As published in Consultancy.uk, March 7, 2022.
Digital consultancy Ascent has announced the appointment of James Whitehouse as Group Chief Operating Officer. The technology, engineering and consulting expert was most recently a senior executive at BJSS.
During an 11-year stint with the technology and business consulting firm, James Whitehouse spent two years as Head of BJSS Consulting. On top of this, he served as a Board Director from 2013 until his departure at the end of 2020.
As a long-standing member of the BJSS Board, Whitehouse accrued expertise across operations, delivery, sales, technology, consulting and growth. He was also part of the team that took BJSS from a small 100-person, two-office operation to having over 2,000 individuals. He also has consulting experience with PwC and the Berkeley Partnership.
Stewart Smythe, CEO at Ascent said, “It’s a pivotal moment for us as we take Ascent to the next level. James’ blend of expertise in business transformation and international development will be crucial as we continue our European expansion. His consultative customer approach coupled with real technical depth and substance will help to deliver the outcomes our customers need – we’re delighted to have him on board.”
In his new role as Chief Operating Officer, Whitehouse will work alongside Smythe to help scale the business and shape innovation strategies. His work will be critical to Ascent as it looks to position itself at the forefront of European technology and digital service delivery.
Since 2005, Ascent has worked with leading European businesses across a wide range of sectors including financial services, manufacturing, retail, postal, automotive, aerospace, telecoms, eGov and eHealth. Based in the UK, with headquarters in London, the firm also has specialist hubs in Malta and Bulgaria, along with smaller local teams in 14 countries worldwide. The firm works with over 150 businesses in the UK, Europe and North America, including BrewDog, Bosch, BT, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca.
Speaking on his new challenge, Whitehouse said, “Our customers’ success depends on their ability to innovate, deliver and put technology to work quickly. My main focus is to accelerate the evolution of our operations and delivery capability, maintaining the highest levels of quality and continuing to build trust as our customers deliver on their digital and technology agendas.”
