Phil Malem discusses the innovative vision behind +impact and its transformative role in Saudi Arabia’s evolving consultancy landscape.
Saudi Projects: Phil, congratulations on your new role as CEO of +impact. Can you tell us about the vision behind launching this new consultancy business?
Phil Malem: Thank you. The vision for launching +impact stemmed from a desire to ‘shake-up’ the traditional advisory model. Typically, advisory and consulting firms have long been known for parachuting into organizations, proposing strategic recommendations, and then exiting before implementation.
While these proposals may be meticulously crafted and capable of transforming businesses, the growing demand for end-to-end solutions has sparked a significant shift. Clients are no longer satisfied with just strategic guidance they want more far-reaching support at operational stage, seeking tangible results from firms that offer both strategic and executional capabilities – at a reduced cost.
This is where +impact comes in. We’ve created a unique international advisory business, that not only brings together expert advice from those with decades of industry experience, but from an operational perspective, we also deliver on that advice too, saving clients both time and money.
Essentially, we’re serving as both the advisors and the deliverers for our clients, delivering practical, sustainable and user-centric solutions that support customers from the initial phase of a project right through to implementation and operations. Put simply, we know what we are advising our customers about – because we have done it. We have the right people, the right partners and the right technology in place to work to this model, and so it seemed a logical step for us to launch a dedicated business under Serco that brings this all together.
Saudi Projects: +impact is positioned as a unique consultancy model. How does it differentiate from traditional consultancy businesses, and what makes it stand out?
Phil Malem: +impact stands out from the crowd here; we’re entering the market as a challenger brand that will save clients’ money. Rather than clients having to onboard separate companies, or fix unrealistic plans when it comes to implementation and operations, which can often prove quite costly, we’re essentially serving as a ‘single operator’, that can advise and deliver. Or at least advise with delivery and operations knowledge from our frontline contracts and colleagues. This is a major departure from the more traditional consultancy businesses that are out there already, which typically exit after the consultation has been given.
What we’re doing is catering to the transformation of the market. If you take Saudi Arabia as an example, the Kingdom is undergoing a rapid transformation, which is incredibly exciting to see. But whilst the pace of change has been significant, with giga cities and major tourism and event-led projects underway, the consultancy landscape that serves the Kingdom – and indeed the wider region as a whole – has historically been quite fragmented.
Different companies, or even separate departments within the same consultancy, have handled various stages of a project – from strategy and planning to execution and monitoring. This fragmentation often results in siloes, inefficiencies, communication breakdowns, budget overspend and a lack of accountability that can undermine a project’s success. Given the scale and complexity of Vision 2030 projects, these inefficiencies are no longer tolerable.
Our focus on providing a more integrated, cohesive approach to the advisory model with +impact, is in direct response to this. We can now support our clients from an end-to-end perspective, which makes us stand out.
Managing an entire project – from concept to execution – offers immense value, and we’re able to deliver this by bringing in experienced advisors, who not only have the planning capabilities, but who can also bring projects to life and operate them, meaning that both vision and execution can be easily and consistently connected.
The vision for launching +impact stemmed from a desire to ‘shake-up’ the traditional advisory model
Saudi Projects: Serco has a strong focus on operational expertise. How will +impact leverage this practical experience to provide solutions for global clients?
Phil Malem: At Serco, we have been delivering practical solutions to some of the world’s most urgent and critical challenges for decades. This means we have highly skilled, experienced teams that have worked in various sectors, from building space capabilities, to maintaining green spaces, to delivering world-class customer experiences for the world’s busiest airports and leading tourism destinations.
By bringing in the right people, technology and partners, we are excited to leverage our practical experience to create innovative solutions that make a positive impact to the challenges facing the modern world today. Our experience in the region combined with our international expertise (we have over 50,000 employees worldwide and are present in more than 20 countries), means that we have a wealth of knowledge that can be applied through a regional lens to service different projects.
Saudi Projects: You’ve played a pivotal role in the success of Serco’s Middle East advisory unit. How will your experience in the region shape your leadership at +impact on a global scale?
Phil Malem: Having been in the Middle East for more than 10 years, I have witnessed first-hand the importance of a collaborative approach between the public and the private sector, which is driving the growth of major economies in the region.
My experience has taught me the importance of working together, establishing trust with the governments and leaders, which in turn has seen us become a valued partner, responsible for leveraging our international experience to deliver world-class customer-centric experiences for citizens in key markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Working closely with local talent, so that we are training up nationalised workforces for the future, has helped us give back to the countries in which we operate in, via knowledge-transfer and training programmes that are creating skilled, talented workforces.
Coupled with this, the entrepreneurial spirit of the region has perhaps played a part in fuelling the opening of our new business lines with the Advisory with Purpose division opening in 2023, and now the +impact business launching a year later.
Now as I move into this international role, whilst still leading Serco Middle East, I hope to bring this experience, positivity and people-first approach to my new position. Whilst there will be market nuances, new challenges and opportunities ahead, I’m looking forward to getting started by driving the growth of a business line that has immense potential to create positive change via impacting better futures for our people, and citizens and residents alike.
