Experienced consultant Umbar Shakir appointed Gate One Digital Lead

Gate One have promoted experienced consultant Umbar Shakir to be the firm’s new Head of Digital. The former PwC, IBM, PA Consulting and Moorhouse advisor ascends as Gate One continues to expand amid growing demand for its digital services.

Gate One, a management consulting firm that specialises in business transformation services, works for clients across a range of sectors, including financial services, travel, consumer goods, energy and government. During a busy 2016, which saw the consultancy attain the internationally recognised ISO27001 accreditation in Information Security Management, and provide specialist cloud services to organisations in the public sector, through the G-Cloud framework, Gate One also won five UK Digital Experience awards and was shortlisted for the Amazon Growing Business Awards. Keen to continue its momentum, the firm has spent the last 12 months building upon its digital strategy offering, hiring consultant James Brewin in the Summer, before confirming the promotion of a new Digital Lead this month.

Umbar Shakir succeeds Don Shields, who left the firm to join Lloyds Banking Group to enhance the company's digital strategy, delivery and transformation services. Shakir has spent the last five years at the firm aiding Gate One clients seeking to navigate digital choices amid a period of constant change, which has seen digital transformation consulting boom into a $23 billion industry. During her time at the firm, she has defined digital and customer experience (CX) strategies, implemented CRM and cloud technologies using scaled Agile and major programme-directed digital transformations for businesses in the public, travel and other sectors.

Having previously worked at PwC, IBM, PA Consulting Group and Moorhouse, Shakir has extensive experience delivering end to end digital transformation. Shakir has enjoyed a 17 year career that has taken in some of the consulting industry’s top names on behalf of major clients including the BBC, Sky and Direct.gov, as well as on notable projects for e-Health strategies in the Middle East, and the use of digital to combat corruption in South Asia.

Commenting on her new role, Shakir said, “Too many organisations miss a trick when it comes to digital. They focus on incremental technology, channel or process improvements, rather than re-imagining a whole new way of doing business… The best way to harness the power of digital is to focus on improving human experiences. We dare our clients to dream big and we partner with them to deliver pragmatic and lasting change and transformation. Importantly, we bring digital expertise and core consulting skills together in a single consultant.”

Gate One Partner, David Holliday, said of the promotion, “Over the last five years many of Gate One’s clients have benefited from Umbar’s vision and passion for what is possible digitally, and her drive and creativity to make it happen. I am delighted she is joining the Gate One leadership team and look forward to Umbar taking our digital offering from strength to strength.”