Matero Consulting – Celebrating Armed Forces Day

On Saturday 26^th June, the nation will be celebrating Armed Forces Day.  Like many other events, continued Covid 19 restrictions are likely to make it a more subdued affair compared to previous years.  However, despite the perennial nature of the virus it is no less important this year.  Over the last decade, businesses have increasingly embraced the significance of acknowledging those who serve and have served their country.  Many companies also recognise the considerable skill-sets of veterans.  Their mission-orientated leadership, strong sense of accountability, and empowered purpose, plus an ability to solve complex problems and get things done, all add significant value in the world of commerce.

Matero is honoured to be part of the cohort of businesses that support the armed forces and, since we set up in 2019, we are particularly proud of our achievements in assisting veterans. 70% of the consultants Matero has deployed across nine different client projects, have served in the armed forces.  Possessing a depth of commercial change leadership, while also being able to leverage their relevant military skills, has made for a powerful combination of talent and experience that has stood out with our customers.  Since its inception, Matero has also run an internship programme for three service leavers transitioning from the forces into civilian employment.  While one has joined Matero, the other two have both gone on to start new careers in leading FTSE and Fortune companies and attribute a significant part of their success to the time spent with us.

The internship is part of Matero’s wider Military Transition Network (MTN), which supports any individual that has an interest in consultancy, whether they are in the process of leaving or have left the armed forces.  To date we have helped scores of veterans with CV writing, interview techniques and networking within the industry to help them with their next career step.  In April, Matero ran a very successful event focused on ex-military women in business, from which a nascent mentoring programme has emerged to help more women who have served in the armed forces optimise their considerable talents and overcome some of the barriers they face when entering the civilian workspace.

Ten years ago, Dan McDonough and I both played a key role in setting up military talent hiring programmes for our respective employers at the time.  Between them, the programmes assisted thousands of veterans and resulted in hundreds joining the organisations we once worked for.  Matero is now leveraging that pedigree as part of our continued obligation to put something back to those that have served their nation.  While Matero’s beginnings may be small, we have also gone one step further by putting the leveraging of ex-military skills and talent at the core of what we do as a company in supporting our clients to drive their change agendas.  Matero’s support to the armed forces community is not only the right thing to do, but it also makes perfect business sense.

Started in 2019 by Stuart Tootal and Dan McDonough, Matero Consulting has designed a proven new way of working methodology called MECCAR, which leverages military experience of purpose, empowerment, and agile decision-making for the benefit of business change and turnaround agendas.  Using a framework adapted from combat and applied to commerce, MECCAR empowers teams with purpose based on a flexible framework of process, tools, and skills, which delegate authority, bring clarity in ambiguity, resilience for change and disruption when pace, precision, and the ability to thrive in uncertainty and pivot faster than the competition is key.  Mission Purpose, Empowerment, Communication, Collaboration, Agility and Right Behaviours (codified culture and leadership)