About Us

We show clients how to build interdependent performance cultures characterized by mutual trust, candor and the highest standards of excellence

We understand that relationships and culture drive transformational change and empower our clients to harness their resources in order to meet or exceed goals.

Our methodology defies the fact that 70% of change management efforts fail by directly addressing and overcoming the most common pitfalls companies face.

We don’t assume to know more than our client companies when comes to defining what needs to change. We manage “how to change” with a structured methodology proven to build the soundest possible foundation for any strategy, in any industry.

We celebrate and value diversity in all its forms; it’s something we truly value as a multicultural community of problem solvers. We believe in corporate and individual citizenship that make our communities better places for all.

We have one guiding purpose— to make a more effective workplace and improve people’s lives. 

 

Culture development is all we've done for over 70 years and we understand it better than anyone

We succeed and we enable our clients to succeed, by turning traditional consulting on its head. “People support what they help create” and the team is the most powerful unit of change, so that’s where we work – with real-life teams. 90 percent of our culture transformation work takes place in teams.

Our approach stands out by using “real time”, experiential, team-based strategies that embed trust, candor, ownership, and accountability within and across teams. We create relationships that release power into the organization so that entrepreneurial initiative develops and thrives at every level.

What still sets our work apart today is our deep, enduring understanding of the power of culture. Every strategy is different and every challenge unique but knowing how the predictable patterns of group dynamics and cultural control can be harnessed is key to successful change. The insights developed in Grid application and research since the 1960’s are fundamental, universal and absolutely critical for gaining a performance edge. Having a clear understanding of these dynamics of culture and how they work is essential for mobilizing both small and large groups of people to do things in a different way.

Organizations have two choices when it comes to culture change: 

Understand and manage the forces of culture for the good of the organization, or

Become a hostage to its forces in the form of attachment to the status quo and resistance to change.

Obstacles to Successful Organizational Change

Our process manages the five main obstacles to successful change:  

Self-deception, which causes people to see their own behavior in terms of intentions rather than the actual behavior and impact that others experience.

Behavioural norms that become so uniformly accepted that they acquire a “second-nature” quality and resist measurement

Dealing with surface behaviors without addressing the underlying values, attitudes, and assumptions leads to short-term if any, change.

Not having a clear framework for studying behavior, norms and culture in objective, measurable terms.

The fact that the higher up you go in an organization, the more people tell you what they think you want to hear.

John Bakos v2
John Bakhos
Chairman and CEO

John Bakhos is the founder of Grid International MENA, a consulting firm specialized in Organizational Development and Human Relations in Organizations. Founder and President of Scotwork MENA, a Negotiation Consulting firm.

John has been a speaker at various international conferences and a Business lecturer at the (AUB) American University of Beirut, (LAU) Lebanese American University, and (NDU) Notre Dame University.

He has designed and successfully implemented major organizational development programs for organizations in various business sectors such as Al-Rajhi Bank, K.S.A; Kuwait Finance House, Kuwait, Saudi Electricity, and NAPCO, K.S.A.

Ratchel
Rachel McKee
Board Member

Rachel joined Grid International 29 years ago and worked full time writing, testing and co-managing Grid implementations from 1992-1997 with Dr. Robert Blake. She took over the responsibility to maintain theory, design, and methodology integrity for Grid products after Dr. Blake retired in 1997.

Rachel has written and co-managed Grid interventions and train-the-trainer sessions in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, India, Kuwait, and Japan. Rachel co-authored Grid Solution Selling with Dr. Blake, and is a co-author of the current flagship text, The Power to Change, which has been translated for delivery in Thailand, Spain, Japan, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Germany, Turkey, Netherlands, Sweden, France, Italy, Quebec, Austria, Ireland, Mexico, China, Poland, Hungary, and Czech Republic. She has co-authored seven books and more than 50  programs offered by Grid today.

As senior Vice President, Consulting Services, she works as leader and editor for writing, testing, training, and implementation of all new or revised Grid materials, as well as all custom materials. She works with partners to write and publish related research articles.

She has a strong knowledge of Grid’s history, historical applications, and the methodology. She  has strong collaborative writing skills, essential for completing complex writing projects under time pressure with international contributors and co-writers. She also specializes in custom designs to accommodate client strategies.

She wrote and managed the development and implementation of Grid electronic products in 2008 including online Grid Culture Surveys, Grid 360-degree feedback, and Grid Electronic Coaching. She  is involved in current redesign of those and new online tools to address business transformation due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Rachel lives on the Texas Gulf Coast and loves to saltwater fish, cook, and her 30-year passion for designing jewelry.

