At pivotal moments of change, some organisations seek growth. Others simply seek survival. But those who thrive, the ones who leap from uncertainty into opportunity, often do so with someone like Suzanne Trew by their side. A transformation leader, facilitator, and fractional business partner, Suzanne specialises in turning confusion into clarity, strategy into action, and complexity into results.
With a 27-year career that began in the brewing halls of Scottish & Newcastle and culminated in leading global innovation transformation at HEINEKEN, Suzanne has spent decades helping companies scale sustainably, work smarter, and bring powerful ideas to life. Today, through her consultancy FX-1, she brings that same global experience to purpose-led organisations, scale-ups, and executive teams facing complexity and change.
The Journey from Corporate to Consultant
Suzanne describes herself as “blessed” to have received a generous redundancy package at 50 when leaving HEINEKEN, where she latterly led a transformational innovation programme across 20 markets. “We tripled the value of our innovation pipeline in just 18 months,” she recalls. That experience wasn’t just a career milestone, it became the blueprint for The Clarity Zone, her independent venture, where she’s worked with brands spanning categories such as food and drink, finance and charitable sectors.
But Suzanne’s secret sauce isn’t a cookie-cutter consultancy package. It’s her unique ability to get to the heart of how people work, then gently help them work better, together.
What She Does Best
Suzanne doesn’t care whether her clients sell beer, biscuits or blockchain. What she cares about is this:
- Are they facing complexity?
- Are they stuck in silos?
- Are they scaling up, merging, or changing rapidly?
- Do they want to turn strategy into action, and improve how people actually work day to day?
If yes, Suzanne steps in. With facilitation methods (like LEGO Serious Play), process and decision-making frameworks and tools, and culture change strategies, she helps teams align, declutter, and deliver results—on time and with less stress.
As she puts it:
“I’m not a consultant who leaves behind a slide deck. I work hands-on with teams to create trust, build alignment, and focus on what actually moves things forward.”
Her Ideal Clients and Her Ask
Suzanne’s ideal clients are senior leaders and founders navigating complexity, especially those with a sense of purpose beyond profit.
“I want to work with organisations doing good. I want to bring my decades of experience to something meaningful,” she says.
Her ask? Introductions to companies:
- Going through change (mergers, growth, strategic pivots)
- Struggling with unclear ways of working or internal misalignment
- Who value experience, collaborative leadership, and practical solutions
- Bonus: they’re purpose-led and trying to make a positive impact
Case Study: International Spirits Company From Dysfunction to Delivery
One of Suzanne’s standout transformation stories is a spirits brand you’ve probably sipped without knowing the transformation that powered it.
Brought in by a newly hired marketing director, Suzanne quickly realised the business was “dysfunctional” in how it launched new products. Silos reigned. Departments didn’t understand each other, workstreams were out of sync, and projects dragged on for years—riddled with missed deadlines and often chaotic launches
“They were working on way too many projects simultaneously,” she recalls. “No one was aligned. Everyone was overwhelmed.”
Using LEGO Serious Play, Suzanne got key stakeholders, who hadn’t previously worked a team, to co-create a shared vision. The model they built together still sits proudly in their offices.
Then came the realignment. By co-creating clear decision points, synchronised workflows, and realistic resource planning, the company began delivering on time, with better quality, and stronger collaboration.
“Total transformation,” Suzanne beams. “People knew what they were doing. They were happier. They were listened to.”
Case Study: Essilor – Scaling Innovation Globally
Essilor, the world’s largest optical lens manufacturer, engaged Suzanne to train their global innovation teams. Despite being a B2B powerhouse, internal innovation processes were lagging.
Suzanne brought in her proven framework and tailored it to the optical giant’s needs. The result? Dozens of project managers worldwide gained the clarity and tools to accelerate innovation delivery with confidence.
This global footprint has taken Suzanne across Europe, Asia, and North America, supporting cross-functional leaders in adapting best practice to real-world execution.
Case Study: Food Train – Strategy with Heart
It’s not just big brands that benefit. Through her work with Pilotlight, Suzanne supported Scottish charity Food Train, which helps older people eat well and live independently at home. She facilitated the leadership team’s journey toward a shared vision and strategic focus, ensuring clarity, buy-in, and confidence to act.
Her ability to bring structure to vision, and clarity to purpose-led change, makes her invaluable to growing charities and social enterprises. She blends commercial experience with empathy and respect for mission-driven teams.
What Clients Say
Suzanne is often described as the “calming clarity in a storm.”
“People say I bring calm, even when things are complex,” she says. “And I’ve been told I have a unique ability to think strategically and on a conceptual level, but also to translate this into practical solutions”. “I create spaces where people feel heard and empowered to act”
Her methods avoid the all-too-common consultant trap of pretending to hold all the answers. Instead, she facilitates conversations that unlock the answers already within the team, combined with the best tools and frameworks from decades of high-performance environments.
Final Wisdom for Leaders in Flux
For leaders navigating change - those secretly overwhelmed but outwardly composed, Suzanne offers this advice:
“Don’t do it alone. The answers are often already within your team, but it takes an independent perspective to unlock them. With the right facilitation, the right tools and and the smart use of A, clarity and momentum can come quickly”
She also stresses the need for reflection:
“There’s so much firefighting. But if you never pause to breathe and think , you can’t brilliantly lead. I bring that pause, so the right decisions get made.”
How to Work with Suzanne
Suzanne is currently open to fractional or project-based roles. Whether embedded part-time within a leadership team or facilitating a strategic sprint, she brings practical wisdom, emotional intelligence, and proven transformation frameworks.
The Nexus Connection
Suzanne joined Nexus after hearing the call at a Scottish Business Network global event. Her goal now is to support mission-driven founders and leaders looking to create lasting, aligned impact.