Gerry Devries, Consulting Director and Coach

Since leaving the Marines in the early 90s and taking his MBA at London Business School, Gerry de Vries has become a specialist in turning businesses around. His expertise lies in improving performance through effective leadership and culture change. He has played a leading role, as Management Team member, Interim Manager and Consultant, in strategic turnarounds and optimisation projects across different industries. He has led over 35 teams globally and worked with leaders at all levels including Executive and Ministerial.

Before joining Mission in 2013, his professional route covered Managing Consultant at Gemini; Senior Strategy Advisor at the BBC; Interim Manager at a Reuters Subsidiary; Director Business Development for a Silicon Valley Tech company; and Business Transformation Lead at Shell, the Anglo-Dutch oil company. While at Shell, one of his key assignments was leading an extended team of over 600 in the 2-year transformation of a 15,000 strong $4.7 Bn Oil & Gas provider.

At Mission, Gerry’s major engagements have included the design and or delivery of leadership programmes for a global insurer, a global defence contractor; and for most of our Oil & Gas clients, as well as the strategic turnaround of a leading UK Law firm. He has also been seconded to the leadership teams of clients and partners, latterly as the Transformation Director of CCN, a telecommunications infrastructure provider. Most recently he has focused on our Human Factors programmes which deliver better safety and reliability outcomes.

Gerry has written training materials and lectured on a range of performance-related topics including Change Leadership, Behaviour Change and improving Accountability and Compliance. He was instrumental in the design of an Ethical Leadership Model, with one of our partners

Apart from his MBA, Gerry holds a BA in International Relations. He passed out top of his year from the Naval Academy and received Commendations for outstanding operational performance from the Commandant General Royal Marines and from the Commanding General Dutch Marines for his role as Head of Training.

He is fluent in English, Dutch and German and is conversant in French and Spanish. He is a non-executive Director at a Building Conservation company and a passionate sailor, runner, cyclist, and amateur dramatist.