Jack Martin Leith is a now-to-new practitioner based in Bath, UK.

Jack originated the term now-to-new to represent a shift from the present situation (Now) to what’s needed instead (New) with the aim of generating maximum value.

The new creation could be a product, service, facility (this website, for example), business venture, nonprofit organisation, community initiative, work practice, piece of music, or some other kind of value generator.

Now-to-new is a product of Jack’s lifelong inquiry into how the new comes into being and how this changes into that, coupled with a 30-year consulting career in the fields of complex problem solving, breakthrough innovation and whole system change.

“Jack is an innovation consultant who walks the talk.”

Paul Levy, a senior fellow at University of Brighton – Centre for Change, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, and the founder of Rational Madness Theatre Company, FringeReview and CATS3000 | Read Paul’s testimonial in full

Jack grew up in an east London funeral parlour and left school when he turned 16, embarking on a succession of jobs in music publishing, fashion, retail and advertising before establishing Leith & Price, a company that helped advertising agencies and media owners pinpoint new business prospects and communicate with them effectively.

After leaving Leith & Price, he was a founding partner in three consulting practices: Innovatics, thenew.org and The Innovation Agency. These firms combined a bone-deep understanding of the now-to-new process with emerging practice in the fields of organisation development, leadership development, team development and people development, thereby enabling clients to respond to tough challenges in a holistic and method-independent manner.

“He is second to none in comparing, contrasting, and critiquing models, explaining complex management thinking simply and memorably, and turning ideas into effective practice.”

Dr. James Wilk MA Oxf, MSc Oxf, PhD, FCybS, University of Oxford | Read James’s testimonial in full

Jack was instrumental in bringing Open Space Technology, a participant-driven conference method, to the UK after experiencing it for the first time in 1988 at an international conference on organisation transformation. Some years later, he moved to Amsterdam where he established The Centre for Large Group Interventions and helped senior managers use Open Space, Future Search, Real Time Strategic Change and other ‘whole system in the room’ methods to address strategic and operational challenges.

Jack’s services have been commissioned by a wide range of businesses and nonprofit organisations including ABN Amro Bank, Department of Health, European Commission, GlaxoSmithKline, Home Office, Imagination, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, McCain Foods, NHS, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways), PricewaterhouseCooopers, Royal Dutch Shell, and WH Smith.

“His understanding of the issues, passion for innovation and down-to-earth approach made a valuable contribution to GameChanger.”

Dr. Math Kohnen, formerly a member of the Group Strategy unit at Royal Dutch Shell and a vice president at Shell GameChanger

Read Math’s testimonial in full

Jack undertakes his own now-to-new projects and supports corporate clients in their innovation and change endeavours, taking on many roles including thinking partner, strategist, researcher, concept developer, intervention designer, coach, facilitator, educator, and project instigator. He also serves in an advisory capacity to the principals of various boutique consulting practices.

He is a prolific writer on management and organisational topics and a former commissioning editor for Organisations & People, the journal of the Association for Management Education and Development, where he sat on the governing council. He has taught at London Business School, University of Brighton, London School of Economics, Roffey Park Institute, Hult Ashridge and elsewhere.

“He has one of the most brilliant, penetrating, erudite, and practical minds I know.”

Angus Jenkinson, formerly Professor of Integrated Marketing at University of Bedfordshire; currently Secretary of The Cybernetics Society and the founder of Thinking | Read Angus’s testimonial in full

Jack has been on a quest to find holistic, world-enriching ways of creating the new since the 1970s. After discovering Edward de Bono’s work, he journeyed through the realms of creative problem solving, Synectics and co‑creation, eventually finding himself in the land of design thinking.

Read about Creative problem solving | Synectics | Co-creation | Design thinking | Agile

But what’s next? What’s out there beyond the horizon? Jack’s now-to-new.com website showcases his most fascinating discoveries, reveals some tantalising clues, and provides access to a collection of practical concepts, methods and tools of his own making.

“If I was in a tight corner, Jack is one of the main people I’d want on my side.”

Tom Bourner, Emeritus Professor of Personal and Professional Development, University of Brighton, UK | Read Tom’s testimonial in full

Watch the video of Jack’s five-minute Ignite talk: Enriching the world: Is it good business practice?