Paraic
Páraic Mac Donnchadha
Board Member

Páraic Mac Donnchadha has worked in one way or another with Grid for over thirty very quick and profoundly fulfilling years. During his early career, Páraic worked intensively with Grid methodology and other disciplines such as Psychometrics, Counselling, Coaching, Facilitation, Training and behavioral consultancy at Psychological Consultancy Services Ltd. (PCS) in Dalkey, Co. Dublin on the East Coast of Ireland. He served in roles at Junior Consultant, Senior Consultant and finally at Director level, over an exciting and very formative, almost twenty-year period. Páraic then went on in 2007 to found Grid International Ireland in his home county of Galway, where he resides since with his family, while travelling as required to service client needs both in Ireland and abroad.

Páraic has delivered and led multiple organisation transformation efforts primarily in the private sector in Ireland, across both multinational and indigenous industries with organisations including Coca Cola, Pepsi, Kerry Group, Canada Life, Kentech International and Boston Scientific. His Public Sector engagements include work with divisions of city administration services as well as projects in the Utility, Banking, Education and Policing sectors. Páraic also has delivered projects in the Voluntary, not-for-profit sector.

He has assisted with learning and organisation transformation projects in locations as diverse as South Africa, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the US and the UK. While he is actively engaged in individual coaching and occasionally with short-term team development projects, Páraic particularly enjoys the impact of more long-term, strategic, culture-impacting engagements at the leadership or cross-functional, intergroup level.

When not consulting with Grid, Páraic may often be found indulging another thirty-year family passion – playing Irish Traditional Music at Festivals and other cultural events. He has delivered a National Television programme on music from his region and has released a highly-regarded personal Irish Music CD entitled ’Not Before Time – 39 Years in the Making’.

TaniaKhalaf jul 2021
Tania Khalaf
Board Member

Tania Khalaf brings more than 15 years of consulting in leading organizations and multinationals.

She is a senior HR specialist with an emphasis on strategic planning and organizational development with a parallel specialization in psychology, psychometrics and career counseling.

Prior to joining Grid, Tania successfully led a major change management initiative directing HR for a multinational group of Alpha banks including strategic management and individual capacity building for change. She is a founding member of the Human Resource Association in Lebanon, one of the earliest professional associations in the field in the MENA region.

Tania’s experience brings a broad knowledge of the MENA (GCC) region and the West, allowing her to operate professionally in diverse environments handling a wide array of industries including Hospitals, Retail, Hospitality Management, Industry, Oil and Gas, Engineering and Construction, Banks, Associations, and NGOs.

Mike_Struthers
Mike Struthers
Board Member

Mike was inducted as a Grid Partner in 2020 and as a Grid International Inc. Board Member in 2021 and is currently focused on expanding the Grid International Associate and Partner Network across the globe. Based in Johannesburg, and together with his business partner Joanne Wilson provides consulting services to both private and public sectors across South Africa.

Mike is a seasoned Business Executive with a successful track record. He has built many businesses over the course of his 37 year business career.

He has had an extensive corporate career in the Information Technology and Knowledge Management Industries, having served as Managing Director of American based, Lotus Software SA in the 90’s and then as an Executive Board Member of the then JSE listed company, Unihold Limited. Following the merger with Siemens Business Solutions, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer, where he served up until 2004.Mike then launched a Business Consulting Practice and established a Leisure Business.

Joanne_Wilson v2 jpeg
Joanne Wilson
Board Member

Joanne qualified as a Grid Specialist over 20 years ago and founded the Grid International South Africa Practice in 2016, providing consulting services in South Africa, SADAC and selected international locations.

Joanne joined the Grid International Board in 2020 and is an organisational effectiveness specialist and facilitator of change. As a seasoned consultant, she works with many companies across industries globally. Joanne develops and implements change within organisational culture strategies that typically facilitates a 50% + increase of productivity effectiveness in the businesses she consults to.

Joanne specialises in enabling companies and teams to achieve greater results through Change Management interventions in the areas of capacity building, culture transformation, change management, leadership and team development. She is qualified in facilitating and developing processes which enables high involvement and participation, with buy-in at all levels. Her creativity allows for graphic facilitation which is often used to maximize visual impact.

