Betty Thayer
A successful, charismatic and popular businesswoman. Adept at creating business/shareholder value. Innovative, practical, numerate, pleasantly confident and highly results-orientated. A skilled negotiator. Deeply knowledgeable about strategy, European and US markets, consulting, planning and modern IT capability. Historically an authority in manufacturing and engineering. A successful internet entrepreneur in recruitment advertising with a wide range of achievements in the recruitment and technology sectors. An accomplished speaker, with a world-wide network of business contacts.
2023 Advisor, Oben weiss - Unten grün. Historical poster project in Wengen, Switzerland. Served as the English language editor.
Currently working with the team to commercialise the rights for poster production.
2014 - present Advisor, world-reknowned harpsichordist, Mahan Esfahani. Business mentor.
2011 - present Advisor, ROMO Images. Finance advisor to a Family Office with a rare collection of 3D images.
2011 - 2013 Across the Board Governance. Director in a specialty board advisory business.
2011 - 2012 Non-Executive Director, Boyden Executive Search. Leading UK Executive Search and Interim Management business.
2010 - 2012 Non-Executive Director, Appointments Commission. The Appointments Commission supervised and guided over 2,500 annual Board appointments in the UK’s National Health Service and various government agencies. Led the Audit and Remuneration Committees.
2001 - 2015 Owner-Manager, e-banana limited. Business consultant to several internet-based businesses. Non-Executive coach and mentor. Speaker at Microsoft’s national customer programme. Author of various Non-Executive articles and blogs.
2001 - 2008 Chief Executive, exec-appointments, now a Financial Times Company. Owner-Manager of an award-winning internet jobsite company aimed at senior executives, non-executive directors and MBA graduates – acquired by the Financial Times in 2007. Lectured in the UK and overseas about the online executive job market and the use of technology for strategic advantage. Recruitment Industry Personality of the Year 2006.
2000 - 2008 Director, Nyne Ltd. One of 8 founders in a £10m bio-technology investment fund.
2005 - 2007 Director, Program Associates Ltd. Founder of an associate-based program management consulting firm.
1996 - 2007 Chair, Remuneration Committee, and Non-Executive Director, Think London. London’s advocate organisation directed by a business board comprising well-known business luminaries. Led prominent UK investment mission to Washington, DC, hosted by Britain’s ambassador at his residence. Keynote speaker at two dinners hosted by Virginia’s Secretaries of State for Technology and Commerce. Member of Nominations and Finance Committees.
1997 - 1999 Partner, Consulting, Ernst & Young UK. Advised Boards of FTSE 100 and European companies on strategic direction, programme management, shareholder value and IT. Represented the UK on the firm’s global automotive industry taskforce.
1995 - 1997 Strategy & IT Director, Lex Service Plc. Member of the Management Board. Initiated a shareholder value programme which doubled stock price. Championed a successful Sales and Marketing programme. Managed a £250m merger integration programme.
1991 - 1995 Associate Partner, Accenture UK. Authority on benchmarking of productivity in manufacturing. Appeared and quoted regularly in the national press, on radio and television. Special advisor to DTI and Chancellor on competitiveness. Managed teams of up to 100 to transform business results, eg Airbus. Led international Japanese-sponsored DTI mission to Japan. Co-author of The Lean Enterprise Benchmarking Report, 1994, with Professor Dan Jones, still used as an industry reference.
1982 - 1991 Senior Manager, Price Waterhouse USA. IT and operations programme manager for Fortune 50 business manufacturing and engineering improvement initiatives at GE, General Dynamics, Boeing, Texas Instruments, Eaton and Lockheed. Programme director of large, complex manufacturing and IT-business initiatives including numerous projects for the US Air Force and Navy.
Not-for-Profit Boards and Professional Associations
Visiting Lecturer, Cranfield School of Management, 2008 - 2012
American Museum in Britain, UK Council, 2011 - 2017
University of Bath School of Management Advisory Board, 2007 - 2011
Piccola Accademia di Montisi (Italy), Trustee, UK and US charities supporting the performance of early/harpsichord music, 2007 - 2020
Church Urban Fund, Trustee, 2007 - 2010
Bath Mozartfest, Trustee, 2008 - 2011
Mentor, Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, Finance Executive Development Programme
Church of England, Church Urban Fund Review 1999 - 2001
Oxford University Business Economics Programme 1997 - 2000
Mentor to Head Teacher in London (1998 - 2000) and Met Police Director (2000 - 2001)
. Patron and member of various Swiss organisations: Mendelssohn Musikwoche Wengen; Tal & Sagen Museum Lauterbrunnen; Downhill Only Club
Wengen; American Women's Club of Bern
Patron of various UK arts institutions: Holburne Museum; English National Opera; Royal Academy of Arts; Royal College of Music; Bath Preservation Trust
Personal
Dual USA / UK citizen. Resident of Switzerland.
Freeman of the City of London, Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of World Traders, and Worshipful Company of Management Consultants
MBA, Finance & Operations Research, Vanderbilt University, USA 1982
BA, Accounting and Business, Elon University, USA 1980
Sample Publications
‘Why does the strategic agenda remain elusive?’, Non-Executive Roundtable, 2007 with Ernst & Young
‘50 Under 50 – Views from Chairs of the Future’, Non-Executive Research, December 2005 with Ernst & Young
‘Board Performance: Non-Executive Directors and their Contribution to Business Performance’, Non-Executive Research, 2004 with Ernst & Young and University of Bath
‘The Nominations Committee’, GEE Corporate Governance Handbook, 2006 and 2009
‘Non-Executives - The Selection and Induction Process’, ICSA Annual Conference, 2005
‘Portfolio Working - Plural Careers Prove to Be a Singular Success’, A survey by exec-appointments.com and IDDAS, 2003
A successful, charismatic and popular businesswoman. Adept at creating business/shareholder value. Innovative, practical, numerate, pleasantly confident and highly results-orientated. A skilled negotiator. Deeply knowledgeable about strategy, European and US markets, consulting, planning and modern IT capability. Historically an authority in manufacturing and engineering. A successful internet entrepreneur in recruitment advertising with a wide range of achievements in the recruitment and technology sectors. An accomplished speaker, with a world-wide network of business contacts.
