Manifesto names Joanna Levesque Partner in financial services
Growth strategy specialist Manifesto Growth Architects has opened 2020 with something of a coup, following the marquee appointment of Joanna Levesque as a Partner in its financial services practice. The former Accenture leader joins the market challenger to help grow its presences in London, New York and Hong Kong.
Founded in 2013, Manifesto Growth Architects is a London headquartered growth strategy consultancy. The firm works with leadership teams to bring a customer and technology biased perspective on the challenge to find innovative solutions that organisations can deliver quickly and consistently, improving consumer engagement and business growth. Manifesto specialises in business growth strategies and membership models for major clients, which include News Corp, Condé Nast, UBS, Pay.UK, Paym, Wagamama, Merlin and Coty.
The company has more than 30 staff, who draw upon the skills they have gained through consulting, corporate, start-up and agency roles to help clients define and drive change. At the turn of the year, Manifesto has added to its team with the appointment of a new Partner in its financial services practice. Joanna Levesque will now lead the arm of Manifesto, across its London, New York and Hong Kong offices. She works with a remit to help the firm’s financial services and payments clients navigate major industry challenges, and deliver growth through new revenue streams and innovative business models.
Levesque said of her new role, “I am delighted to be joining Manifesto at this stage in its growth story. It’s exciting to be joining a team that challenges conventions and embraces diversity of background and thinking throughout its ranks – this is something that I believe benefits clients and is essential to the health of our industry.”
Levesque arrives from Accenture where she enjoyed a 20-year career, including three years as Managing Director of Accenture’s customer strategy practice. During her time leading the practice, she oversaw it hit double-digit growth, and advised major banks, telcos and retail clients on customer-centric business transformation.
Nick Smith, Manifesto’s Founding Partner commented, “This will be my third time working with Jo, as a client once and colleague twice. She’s a uniquely talented consultant, so we are delighted that she has chosen to embrace the more entrepreneurial opportunity that Manifesto represents. Jo’s ‘big consulting’ experience and Manifesto’s customer-focused approach to rapidly delivering growth for our clients makes for a potent combination.”
A release from the consultancy asserted that Levesque’s move is indicative of a growing trend in consulting, contending that employees of established global brands are leaving to join agile new challengers in the market. Firms like Solon Consulting and Elixirr are indeed attracting big names with top consulting pedigree, but it is also true that firms like Accenture are themselves benefitting from this trend in other industries. For example, having become a challenger in the advertising space, the firm has picked up a number of professionals from leading creative agencies over the last 18 months.
