Nature welcomed John Crowley as the director of its Sydney office earlier this year.
Three months into the role, Crowley spoke to Mediaweek about why he joined the strategic insights consultancy, the industry challenges on his mind, and the trends to watch.
Crowley brings more than 20 years of strategic insights experience to the consultancy. Most notably, he was the managing director at Fifth Dimension Consulting and held roles at The Leading Edge in Australia, GfK NOP and Network Research in the UK.
Crowley on joining Nature
With three months under his belt, Crowley shared that he has “never felt welcomed as quickly” since joining Nature.
“There’s a definitive shared mindset across all teams, regardless of experience. Yes, the people here are good at what they do, but what stands out to me most is the level of personal investment and pride in delivering work to clients,” he said.
Crowley noted that he was particularly attracted to the role based on the high calibre of people across the business, “and every experience with them has lived up to these expectations so far,” he added.
Industry challenges and how they can be solved
With more than two decades of experience in the industry, Crowley has seen it develop and grow in leaps and bounds. When asked about the industry challenges, he highlighted data security as a particular challenge for most of Nature’s clients.
“As an industry specialising in capturing and analysing data on customer behaviour, we need to maintain a leadership position on best practices in this space; for the health of our own industry and as a means of continually supporting our clients in navigating their own relationships with customers,” he said.
Crowley also pointed out the ongoing challenge of attracting top talent, which he noted is also one of the most rewarding when achieved for both parties involved in the process.
“Providing the right environment for people to develop and grow is key here, and Nature is doing a great job of it, which is part of the reason I joined!
“We are one of a growing number of businesses certified as a B Corp, which involves building the business around doing good for our people as well as a wider community,” Crowley added.
Crowley on the demand for smarter insights
When looking at certain trends that will help businesses grow, Crowley said: “The perennial demand from clients in getting smarter insights faster is only going to grow.
“We work a lot with clients on both ends of the insight spectrum – big-picture strategic work and more focused tactical executions – but the need for speed without compromise is equally applicable to both.
“So, we invest a lot in our people to help us deliver on timeliness and continue to leverage the right tools for the right need (including AI) to meet these demands,” he added.
Crowley on his role and Nature in the year ahead
Looking to the year ahead for Nature, Crowley noted that he is fortunate to have joined the team at a great time of growth for the business.
“I’m excited about being part of continuing that momentum,” he said.
Crowley also added that the consultancy recently racked up its 300th project in only four years in Sydney, “which is a testament to our great team and fantastic client relationships.”
“I’m looking forward to the next hundred already!” Crowley proudly added.
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Top image: John Crowley