Saudi Projects: Saudi Arabia is undergoing a massive transformation under Vision 2030, with Serco involved in several projects. How will +impact support the Kingdom’s ongoing development initiatives?
Phil Malem: Mega-projects like Neom, The Line, and AlUla underline the extent of the ambitions around Vision 2030. We are incredibly proud to support these ongoing development initiatives. For instance, a large infrastructure project could benefit immensely from a unified advisory approach. This would ensure that every phase—from strategic alignment with national objectives to the achievement of ESG goals, and from infrastructure development to operational launch—supports and reinforces the overall vision.
With the Expo, World Cup and even more major urban developments in the planning, we are excited to harness our capabilities and operational ability to support these development initiatives, which will play a pivotal role in driving the economic growth of the region.
42% of Serco employees in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are Saudi nationals
Saudi Projects: Sustainability is a core component of +impact’s offerings. Could you share more about how the acquisition of Climatize enhances the consultancy’s sustainability services?
Phil Malem: We were incredibly proud earlier this year to welcome Climatize to Serco. The work that Engi Jaber, and her team have been delivering has been phenomenal – and through the delivery of green building engineering and sustainability strategies, the company has brought a wealth of sustainability advisory-based services to Serco, including net zero and green building consultancy, life cycle assessments, resource efficiency management and integrations of green technologies.
This acquisition was really born out of the need that leading with purpose is no longer simply a choice, it’s an imperative. Doing the right thing is ingrained in each and every one of us here at Serco, and we are excited that our ethos has been matched in the team at Climatize.
Since the acquisition we have been actively helping governments and organizations to accelerate their journey towards net zero, providing a greater suite of ‘end-to-end’ services that benefits both the business and the planet, impacting a better future.
Climatize will now sit under the +impact brand as our speciality sustainability division. This will ensure all our solutions are developed with sustainability at the forefront.
We have over 50,000 employees worldwide and are present in more than 20 countries
Saudi Projects: With +impact taking a user-centered approach, how do you ensure that the solutions you provide truly meet the needs of end users, particularly in public service sectors?
Phil Malem: Working closely with the public sector, our goal is to always become a trusted partner – and an agent to both advise and deliver on their vision. This approach has seen us work closely with governments and large-scale businesses across the region, on ambitious tourism projects and for some of the world’s busiest international airports, such as Dubai International Airport.
Operating as a single entity, like we are doing with +impact, means that we can develop a profound understanding of the project’s goals, context and nuances right from the very beginning at briefing stage. This enables more coherent and effective decision-making throughout the project’s lifecycle, saving time, resources and budgets.
We are bringing our ExperienceLab brand, our specialist user centred design and innovation agency into the +impact business, which ensures every solution, strategy and service design places people at the centre.
Saudi Projects: You’ve overseen impressive growth in national talent development in Saudi Arabia. Will +impact have a similar focus on nurturing talent within the regions it operates?
Phil Malem: Absolutely. 42% of Serco employees in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are Saudi nationals and the majority of these are operating in advisory roles, and are already working within +impact.
We have always had a strong focus on developing talent and building workforces, and this will be no different with +impact. As private sector roles are increasingly popular for nationals, we must ensure national talent, like all our employees, enjoy a long, successful career within our business.
We consider our colleagues’ full career path to ensure retention. This means, for example, continuous training and career development opportunities, competitive benefits packages, and offering roles that provide opportunities they might not get elsewhere. And the private sector often has the capabilities to provide a holistic employment experience that aligns with the evolving aspirations of today’s workforce. +impact having international branches opens the opportunity for placements in other parts of the world for example.
Saudi Projects: As a strong advocate for workplace equity, how do you plan to integrate Serco’s diversity and inclusion principles into +impact’s global operations?
Phil Malem: Diversity and inclusion runs through the entirety of Serco. Our workplace culture is one that embraces diversity, fosters equity, respect and belonging for everyone. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment that proudly celebrates the perspectives and backgrounds that each of our employees bring to work every day, and this is also ingrained within the work we do at +impact.
I am also the global executive sponsor for Serco Unlimited, our colleague network dedicated to removing barriers and changing perceptions about disability employment. This is something I feel very passionate about, and the work I do in this space will also encompass +impact.
Saudi Projects: What are your immediate priorities as CEO of +impact, and how do you envision the consultancy evolving in the next five years?
Phil Malem: As a ‘challenger brand’, my immediate focus area is on the next 12 months to promote the +impact brand and its capabilities to our clients.
Whilst I have longer term visions, my immediate focus has to be on what is in front of us as we launch a new, unified proposition to the market. I believe the market needs a solid reaction to replace the traditional advisory / consultancy model, and so my priority is centred on getting the right blend of the experience we have in the business, with onboarding the right partners and the right clients.
The focus for us at +impact is to maximise awareness of the brand, ensuring it is known, and spending a lot of time with our clients, so that we can start to help as quickly as possible.
I want to also continue building up our capabilities and our expertise, leveraging off the great international experience we have to showcase our proven track record of delivering similar projects in different markets at scale.
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