Joanne started her career in the consulting environment and later worked in the Advisory Services of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Joanne designed, delivered and contributed successful transformation programs for several organisations, both in the Private and Public Sector in the Southern Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa. Her specialist skills include: Change Management, Visioning, Key Account Management, Sales Development, B2B Strategy and Digital Strategy Development.

In her spare time Joanne enjoys reading, camping and the great outdoors. She enjoys family life and supporting her community with various endeavors.

Kostas_Koutroumpis
Kostas Koutroumpis
Board Member

Kostas leads our office in Athens, since 2018, serving clients in Greece, Cyprus, and the Balkans. He participated in a Leadership Grid in 1988 and since then is committed to the theory and the methodology. 

During his extensive managerial career of more than 35 years, holding c-suite positions in the textile and automotive industries, advertising, government and consulting, Kostas has always been a user of Grid. As a client and as a trainer/consultant. He headed our Italian office in Milan for three years (1990-1993) serving clients like Gruppo Fininvest, Fiat Auto, Barilla, Banca Commerciale Italiana, Ferrari, J.W. Thompson. 

A strong believer of the phrase “Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast” he passionately works in the field of Team Building, Organizational Transformation and Culture Change. He holds a BSc in Textile Economics & Management from U.M.I.S.T. (Manchester) and speaks English, French, and Italian.

We show clients how to build interdependent performance cultures characterized by mutual trust, candor and the highest standards of excellence

We understand that relationships and culture drive transformational change and empower our clients to harness their resources in order to meet or exceed goals.

Our methodology defies the fact that 70% of change management efforts fail by directly addressing and overcoming the most common pitfalls companies face.

We don’t assume to know more than our client companies when comes to defining what needs to change. We manage “how to change” with a structured methodology proven to build the soundest possible foundation for any strategy, in any industry.

We celebrate and value diversity in all its forms; it’s something we truly value as a multicultural community of problem solvers. We believe in corporate and individual citizenship that make our communities better places for all.

We have one guiding purpose— to make a more effective workplace and improve people’s lives. 

 

Culture Development is all we’ve done for over 70 Years and we understand it better than anyone

We succeed and we enable our clients to succeed, by turning traditional consulting on its head. “People support what they help create” and the team is the most powerful unit of change, so that’s where we work – with real-life teams. 90 percent of our culture transformation work takes place in teams.

Our approach stands out by using “real time”, experiential, team-based strategies that embed trust, candor, ownership, and accountability within and across teams. We create relationships that release power into the organization so that entrepreneurial initiative develops and thrives at every level.

What still sets our work apart today is our deep, enduring understanding of the power of culture. Every strategy is different and every challenge unique but knowing how the predictable patterns of group dynamics and cultural control can be harnessed is key to successful change. The insights developed in Grid application and research since the 1960’s are fundamental, universal and absolutely critical for gaining a performance edge. Having a clear understanding of these dynamics of culture and how they work is essential for mobilizing both small and large groups of people to do things in a different way.

Organizations have two choices when it comes to culture change: 

EMBED

Understand and manage the forces of culture for the good of the organization, or

Hostage Icon v2

Become a hostage to its forces in the form of attachment to the status quo and resistance to change.

Obstacles to Successful Organizational Change

Our process manages the five main obstacles to successful change:  

Self-deception, which causes people to see their own behavior in terms of intentions rather than the actual behavior and impact that others experience.

Behavioural norms that become so uniformly accepted that they acquire a “second-nature” quality and resist measurement

Dealing with surface behaviors without addressing the underlying values, attitudes, and assumptions leads to short-term if any, change.

Not having a clear framework for studying behavior, norms and culture in objective, measurable terms.

The fact that the higher up you go in an organization, the more people tell you what they think you want to hear.

Meet our Board

John Bakos v2
John Bakhos
Chairman and CEO

John Bakhos is the founder of Grid International MENA, a consulting firm specialized in Organizational Development and Human Relations in Organizations. Founder and President of Scotwork MENA, a Negotiation Consulting firm.

John has been a speaker at various international conferences and a Business lecturer at the (AUB) American University of Beirut, (LAU) Lebanese American University, and (NDU) Notre Dame University.

He has designed and successfully implemented major organizational development programs for organizations in various business sectors such as Al-Rajhi Bank, K.S.A; Kuwait Finance House, Kuwait, Saudi Electricity, and NAPCO, K.S.A.

