Working on the frontier of meaningful adaptation
An ecosystem of thought leaders and practitioners producing breakthrough products, services and advoisory
In a world facing ongoing climate and technological change and shifting global narratives, the call for resilient and adaptable leadership has never been more pressing.
The groups work blends innovation with practicality—building enduring, adaptive responses to real conditions. We lead and coordinate the development of tools, pilots, and frameworks that support serious, sustainable transition—without hype, ideology, or shortcuts.
Evolution of an ecosystem
Over four decades, the work has shifted from physical infrastructure to strategic transformation, from delivering systems to guiding adaptive intelligence. Each phase built on the last, culminating in this Innovation Ecosystem.
Foundations in Delivery (1980s–1990s)
A beginning in civil and building construction, leading mass-scale infrastructure programs and housing upgrades. These formative years developed strength in systems delivery, workforce coordination, and operational design.
Key insight: success depends not just on execution—but alignment, trust, and flow.
Telecoms & Systems Thinking (2000s–2010s)
Strategy and program establishment activity for Telecom, Lucent, and Alcatel, helped shape national mobile rollouts and outsourcing systems.
Application of systems thinking and experimentation with dynamic programme design provided break-through results.
Founding THQ & the Transition Era (2019–2021)
Transition-HQ and co-founding of Onepointfive (Transition risk) to support long-term, sustainable transitions. Co-developed Transition Navigators program and served on the board of the Global Association for Transition Engineering. Initial complex system transition projects established.
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The SWITCH Platform (2025–Present)
SWITCH integrates decades of field learning into one adaptive platform:
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Dynamic Strategy engine
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Strengths Builder tools
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Early AI augmentation
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The goal: enable living intelligence inside organisations—so they grow stronger through change, not weaker.
Global Project Leadership (1985–1995)
International experience across Australia, the UK, and West Africa, leading large scale projects and complex delivery environments seeded the interest in adaptive systems, cross-cultural resilience, and real-world strategy.
Organisational Insight & Dynamic Strategy Emergence (2010s)
Adaptive Strategy and Organisational Network Analysis driven work, created expertise and focus on trust networks, informal influence, and high-performance architecture. Here, the generative model built around practice evolution and action learning emerged.
Codification & Collective Intelligence (2020–2024)
Authored over 180 articles in the Edge series dedicated to exploring Transition innovation. Began designing repeatable frameworks for sensemaking and alignment.
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A global network supports the evolution of Adaptation and Resilience Innovation.
Grant Symons | founder
The Adaptation and Resilience Innovation Ecosystem
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Grant is a practitioner, guide and facilitator with over 30 years’ experience leading complex programmes across infrastructure, engineering, start-ups, and public systems—both in New Zealand and internationally. His work has spanned frontline project delivery, executive strategy, and system-wide transformation efforts. He has developed unique insights into organisation, production systems, human performance and systems design.
Over time, it became clear that many organisations were slipping out of alignment with the pace and complexity of the world around them. Traditional models—designed for predictability and control—were no longer fit for environments marked by volatility, interdependence, and change. What was needed were new ways of seeing reality, working together, and adapting with coherence and clarity.
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Significant lessons were learned through the GFC, Covid-19 and the Civil unrest in New Caledonia which contributed to evolution of the content and delivery of learning and facilitation through a variety of channels. Through partners, close client relationships and ongoing feedback, new insights and practices have emerged. Serving on the Board of Trustees for the Global Association for Transition Engineering for three years and authoring over 180 articles on Transition, crystalised and deepened his insight and commitment to leading increasingly intelligent approaches to adaptation, for all organisation types.
SWITCH-Platform was created to meet the need and opportunity for an integrated approach. At its core it is a practical, adaptive system designed to help organisations sense real conditions, build alignment across silos, and act with strategic traction. It enables organisations to grow stronger through change, not just survive it.
Grant’s approach is not theoretical. It is grounded, applied, and human. He works with leaders and teams who want to move beyond theatre and compliance—to engage with real complexity, build trust, and create meaningful change that sticks.
The Adaptation and Resilience Innovation Ecosystem is part Transition-HQ Limited New Zealand. Transition-HQ Ltd is an accredited service provider to the New Zealand Government.