Q5 Co-Founder Sharon Rice-Oxley reflects on the journey of building Q5, from a basement office in Smith Square to a global consultancy focused on organisational performance and transformation. Featured in The Sunday Times, the interview explores leadership, sustainable growth and the values that continue to shape Q5’s approach today.
Reading time: 2 minutes
Q5 Co-Founder Sharon Rice-Oxley featured in The Sunday Times, reflecting on the journey of building Q5, from its beginnings in a basement office in Smith Square to a global consultancy centred on organisational performance and transformation.
The interview traces Sharon’s path from witnessing the final years of the Soviet Union in Moscow, to co-founding Q5 in 2009 with a vision of building a consultancy grounded in long-term thinking, healthy organisations and people-led change. Along the way, she reflects on the experiences that shaped her approach to leadership, entrepreneurship and growth.
Alongside reflections on the evolution of Q5 over the past 17 years, the piece explores some of the principles and decisions that have shaped the firm’s growth: building organically without external investment, backing people through periods of uncertainty and resisting the ‘hire and fire’ cycles often associated with the wider consultancy industry. It offers an honest perspective on scaling sustainably while staying close to culture, clients and purpose.
The feature captures both Sharon’s personal leadership journey and the energy, pragmatism and values that continue to shape Q5 today. Reflecting on pivotal moments in the firm’s growth and lessons learned along the way, the conversation mirrors the balance of strategy and action that, in many ways, mirrors Q5’s own approach to growth and problem-solving.
We’re proud to see Sharon’s story, and the journey of Q5 featured in The Sunday Times.
Read the full feature: How did we build a £59m consultancy? By sticking to the knitting
Follow Sharon on LinkedIn: Sharon Rice-Oxley (FCIPD) | LinkedIn