Ratchel
Rachel McKee
Board Member

Rachel joined Grid International 29 years ago and worked full time writing, testing and co-managing Grid implementations from 1992-1997 with Dr. Robert Blake. She took over the responsibility to maintain theory, design, and methodology integrity for Grid products after Dr. Blake retired in 1997.

Rachel has written and co-managed Grid interventions and train-the-trainer sessions in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, India, Kuwait, and Japan. Rachel co-authored Grid Solution Selling with Dr. Blake, and is a co-author of the current flagship text, The Power to Change, which has been translated for delivery in Thailand, Spain, Japan, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Germany, Turkey, Netherlands, Sweden, France, Italy, Quebec, Austria, Ireland, Mexico, China, Poland, Hungary, and Czech Republic. She has co-authored seven books and more than 50  programs offered by Grid today.

As senior Vice President, Consulting Services, she works as leader and editor for writing, testing, training, and implementation of all new or revised Grid materials, as well as all custom materials. She works with partners to write and publish related research articles.

She has a strong knowledge of Grid’s history, historical applications, and the methodology. She  has strong collaborative writing skills, essential for completing complex writing projects under time pressure with international contributors and co-writers. She also specializes in custom designs to accommodate client strategies.

She wrote and managed the development and implementation of Grid electronic products in 2008 including online Grid Culture Surveys, Grid 360-degree feedback, and Grid Electronic Coaching. She  is involved in current redesign of those and new online tools to address business transformation due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Rachel lives on the Texas Gulf Coast and loves to saltwater fish, cook, and her 30-year passion for designing jewelry.

Paraic
Páraic Mac Donnchadha
Board Member

Páraic Mac Donnchadha has worked in one way or another with Grid for over thirty very quick and profoundly fulfilling years. During his early career, Páraic worked intensively with Grid methodology and other disciplines such as Psychometrics, Counselling, Coaching, Facilitation, Training and behavioral consultancy at Psychological Consultancy Services Ltd. (PCS) in Dalkey, Co. Dublin on the East Coast of Ireland. He served in roles at Junior Consultant, Senior Consultant and finally at Director level, over an exciting and very formative, almost twenty-year period. Páraic then went on in 2007 to found Grid International Ireland in his home county of Galway, where he resides since with his family, while travelling as required to service client needs both in Ireland and abroad.

Páraic has delivered and led multiple organisation transformation efforts primarily in the private sector in Ireland, across both multinational and indigenous industries with organisations including Coca Cola, Pepsi, Kerry Group, Canada Life, Kentech International and Boston Scientific. His Public Sector engagements include work with divisions of city administration services as well as projects in the Utility, Banking, Education and Policing sectors. Páraic also has delivered projects in the Voluntary, not-for-profit sector.

He has assisted with learning and organisation transformation projects in locations as diverse as South Africa, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the US and the UK. While he is actively engaged in individual coaching and occasionally with short-term team development projects, Páraic particularly enjoys the impact of more long-term, strategic, culture-impacting engagements at the leadership or cross-functional, intergroup level.

When not consulting with Grid, Páraic may often be found indulging another thirty-year family passion – playing Irish Traditional Music at Festivals and other cultural events. He has delivered a National Television programme on music from his region and has released a highly-regarded personal Irish Music CD entitled ’Not Before Time – 39 Years in the Making’.

TaniaKhalaf jul 2021
Tania Khalaf
Board Member

Tania Khalaf brings more than 15 years of consulting in leading organizations and multinationals.

She is a senior HR specialist with an emphasis on strategic planning and organizational development with a parallel specialization in psychology, psychometrics and career counseling.

Prior to joining Grid, Tania successfully led a major change management initiative directing HR for a multinational group of Alpha banks including strategic management and individual capacity building for change. She is a founding member of the Human Resource Association in Lebanon, one of the earliest professional associations in the field in the MENA region.

Tania’s experience brings a broad knowledge of the MENA (GCC) region and the West, allowing her to operate professionally in diverse environments handling a wide array of industries including Hospitals, Retail, Hospitality Management, Industry, Oil and Gas, Engineering and Construction, Banks, Associations, and NGOs.

Joanne_Wilson v2 jpeg
Joanne Wilson
Board Member

Joanne qualified as a Grid Specialist over 20 years ago and founded the Grid International South Africa Practice in 2016, providing consulting services in South Africa, SADAC and selected international locations.

