Trusted Globally - Where proven transformation drives measurable success
Accelerate Productivity
Enhance Profitability
Optimize Performance
Accelerate Productivity
Enhance Profitability
Optimize Performance
our purpose
At 1801, we drive transformative excellence for Professional Service Organizations worldwide.
Our mission is clear – delivering measurable impact through proven frameworks and data-driven insights.
By combining strategic innovation with operational excellence, we help leadership teams optimize service delivery, accelerate growth and increase margin.
Our approach, trusted by 50,000+ organizations and backed by 19 years of benchmarking data, guarantees enhanced margins and sustainable success.
WHO ARE 1801
The 1801 Consulting Group was founded by Connor Metcalf and Ryan Kelly, who first met over 15 years ago at university and first worked together at a PE-backed FinTech in 2018. With extensive experience across various industries, they launched 1801 in January 2023, helping Services businesses accelerate productivity & profitability. This mission ties into our purpose of enabling positive change, through supporting digitalisation across the world!
Where 1801 Really Began:
To check out the origins of our somewhat unusual name, check out our origin story blog post …
Fun fact: It’s pronounced like the year: “Eighteen – Oh – One“
About our partners
Service Performance Insight, LLC (SPI), our official Research & Benchmarking partner, is a global research, consulting, and training organization dedicated to helping professional service organizations (PSOs) make quantum improvements in productivity and profit. In 2007, SPI developed the PS Maturity Model™ as a strategic planning and management framework. This industry-leading performance improvement tool, used by over 50,000 project- and service-driven organizations, is proven to chart the course to service excellence, making it an invaluable asset for any PSO.
If you’re managing a service organization:
- Are you ready for AI and ML integration?
- How will AI affect your operations and clients?
- How does your organization compare to industry standards?
- Do you possess the necessary industry data to support strategic decisions?
- Can you objectively assess your strengths and weaknesses for
actionable planning? - Where should you invest for maximum impact?
PS executives turn to Service Performance Insight annually for comparative analysis, emerging trends, and best practices. The Professional Services Maturity™ Benchmark offers a foundation for comparison and a strategy for enhancement.
What it feels like to work with us
A Message on Values from 1801’s Co-Founders
At our core, we see ourselves as change agents—the sherpas helping you scale the seemingly impossible. Organizational health principles have always been a focus we’ve embedded elsewhere, and at 1801, it’s no different. Central to enabling us are our values. With these three in mind, we believe we have a winning formula to share with you.
Act with
care
Considering others in all that we do, by taking people on the journey.
Make it
happen
Operating with an outcome focused
bias-for-action.
Disruptive engagement
Being comfortably uncomfortable with challenging the status quo, to maximize value.
leadership team
Ryan Kelly
Co-Founder
After years of leading in-house operational transformations, consulting became my way of applying that same ‘inside-out’ approach to help businesses scale. Being part of the team, not just an outsider offering advice. My focus is people first, process second—working alongside clients to navigate challenges and deliver meaningful change.
Connor Metcalf
Co-Founder
I’ve been passionate about improving people’s performance throughout my career in very hands-on roles. Driven by a desire to help bring necessary change to teams who aren’t able to get there alone, I co-founded 1801. I truly believe a happy team can achieve anything, and that we can have fun along the way.
WORK WITH LEADERS WHO NOT ONLY ADVISE ON HOW,
BUT ALSO HELP YOU DO.
Ready to boost your profitability with data-driven solutions? Fill out the form below, and we’ll reach out to explore how 1801 can help you reach your goals.
Our Partnership with 1801 is helping our scale-up journey, generating significant value on our quest to have a fully integrated end-to-end process! Their hands-on, structured approach, coupled with genuine care, has streamlined our five implementations, fostering a sense of ownership and pride within our team.
David Richardson – Director of Operations – Data Intellect
I collaborated with 1801 on a consultancy project, where they both showcased exceptional professionalism and innovation. Connor’s strategic insights and meticulous attention to business objectives greatly enhanced our efficiency, while Ryan’s dynamic execution and adaptability drove our project forward at pace. Together, they delivered outstanding results, exceeding expectations for our shared client with their creativity and commitment to excellence.
Walid Mohamed – Business Consultant – SmartRecruiters
Having 1801 parachute into our change project was a game-changer. Ryan’s ‘make it happen’ approach ensured we met our strict timelines and maintained customer experience during our clinic and billing management system change. 1801’s focus on scalability has set us up for the future, not just a replication of the old system. They quickly grasped our operating model, trained our team, and facilitated a smoother vendor engagement. Thanks, 1801—our new setup is fantastic!
Priya Streram – Owner – ArkVet Rehab
Partnering with 1801 sped up my client’s People Experience maturity journey, helping meet our goals through tailored system implementations. The ability to share our objectives and trust in 1801’s agility and expertise to help realise them was invaluable. Their collaborative approach in technical design & implementation, with an end-to-end complete business view, distinctly enhanced our outcomes.
Kirit – Founder – One of a Mind
Looking for your next big adventure?
Are you someone who brings integrity, curiosity, and supportive energy to both clients and colleagues?
We’d love to hear from you! At 1801, personal integrity and healthy behaviours are a founding ingredient for our culture.
