Carolyn Berry's passion for people drives her new role as Director of Business Operations at Conflux.

Conflux is delighted to announce the appointment of Carolyn Berry as Director of Business Operations. After nearly three years with the company, Carolyn is stepping into this leadership role to guide Conflux through its next phase of growth while maintaining the human-centered approach that sets us apart.

We interviewed Carolyn Berry to discuss her new role, her people-first approach, and her plans for maintaining the company's unique culture as it grows.

Carolyn's journey with Conflux began by working with Matthew Skelton, Conflux CEO/CTO and Founder, as an external contractor running her own business. After a year of successful collaboration, Matthew recognized Carolyn's contribution and extensive operational experience, inviting her to join Conflux permanently.

During her time at Conflux, Carolyn has seen the organization grow substantially while continuing to deliver exceptional value to clients. Throughout this expansion, maintaining the company's small niche feel has remained a priority for the operations team.

"Conflux isn't like other consultancies out there; we don't sell a one-size-fits-all plan to customers. We personalize our approach to each company and always aim to leave them with the skills they need to make future changes themselves. We don't want customers to become dependent on us; we want them to thrive after we leave. It's about long-lasting change, not just short-term fixes."

Oana, Carolyn, and Matthew, took part in the 10-in-10 walk to raise funds for local charity Zest.

A people-first approach to operations

Carolyn's passion for creating supportive work environments aligns perfectly with Conflux's values around building and maintaining humane workplaces.

"My passion lies in supporting people to be the best version of themselves. If we can get this right at Conflux, we can support others to achieve the same at a larger scale."

This commitment extends to creating spaces where team members can comfortably discuss personal challenges. To aid in this, Carolyn is training to become a Menopause Coach, recognizing its significant impact on women in the workplace.

"It is becoming increasingly clear that to continue to retain the best staff and guarantee that they thrive within the workplace, we must encourage them to be able to speak about things that impact them as people, and ensure they have access to the support they need."

Implementing Team Topologies beyond IT

One of Carolyn's key contributions has been adapting principles from Team Topologies, the book co-authored by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais, for applications beyond IT departments.

"Since starting at Conflux, I’ve read Team Topologies many times. We have spent much time and effort workshopping how Team Topologies looks within Conflux across a number of areas."

This implementation spans three key areas:

Boundaries: TaGMe boards show what each person or department is working toward in line with Conflux's goals. "It helps to define the roles, focus, and boundaries for decision-making and when support should be requested. This supports autonomous remote working," explains Carolyn.

Processes: Building out processes with handoffs only where necessary. "In general, a person will own a process from start to finish," says Carolyn, “which is good for the person and the process.”

Active Knowledge Diffusion: "Although we are small and agile now and celebrate many of our wins internally, as we grow we will need ways to communicate this knowledge to a wider community in different time zones and work days. By ensuring we embody AKD principles and processes early on, we'll ensure knowledge is shared effectively as we expand.”

Conflux empowers employees through clear boundaries and expectations, a transparent approach to communication, and a culture of continuous development. We support employees and associates professionally and privately whatever their goals, and we love knowing everyone on a personal level and being able to celebrate each win together."

Transforming Client Engagements

Conflux has evolved its client engagement model to focus on shorter milestones with regular checkpoints throughout the project lifecycle.

"Instead of waiting until the end to deliver a huge document, we provide value incrementally with regular check-ins," Carolyn explains. "This ensures we stay aligned with client needs and can adjust course earlier if necessary."

This approach also respects clients' time by involving only the necessary stakeholders at each stage. "A lot of companies find consultant engagements time-heavy. We ensure we've got the touch points, but we're not using more of peoples’ time than needed to get the best results."

The structured milestone approach benefits Conflux's team members as well. "Clear deliverables help people know exactly what they're working toward, the timeframe, and which colleagues they're collaborating with. This focused approach is incredibly valuable when working asynchronously."

Looking to the Future

As Director of Business Operations, Carolyn focuses on areas where Conflux can have an immediate impact: reviewing processes, applying automation, and refining internal communications. All these efforts support the reduction of cognitive load and ensure time is spent on the most critical aspects of the business.

Key operational trends Carolyn is implementing include AI, automation, and data-driven decision-making to guide the organization forward.

"There's so much potential within Conflux; after refining our direction over the past couple of years, we now have a clear vision that resonates with customers seeking our help. I feel that we can make a huge difference to companies struggling to adapt and change in the current climate."

When asked how she'll measure success in her role, Carolyn has clear goals: "Conflux will be tracking towards its goals in a clear and obvious way, growing while ensuring we keep the niche culture we're working on. For me, as the business grows, if we can keep that small consultancy feel, then I will have succeeded."

Operationally, Carolyn plans to support Conflux "by championing processes that are clear and easy to execute, applying the understanding that continuous development is needed in everything that we do, and ensuring that we give the best possible experience for employees, associates, and customers."

Advice for Organizations Facing Challenges

For organizations struggling with efficiency and innovation challenges, Carolyn offers this advice: "In business, change is the only constant, and the businesses that succeed understand that they can't stand still. They need a skilled workforce of enthusiastic learners who can adapt and change with the internal and external factors affecting the business."

For those unsure where to start, Carolyn recommends Conflux's 90-minute discovery session. "It can really help you uncover and identify common themes within the business, different views and ways of working, and maybe even give you a starting point on your journey."

With Carolyn Berry as Director of Business Operations, Conflux is well-positioned to continue creating thriving organizations that deliver at speed, all while maintaining the humane, flexible, and transparent culture central to our success.

"Taking on this role officially is really exciting for me. We've already done a lot of work on our operations and processes, and now I can ensure we keep improving while staying true to what makes Conflux special"