Elena Ivankina, PhD, application for Human Design Program Lead , Paris

Less friction.
More purpose.
More adoption.

An operating system creates value when it adapts to, respects and augments the way people operate, from the C-suite to frontline teams. For twenty years, in energy, in banking, in consulting, and now as an entrepreneur, I have led transformations by connecting operating models, business goals and the way people actually operate, to empower teams to deliver more value and impact. I would love to bring this to Kraken’s clients.

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BNP Paribasmc2iENGIEUdemyKyndrylIAE de ParisYagaESSEC

What you are looking for

  • A trusted partner from pursuit to onboarding, leading transformation with the C-suite and supporting the delivery team.
  • Someone who takes transformation beyond customer operations, into the functions and units that support and steer them.
  • A systems thinker who works with the Org Design and Tech practices, embodies Kraken’s ways of working and shares what works across clients.

What I have learned about transformation

Four convictions that shape how I work with leaders and teams.

Technology alone does not save a transformation.

70% of transformations failed long before AI. Putting a new platform on top of unchanged work patterns only speeds up the failure.

What people say they do is not what they do, and that’s ok.

Change has to start from real practices, observed in the field and in the data, not only from the org chart or the process manual.

The customer experience is not only built at the front line.

In energy retail, it is written in the back office: billing errors, rejected meter reads and complex B2B or B2C tariffs weigh more than any self-service portal. Lasting change connects the whole chain.

Adoption comes from removing friction, not from more training.

For customer service and billing teams, change sticks when it takes real friction out of their day, for instance by automating billing exceptions. It helps them deliver value better, simpler and faster.

My role is to think like a strategist, move like a founder and execute like an owner, then leave behind an organisation able to sustain the change.

My approach: make sure the organisation gets the full value of the platform, without overloading its teams, powered by Kraken’s proven assets.

Every team becomes an engine of customer acquisition and retention, and so does the organisation as a whole.

I keep change simple, practical and measurable, through hands-on design, behavioural data, and the levers of leadership and governance.

Five keys to make ways of working change for real

The method I practise brings together strategic design, product thinking and enterprise architecture. Applied to the Human Design Program Lead position, it rests on the following keys.

  1. Prove rather than assume

    Observe behaviours and practices, through field immersion and usage data (CIS, CRM), to ensure the transformation is realistic and built to last.

  2. Be hyper-realistic

    Take a lucid view of teams, structure and jobs to be done along the meter-to-cash chain, from meter data to billing and collection. Link each friction to operational and business metrics: experience, cost to serve, growth.

  3. Co-construct and test before scaling

    Involve people from the earliest phases, let them own the change and influence it, so it can be tested quickly: instead of debating intentions, we observe behaviours.

  4. Design together, spread what works

    Hybridise expertise with the client’s own teams, supported by the assets of Kraken’s practices. What works through the migration is then shared and scaled across the organisation, and success stories become references.

  5. Judge by adoption

    A change that is not adopted did not happen. Usage and operational metrics, such as first contact resolution, billing accuracy, time to bill, manual handling of meter exceptions or time to competency, are tracked to decide on evidence.

My profile

20 years of leadership and a PhD. Full details are in my CV and at elenaivankina.com.

Trusted senior partner, from pursuit to delivery

At ENGIE, I led pre-sales and CxO engagement on group programmes. As Kyndryl Vital Country Leader, I built the French Experience branch within the global leadership team: growth plan forecast at €10M for 2026, service structure, delivery model and hiring, with advisory and pre-sales for CAC40 clients. As a founder, I run the full client cycle, from first conversation to delivery.

client pursuits and salesonboardingportfolio growthC-suite advisory
ENGIE, Kyndryl, Yaga

Co-constructing change at scale

At BNP Paribas, I launched, designed and ran large-scale, cross-functional co-construction events to transform the ways of working and organisation of Group IT. At ENGIE Digital, I led the change strategy that reached more than 1,000 people, from talks and workshops to the group programme I directed. Udemy trainer, rated 4.7/5.

large-scale co-constructioncross-functional alignmentbehaviour change
BNP Paribas, ENGIE Digital, Udemy

Energy, from the inside

Five years at ENGIE improving the customer experience, adoption and efficiency of B2B, B2E and B2C digital platforms. Built a profitable service design consulting offer, with missions averaging around €100K. Created the Experience Index, used to assess 100 projects a year and to coach teams to become more user- and customer-centric. Led a practice of 20 designers and strategists, with its playbook, vision, values and rituals.

energy and utilitiescustomer centricityteam coachingC-suite partnership
ENGIE, 2019–2024

Connecting ways of working, organisation and technology

Built and led the New Ways of Working Skill Center at BNP Paribas, a team of 12: process redesign, employee experience, change management, coaching and co-design of organisational transformations. Enterprise architect and author of the group’s five-year IT vision. At Kyndryl, designed the High-Impact Discovery Model for a €700K AI programme, steering by adoption, employee effort and time to competency. PhD from ESSEC.

ways of workingorganisational transformationsystems thinkingadoption
BNP Paribas, Kyndryl, ESSEC

How I work: done with you

Deliver results, and leave behind an organisation able to sustain them.

Cost

Every investment is linked to a measurable gain.

Comfort

Customer and employee experience is a decision criterion.

Control

The organisation stays in charge of its decisions and of the pace of change.