Professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has appointed Alex Barclay as London-based senior director of design, to strengthen is digital healthcare offering in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Barclay specialises in using design-based methods to solve complex problems. His initial focus will be on helping to design and deliver patient experience solutions that drive revenue and value creation for healthcare and life sciences companies in EMEA.

Barclay has more than 20 years’ advisory and operational expertise and was previously strategic design at Boston Consulting Group.

Jean Laurent Poitou, managing director and A&M’s head of digital, EMEA, said: “Alex’s appointment, and the addition of a human-centred design capability, is an important moment for A&M and the evolution of our digital healthcare proposition. Bringing together a unique blend of specialists to help companies solve complex problems is core to our operational heritage and furthers our ability to improve the top and bottom line along with unlocking long-term value for clients.”

Raymond Berglund, managing director and head of A&M’s EMEA healthcare and life sciences practice, added: “Clients often struggle to connect technology with hands-on process change. The design process is where these two elements come together in healthcare and life sciences. When this is executed well, companies in the space can unlock the revenue and profitability required to scale up and reach even more lives. Alex’s talent is a great complement to our existing service offerings, and we are excited to see the value he and his team will generate for clients.”

Barclay commented: “Design, at its core, is about progress, and the healthcare and life sciences sector is the ideal space in which to explore its potential. I’m joining A&M because there is significant opportunity to demonstrate the power of human-centred design and to work with an experienced team of operators that have the ability to implement and execute.”