achieve so far and see this as the start of a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship.”

Ian Filby

Chief Executive, Groupe Aeroplan Europe

“Stuart delivered against my high expectations. Our leadership team unanimously believe that Stuart’s involvement has been instrumental in helping us develop a set of strategies for growth that are ambitious, robust and fully-owned by each divisional executive. I would definitely recommend other leaders looking to develop compelling and robust strategies for their companies or organisations to speak to Stuart.”

Jeremy Ling

CEO, The Bristan Group

“Stuart provided focus, structure and acceleration to our search for major new business ideas. From the start Stuart helped us identify many potential opportunities and then worked very quickly with business stakeholders to identify those ideas with greatest potential and the best fit to our current capabilities. He challenged all of us in a balanced way resulting in a set of priorities which were not prejudiced by anyones’ ‘pet projects’. We are now ready to drive the detailed development of some big opportunities, but without Stuart’s help we would still be trying to agree a priority list.”

Tricia Kennerley

Healthcare Development Director, Boots the Chemists

“Morgan Cross epitomise what good consulting is all about. I would recommend Morgan Cross to any company looking for creative solutions to challenging strategic issues.”

Rick Mills

Director of Strategy and Corporate Development, Alliance Boots

“Stuart’s unique combination of understanding how large organisation’s work, his ability to ask the right questions at the right time, and his challenging yet supportive approach, has transformed the way I see my role, my own value and my contribution to the business.”

Andrew Trofimowicz

Executive Director, DFS Limited

“If you really want to get some breakthrough thinking into your business then Stuart’s the guy to contact. 

Simon McCandlish

Commercial Director, Boots The Chemists

“Stuart rapidly identified material profit growth opportunities for our UK business. He is focused on results, commercially pragmatic and delivers a lot of value – quickly!”

Najib Fayad

Chief Operating Officer, Nelsons Natural Healthcare

“At the end of any consulting assignment, you ask yourself if you’re satisfied with the return on your investment. With Stuart Cross I felt we got many times more value than we invested. Stuart was quickly able to help us set compelling goals, determine where and how we could be advantaged against our competitors, and identify and scope initial priorities for growth. Stuart brings real authority to his strategy work – he has both broad and deep experience, a real expertise in strategy, and an ability to engage and work with the most senior leadership teams. I would recommend any business leaders looking to find new and better ways to grow revenues and profits to speak to Stuart.”

Cliff Stubbs

UK Managing Director, Spotless Punch Limited

“I love working with Stuart Cross, not only for the excellent business processes he brings in and the subsequent results that speak for themselves, but he is a great sounding board and a very lovely person to work with.”

“At Weleda we have worked with Stuart since 2016. The results speak for themselves – with a doubling of sales and profit. He is an integral member of our Leadership Team and a true friend.” 

“Stuart isn’t a ‘consultant’, he has become an integral member of the leadership team – always on side, always working on your behalf from inside, not outside the business.”

Jayn Sterland

Managing Director, Weleda

“Stuart was able to quickly work with our executive team and help us turn our long list of ideas into a coherent and focused agenda for growth. More than that, Stuart constructively challenged us to consider more radical opportunities that we had previously overlooked and which, when we looked a little closer, we realised could deliver step-change improvement. I would recommend Stuart to any executive team that is looking to deliver higher levels of growth for their business.”

Ben Thornton

Director of Strategy and Operations, NIG Limited

“Stuart has a first rate strategic mind and has that rare ability to hold Executives’ feet to the fire on key issues without provoking everyone to throw their toys out of the pram.”

Simon Potts

Director of Business Development, Boots the Chemists

“Stuart’s drive and energy, combined with his in-depth knowledge, is the perfect recipe for success. A pleasure to work with.”

Dave Wilson

Director of IT, Dunelm Group plc

“Stuart identified two new areas of growth for our business that we hadn’t previously identified, which is great news for our business. He has great strategic skills and gets to the core of the task quickly.”

Mark Turrell

UK Managing Director, Nelsons Natural Healthcare

“At ?WhatIf! it’s usually us that gets hired to ask the smart questions and think strategically. When we worked with Stuart he was the one asking the brilliant questions. Even our smartest client deferred to his sense of wisdom. A class act!”

Graham Bishop

Founder of the Customer Experience Team, ?WhatIf! The Innovation Company

“We chose Morgan Cross to help us because of their strategy expertise and also because of their ability to involve managers and directors effectively in the work. Stuart used his excellent strategic skills to help us create a new agenda that will drive significantly higher levels of growth for the business.”

Stephen Ford

VP Strategy, Western Europe, Avon Cosmetics Inc

“I am very happy to recommend Morgan Cross Consulting. Stuart brought a new perspective and his interventions showed strategic vision, added value and were insightful. He carried out the brief professionally and enthusiastically, meeting all our deadlines and quickly finding empathy with our team”

Paul Woolston

Senior Partner and Head of UK Public Sector Assurance, PricewaterhouseCoopers

“Historically, our strategies and high-level plans have been developed by a small group of directors, distant from the some elements of the business. Stuart’s integrity, openness, pragmatism and professionalism enabled us to involve over 50 senior executives and key managers in a way that has transformed their level of engagement with the company’s future strategy. I now have real confidence that we have the strategic clarity, the specific plans and the executive ownership that will enable us to drive dramatic and sustainable growth for our business.”

