Ann-Marie Barlow
People describe what I do in lots of different ways. But the thing they mention most is my energy (handy, given the name of the business).
They tell me it’s warm and human, but also a bit no-nonsense. And that I can take really complex people and culture challenges and make them clear and manageable.
How I got here
I spent more than 15 years in the public sector, working my way up from the front line to Head of OD at a new council formed through a big merger. I’d ended up in a really senior role at a relatively young age (something I thought grown up people did, not Ann-Marie in her early 30s), leading in organisations from 400 to 6,000 employees.
It’s probably why I’m as comfortable with a team on the front line as I am in the boardroom.
I loved the work, and I didn’t want to stop. So in 2020 I set up Energise Development, and I’ve worked with clients in the public and private sector ever since. In 2025, after returning from a maternity pause, I started to grow Energise. It’s still very much me, but I can now bring in excellent people I’ve worked with over the years (a small but perfectly-formed network of trusted partners and associates).
What I do
Consultancy
I write people strategies designed for one organisation and nobody else. I also work on organisation design and culture change, including values and behaviours.
When it’s not clear what’s really going on, I run culture audits, listening sessions and leadership reviews, and help make sense of engagement results. I can get into the gritty stuff quickly, and make it feel safe to talk about.
I support organisations through restructures and HR or OD team transformation, and help them recruit for culture.
Some clients keep me on as their experienced OD lead, on an ongoing basis. And I help HR and OD teams build their own consulting skills, so they can do more of this work in-house and get ahead of challenges, rather than reacting to them.
In 2024, as a culture specialist, I gave evidence to the London Assembly Fire Committee’s investigation into culture at London Fire Brigade, and I’m quoted in its report, Action and Ambition.
Coaching
I coach managers right up to director level. At the most senior level it’s often about interpersonal dynamics (and that imposter feeling). For heads of department, it’s usually about stepping into the strategic space: knowing where you add value (and when to step away), and leading through other managers.
I’m Hogan and Strengthscope accredited, so I can run strengths-based 360s, and use Hogan for senior recruitment and development.
Workshops
Very often, the workshops I run are bespoke, designed around what’s actually going on in your organisation. Recent ones have covered things like setting clear leadership expectations for managers, and leading teams through redundancy.
I also run my own workshops for managers, including Leading Change and Mastering Courageous Conversations.
If your managers need something that isn’t listed, tell me what’s going on and we can design it together.
Also, I share… a lot. I share my experience to show that you can be authentic and vulnerable, while still being a top-notch professional. And that people respond to people, not machines.
I regularly add to my free resources library, and share tips and insights with my newsletter community once a month.
Value for money is really important to me, so Energise Development is grounded in three principles. Whether you’re working with me, or one of my trusted associates:
We will only ever work with you for as long as is needed.
Everything we deliver together will be designed for you.
We share the tools we use so you can use them for yourself.
My values
