Driving enterprise change at NFU Mutual: A conversation with Nicky Walsh

With NFU Mutual embarking on its most significant change portfolio in recent years, we sat down with Nicky Walsh, Head of Group Change Capability and Development, to discuss why this transformation matters, what makes it unique, and why now is the perfect time to join the Change team.

Nicky, can you start by telling us a little bit about your role at NFU Mutual?
I joined NFU Mutual eight years ago, initially to develop and embed portfolio management in the Change team. More recently, I’ve moved into my current role where my focus now has been on redesigning our service offering, building the capability to make sure we are geared up for the future to deliver our highly ambitious change portfolio.

Why is the Change team building out its service offering now?
The demand on us has grown, and the complexity of our work has increased. Historically, we’ve focused mainly on big, centrally funded programmes. But now, change is happening everywhere across the business – across divisions, in local teams – and all of it is interconnected. Without a clear, consistent approach, it could inefficiencies in delivery or even change saturation which could overwhelm the business. Our service offering to the business covers all aspects of change, from large-scale transformation to fast-paced initiatives. We bring the end-to-end expertise, right from building the strategic change roadmap through to supporting the business until change is fully embedded.

What makes the Change team so important to NFU Mutual’s future?
At NFU Mutual, Change is where strategy becomes reality. Our mission in Change is to deliver business outcomes for NFU Mutual and our customers. More than just delivering projects, we make a real difference. The Change portfolio is about future-proofing NFU Mutual and we have built out our service offering to make sure we’re fit for purpose, aligned to industry best practice, and ready to deliver the outcomes our customers expect. Ultimately, if we don’t deliver against strategy, the business doesn’t realise its ambitions.

What’s unique about this opportunity compared to other organisations?
With spend on our multi-million-pound portfolio higher than it’s ever been, it’s a really exciting time to join us. The sponsors of our programmes are individual directors and senior business leaders, so you’re working closely with the people driving the business forward. That closeness and scale make this a unique environment to grow your career.

What kind of culture and values will people find in the Change team?
Here at NFU Mutual, we see change as a team game; guided by values that put the portfolio first and champion collaboration, we work as one team across the business with direct access to senior leaders and the trust of the executive. Being a great place to work is at the heart of our company strategy. We invest in our people, supporting them in building their skills and developing their careers. If you want to shape meaningful transformation while growing your own future, now is the time to join us.

And finally, why should someone join NFU Mutual’s Change team right now?
Our service design is all about capability uplift. It’s about investing in our people and building for the future. That means there are huge opportunities for career development, whether you’re experienced in delivery, portfolio management, assurance or adoption and embedding. We’ve got a strong Senior Leadership Team, we’re professionalising our services, and we’re trusted by the executive team to deliver the company’s strategy. If you want to be at the heart of meaningful change, NFU Mutual is the place to do it.

Interested in joining our Change offering?
If you’re interested in joining Nicky and the team, then take a look at our current vacancies or register for job alerts by email. We look forward to hearing from you.