Strategic Change Consultancy
From Complexity to Momentum
A 360° view to protect your high-stakes transformation?
Answer 15 questions to find out.
The Sponsor Advantage Scorecard™ predicts, measures and improves your initiative's readiness, buy-in, and credibility so you can protect your high-stakes change.
The Sponsor Advantage
My name is Manuel Giudice, London-based founder of Change Vanguard since 2017. For 15 years I have partnered with sponsors, project directors, and change leaders in private and public companies, non-profits, and global SMEs to deliver high-stakes complex change programmes.
Between 2022 and 2025, we hosted 19 leadership intensives across London, Dubai, Paris, Athens, Amsterdam, Milan, Riyadh, and Vienna (300+ leaders, 500+ hours) designed to accelerate adoption, reduce programme risk and safeguard the return on multi-million programmes. These have included target operating models, digital transformations, culture change, workforce strategies, talent and leadership development, reward transformations, mergers & acquisitions, and organisational design.
Across industries and geographies, we noticed similar patterns: why initiatives fail to mobilise people, often risk their reputation, and struggle to achieve objectives and realise ROI. These insights shaped the Sponsor Advantage Method, a proprietary framework that identifies where risk is highest and how to address it. It links tactical, operational, and strategic layers, helping sponsors to reduce risk on multi-million initiatives by anticipating and addressing risks associated with buy-in, credibility, and the achievement of business objectives.
We are the only boutique consultancy that reverse-engineers programme success at the intersection of change delivery, leadership capability, and culture giving sponsors tremendous advantage and strategic foresight when leading high-stakes change.
Organisations include: Arqiva · Oxford University Press · Allegis · Tate & Lyle · Verizon · Asahi · Spire Healthcare · Affinion · Shell
The Sponsor Advantage Scorecard™ predicts, measures and improves your initiative's readiness, buy-in, and credibility so you can protect your high-stakes change.
The Reality
Research shows that 70% of change initiatives fail to achieve their goals (McKinsey Quarterly) - evidence that the system is biased towards technical build & delivery without sufficient focuse on realised business value.
Prosci finds that sponsors have the greatest impact on outcomes and can raise success rates from 25% to 85% (Prosci, 2025) - yet most are never given the backing to mobilise their business strategically.
The Change Leader
Today's sponsors lead high-stakes complex initiatives, facing the pressure to guarantee results, prevent the business from breaking, and ensure the change lands well across audiences and cultures.
Many leaders are resourceful, focused, and ambitious. Optimistic, often resilient, going above and beyond to deliver value while championing a culture that is both performing, and sustainable. They are self-reliant, committed, and aligned to their company’s values.
The Challenge
Despite all these efforts, it’s often challenging to bring the business on board with the vision. Colleagues don't always give the initiative the benefit of the doubt often overwhelmed by complexity, an evolving culture, changing strategies and structures.
The hidden costs of a leader's commitment can be significant:
- Audiences are overwhelmed and can become cynical about the change or not fully appreciate its value.
- Leaders are expected to carry more than their fair share, which can cause a disconnect at the top or even isolation.
- It can be hard to trust the advice received or even the integrity of the source when AI is being used without much discernment.
After experiencing the tremendous pressure modern leaders face, and nearly impossible expectations, it's the intention behind Change Vanguard to be a trusted partner to the leader navigating these complexities, both strategically and tactically.
Impact & Recent Results
STRENGTHENED ALIGNMENT
- 300+ cross-functional leaders across 8 industries with 4.7/5 participant rating.
- Aligned HR / Talent functions as strategic business partners.
- Delivered 19 leadership accelerators across 7 countries (London, Dubai, Paris, Milan, Vienna, Amsterdam, Riyadh).
ACCELERATED BUY-IN
- Achieved 94% adoption rate during a global divestment (7,600 employees, Asahi)..
- Protected multi-million transformations across telecoms, healthcare, publishing, and energy.
- Minimised risks via role clarity, accountability and governance.
PROTECTED CREDIBILITY
“You have truly helped us to build a Brand that has created an Identity and underpins the new IS organisations capability" - CIO, Beverage
“The most structured and effective transformation to date" - Executive team, UK Telecoms
“Our functional leads can now plan, map, and stay on track of commitments " - Programme Lead, Publishing
Take the Sponsor Advantage Scorecard™. The free assessment requires an answer to only 15-questions. You will get immediate recommendations.
Partnering
Every engagement begins with a situational analysis of your culture, strategy, and initiatives. The Sponsor Advantage Method follows a five-stage process, revealing whether we can help, where to focus, and how to maximise the impact.
01
The Sponsor Advantage Scorecard
An evidence-based diagnostic that benchmarks your initiative’s buy-in, readiness, and credibility.
You’ll get a snapshot of where risk is highest, and receive immediate recommendations.
02
Discovery Session
A 45-minute conversation exploring your programme's context, leadership dynamics, and initiative's objectives.
We clarify challenges, priorities, and the scope of potential support.
03
Bespoke Engagement
Based on findings, and only if necessary, we design a tailored intervention aligned to your strategy and culture.
No templates, no assumptions, no off-the-shelf solutions.
04
Mobilise Your Business
We partner with your sponsor and leadership teams to activate buy-in, alignment, and credibility across the organisation.
This may include advisory, leadership accelerators, leadership coaching, or capability workshops.
05
Track Progress
Through regular reviews and the Sponsor Advantage Scorecard, we measure adoption, behavioural change, and credibility gains, ensuring momentum is sustained.
Disclaimer: Based on historical feedback, with consent sought where possible, otherwise anonymized.
"The Best Seminar I've ever attended"
- EMEA Head of Ops
"Invaluable insights, we got everyone on the same page"
- Head of Operations
"You have truly helped build a brand that underpins our IS organisation’s capability. Your clarity and communication brought the entire team on this journey..."
- Programme Director Asahi Breweries
"He transforms complex ideas into clear, actionable insights with remarkable efficiency"
- Chief People Officer
Take the Sponsor Advantage Scorecard™. The free assessment requires an answer to only 15-questions. You will get immediate recommendations.
2025 Change Vanguard™ I Boutique Change & Leadership Consultancy I Privacy Policy I Contact