2023 Advisor, Oben weiss - Unten grün. Historical poster project in Wengen, Switzerland. Served as the English language editor.
Currently working with the team to commercialise the rights for poster production.
2014 - present Advisor, world-reknowned harpsichordist, Mahan Esfahani. Business mentor.
2011 - present Advisor, ROMO Images. Finance advisor to a Family Office with a rare collection of 3D images.
2011 - 2013 Across the Board Governance. Director in a specialty board advisory business.
2011 - 2012 Non-Executive Director, Boyden Executive Search. Leading UK Executive Search and Interim Management business.
2010 - 2012 Non-Executive Director, Appointments Commission. The Appointments Commission supervised and guided over 2,500 annual Board appointments in the UK’s National Health Service and various government agencies. Led the Audit and Remuneration Committees.
2001 - 2015 Owner-Manager, e-banana limited. Business consultant to several internet-based businesses. Non-Executive coach and mentor. Speaker at Microsoft’s national customer programme. Author of various Non-Executive articles and blogs.
2001 - 2008 Chief Executive, exec-appointments, now a Financial Times Company. Owner-Manager of an award-winning internet jobsite company aimed at senior executives, non-executive directors and MBA graduates – acquired by the Financial Times in 2007. Lectured in the UK and overseas about the online executive job market and the use of technology for strategic advantage. Recruitment Industry Personality of the Year 2006.
2000 - 2008 Director, Nyne Ltd. One of 8 founders in a £10m bio-technology investment fund.
2005 - 2007 Director, Program Associates Ltd. Founder of an associate-based program management consulting firm.
1996 - 2007 Chair, Remuneration Committee, and Non-Executive Director, Think London. London’s advocate organisation directed by a business board comprising well-known business luminaries. Led prominent UK investment mission to Washington, DC, hosted by Britain’s ambassador at his residence. Keynote speaker at two dinners hosted by Virginia’s Secretaries of State for Technology and Commerce. Member of Nominations and Finance Committees.
1997 - 1999 Partner, Consulting, Ernst & Young UK. Advised Boards of FTSE 100 and European companies on strategic direction, programme management, shareholder value and IT. Represented the UK on the firm’s global automotive industry taskforce.
1995 - 1997 Strategy & IT Director, Lex Service Plc. Member of the Management Board. Initiated a shareholder value programme which doubled stock price. Championed a successful Sales and Marketing programme. Managed a £250m merger integration programme.
1991 - 1995 Associate Partner, Accenture UK. Authority on benchmarking of productivity in manufacturing. Appeared and quoted regularly in the national press, on radio and television. Special advisor to DTI and Chancellor on competitiveness. Managed teams of up to 100 to transform business results, eg Airbus. Led international Japanese-sponsored DTI mission to Japan. Co-author of The Lean Enterprise Benchmarking Report, 1994, with Professor Dan Jones, still used as an industry reference.
1982 - 1991 Senior Manager, Price Waterhouse USA. IT and operations programme manager for Fortune 50 business manufacturing and engineering improvement initiatives at GE, General Dynamics, Boeing, Texas Instruments, Eaton and Lockheed. Programme director of large, complex manufacturing and IT-business initiatives including numerous projects for the US Air Force and Navy.
Not-for-Profit Boards and Professional Associations
Visiting Lecturer, Cranfield School of Management, 2008 - 2012
American Museum in Britain, UK Council, 2011 - 2017
University of Bath School of Management Advisory Board, 2007 - 2011
Piccola Accademia di Montisi (Italy), Trustee, UK and US charities supporting the performance of early/harpsichord music, 2007 - 2020
Church Urban Fund, Trustee, 2007 - 2010
Bath Mozartfest, Trustee, 2008 - 2011
Mentor, Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, Finance Executive Development Programme
Church of England, Church Urban Fund Review 1999 - 2001
Oxford University Business Economics Programme 1997 - 2000
Mentor to Head Teacher in London (1998 - 2000) and Met Police Director (2000 - 2001)
. Patron and member of various Swiss organisations: Mendelssohn Musikwoche Wengen; Tal & Sagen Museum Lauterbrunnen; Downhill Only Club
Wengen; American Women's Club of Bern
Patron of various UK arts institutions: Holburne Museum; English National Opera; Royal Academy of Arts; Royal College of Music; Bath Preservation Trust
Personal
Dual USA / UK citizen. Resident of Switzerland.
Freeman of the City of London, Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of World Traders, and Worshipful Company of Management Consultants
MBA, Finance & Operations Research, Vanderbilt University, USA 1982
BA, Accounting and Business, Elon University, USA 1980
Sample Publications
‘Why does the strategic agenda remain elusive?’, Non-Executive Roundtable, 2007 with Ernst & Young
‘50 Under 50 – Views from Chairs of the Future’, Non-Executive Research, December 2005 with Ernst & Young
‘Board Performance: Non-Executive Directors and their Contribution to Business Performance’, Non-Executive Research, 2004 with Ernst & Young and University of Bath
‘The Nominations Committee’, GEE Corporate Governance Handbook, 2006 and 2009
‘Non-Executives - The Selection and Induction Process’, ICSA Annual Conference, 2005
‘Portfolio Working - Plural Careers Prove to Be a Singular Success’, A survey by exec-appointments.com and IDDAS, 2003