Joanne joined the Grid International Board in 2020 and is an organisational effectiveness specialist and facilitator of change. As a seasoned consultant, she works with many companies across industries globally. Joanne develops and implements change within organisational culture strategies that typically facilitates a 50% + increase of productivity effectiveness in the businesses she consults to.

Joanne specialises in enabling companies and teams to achieve greater results through Change Management interventions in the areas of capacity building, culture transformation, change management, leadership and team development. She is qualified in facilitating and developing processes which enables high involvement and participation, with buy-in at all levels. Her creativity allows for graphic facilitation which is often used to maximize visual impact.

Joanne started her career in the consulting environment and later worked in the Advisory Services of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Joanne designed, delivered and contributed successful transformation programs for several organisations, both in the Private and Public Sector in the Southern Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa. Her specialist skills include: Change Management, Visioning, Key Account Management, Sales Development, B2B Strategy and Digital Strategy Development.

In her spare time Joanne enjoys reading, camping and the great outdoors. She enjoys family life and supporting her community with various endeavors.

Mike_Struthers
Mike Struthers
Board Member

Mike was inducted as a Grid Partner in 2020 and as a Grid International Inc. Board Member in 2021 and is currently focused on expanding the Grid International Associate and Partner Network across the globe. Based in Johannesburg, and together with his business partner Joanne Wilson provides consulting services to both private and public sectors across South Africa.

Mike is a seasoned Business Executive with a successful track record. He has built many businesses over the course of his 37 year business career.

He has had an extensive corporate career in the Information Technology and Knowledge Management Industries, having served as Managing Director of American based, Lotus Software SA in the 90’s and then as an Executive Board Member of the then JSE listed company, Unihold Limited. Following the merger with Siemens Business Solutions, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer, where he served up until 2004.Mike then launched a Business Consulting Practice and established a Leisure Business.

Leslie_May
Leslie D'Souza
Board Member

Leslie D’Souza has been a partner of Grid International since August 2001 and is currently on its Board of Directors. He is a behavioural change expert with over 40 years of industry experience.

He has over 25 years of experience in facilitating company wide Grid initiatives. He has lead Grid interventions in organisations such as the Taj Group of Hotels, Vodafone, Piramal group, Larsen & Tubro and the Credit Suisse Bank, Singapore. He has successfully implemented the different phases of the Grid OD process. He has personally worked with Dr. Robert Blake the founder of the Grid theory in delivering the Synergogy Seminar and the Leadership Grid Seminar. He has trained several internal consultants in the Grid process within organisations. Leslie has been part of the core redesign team of the Leadership Grid book ‘The Power to Change’, the ‘Leadership Grid’ Seminar as well as the ‘Building Spectacular Teams’ design.

Leslie has developed and institutionalized the performance management system in organisations such as the Taj group of hotels, Vodafone India and Tata Coffee. Together with corporate HR of Larsen and Toubro he developed and helped institutionalize the mentoring programme across its various businesses.

Leslie holds a Master’s degree in Management from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies Mumbai. Leslie has been a faculty member for the Master’s Degree in Management studies and the Post Graduate Diploma Programmes at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies – Mumbai.

Leslie represents Belbin Associates UK in India and is an Accreditation Course provider. He is an Executive Coach to business leaders and managers with over 3000 hours of senior Management Executive Coaching. He was Vice President at Ion Exchange India Ltd and CEO of Ion Exchange Training Resources.

Leslie has been a “Learning & Development Subject Matter Expert” with SHRMS India and has been on the Board of Governors of the Xaviers Institute of Management – Mumbai.

Leslie is the chairperson of Life Anchors a registered NGO in the area of skills development and professional education for the less privileged.

Kostas_Koutroumpis
Kostas Koutroumpis
Board Member

Kostas leads our office in Athens, since 2018, serving clients in Greece, Cyprus, and the Balkans. He participated in a Leadership Grid in 1988 and since then is committed to the theory and the methodology. 

During his extensive managerial career of more than 35 years, holding c-suite positions in the textile and automotive industries, advertising, government and consulting, Kostas has always been a user of Grid. As a client and as a trainer/consultant. He headed our Italian office in Milan for three years (1990-1993) serving clients like Gruppo Fininvest, Fiat Auto, Barilla, Banca Commerciale Italiana, Ferrari, J.W. Thompson. 

A strong believer of the phrase “Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast” he passionately works in the field of Team Building, Organizational Transformation and Culture Change. He holds a BSc in Textile Economics & Management from U.M.I.S.T. (Manchester) and speaks English, French, and Italian.