Lance Gillett

Chief Financial Officer, The Bristan Group

Workshops, Speaking and Seminars

“Thank you for your fantastic seminar on driving business growth. Your energy, enthusiasm and credibility created a presentation that was both inspiring and practical in equal measure. Everyone in the audience was busy taking notes and taking away actions for their own business. You helped us to raise the profile of Direct Line for Business within this tradeshow environment in the best possible way – thank you.”

Jazz Gakhal

Head of Direct Line For Business

“I just wanted to say a huge thank you for addressing our Breakfast Club this morning. It was such an inspiring and motivational address and you had the members in the palm of your hand. You could have heard a pin drop – you really gave them something to think about!”

Melody Tipton

Kettering Business Club and IOD member

“Stuart set the whole tone for the Music Industry Retail Conference with his opening address. Our music shops face many challenges of which the need to define strategy and target new customers are priorities. Stuart offered practical guidance on making a good business a great one that was backed up by his high level of research into the industry. Having a speaker from “outside” of the industry was deliberate to try and inspire the audience…and it worked!”

Paul McManus

Chief Executive, Music Industry Association

“Stuart gave a presentation that was engaging, thought-provoking and provided directions on strategy and growth. A superb presentation!”

Susan Goodrich

Cambridge Business Club

“Stuart’s energetic and compelling approach is packed full of big insights, presented in an instantly graspable way. Stuart has that rare combination in consultancy: real intelligence, deep experience and a light touch in bringing concepts to life”

Jayne Mayled

Managing Director, Jupiter Design Limited

“Stuart, thank you for delivering such a useful and stimulating message to our association last week. You had instant credibility as a result of the research you did in advance of the session, and you gave our members new and reinforcing insights which they can turn into immediate action.”

Paul Hawkins

General Secretary, Health and Beauty Association

“I write to thank you for the recent lecture you gave the MBA class on business strategy. It was a resounding success. Your combination of intellectual wisdom and common sense business savvy struck exactly the right note. I very much hope you can join us again in the future.”

Keith Harrison

Special Professor, Nottingham University Business School

“Stuart Cross inspired the members of The Business Club in Lincoln with an excellent talk on “Fast-Lane Innovation” – why we need to innovate, what happens if we don’t and when is the best time to do so. His style was both entertaining and thought-provoking. Our members took real action points away from the presentation and the evening was a great success. I can recommend Stuart as a very motivating speaker with an authoritative but pleasing style – ideal for business meetings where delegates want things to take away and implement immediately.”

Mike Stokes

Managing Director, The Business Club – Lincoln

“Stuart shone at our series of evening events for those working at all levels in the Food & Grocery Industry. From the outset he was professional and a pleasure to work with, clearly meeting the brief and delivering. His sessions kept a perfect balance of being well structured but flexible enough to ensure those attending felt their own objectives had been met and that the session had incorporated their own experiences as examples to bring his concepts to life. His style was informal and approachable yet he clearly demonstrated his expertise on the subject which really engaged the audience. The feedback from the event has been extremely good and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him as a speaker/trainer.”

Shanna Ritchie

Business Development Manager, Leading Edge, IGD

“Stuart, your presentation left delegates on a high. I must also congratulate you on the pre-Conference activity you undertook, making for an excellent package. Delegates commented throughout the day that the two inspiring presentations were yours and Saatchi&Saatchi’s, which I am thrilled you recommended. I look forward to working with you again in the future.”

Read the actual letter here 

Yvonne Orgill

Chief Executive, Bathroom Manufacturers’ Association

“I’ve worked with Stuart many times and found him extremely knowledgable about his subject – strategic thinking. He comes across as a really good guy, helpful, honest and open in sharing his experiences and very engaging with a very diverse group of delegates. Stuart has the gift of simplifying and removing the mystery around strategy and shares with delegates a wide range of practical tools.”

Steve Alexander

Lead Consultant, The Mentor Group

“I am writing to give you some feedback on the impact you have had on the Avon Kazakhstan management team following our attendance at your Strategy Development workshop. After the session with you I felt reassured about the importance of strategic planning and thinking and received helpful tools and approaches to create a strategy for our market. Back in Kazakhstan we used the tools within a very creative and successful process that resulted in a strategy we all believe in. Thank you for providing us with practical and useful approaches that we could implement in real life!”

Olga Zonova

National Sales Manager, Avon Cosmetics, Kazakhstan

“I am writing to thank you so much for coming to give your presentation to the MBA’s. Both the formal and informal feedback from the students was extremely positive. They were impressed by how much they learned and really enjoyed the session – it was clear that your presentation had exceeded their expectations. I hope you won’t mind my inviting you back in the future.”

Rhian Silvestro

Associate Professor and Head of Operations Management Group, Warwick Business School

“Stuart, please accept my sincere thanks for fulfilling your brief so creatively. You showed a deep understanding of the strategic management process. You also showed that concepts are not enough: insight, creativity and sound relationships are needed to help managers develop and deliver a workable and winning strategy. I would happily recommend you to other business schools or groups of managers looking for practical and insightful ways to improve their approach to strategy management.”

Professor John Richards

Executive MBA Programme Director, Nottingham University Business School

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Morgan Cross Consulting Ltd
PO Box 9210
Newark, NG24 9EG

+44 (0)1636 526111

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