About Branchford
Experience that moves strategy into practice.
Branchford combines organizational leadership with policy and stakeholder experience to help organizations make informed decisions and carry them through implementation.
Meet the partners
Why we built Branchford
Why we work together.
We founded Branchford to bring our experience in organizational leadership and public policy into a shared advisory practice. Clayton’s work has centered on leading organizations through change. Erica’s has included business operations and building partnerships to advance policy reform.
We work directly with clients to understand the challenge, develop a workable approach, and support implementation.
Our founders
Two perspectives. A shared commitment to the work.
Clayton E. Thompson, Ph.D.
Co-Founder & Partner
Organizational Strategy & Implementation
Clayton brings more than two decades of leadership experience in complex organizations. His work includes redesigning operating practices and developing the decision-making capability needed to sustain performance.
Clayton has led complex organizations through major technology and workforce transitions, aligning people, resources, and operating practices while sustaining essential operations. His work has required turning strategic priorities into practical decisions about staffing, training, and daily execution.
With a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership and experience teaching professional leadership education, Clayton connects research to the realities of organizational work. His approach emphasizes clear decision authority and learning through practice.
At Branchford, he focuses on organizational assessments, strategy implementation, operating models, and leadership development that helps teams perform with greater independence.
Contact Clayton
Erica Thompson
Co-Founder & Partner
Policy Strategy & Partnerships
Erica brings experience in business leadership, operational turnaround, national policy advocacy, strategic partnerships, and coalition building. Her work spans the private, nonprofit, and public-policy sectors.
She has helped bring together families, congressional offices, researchers, and industry experts to address systemic challenges. Her national housing-reform advocacy includes work through Change the Air Foundation and engagement around the Military Occupancy Living Defense (MOLD) Act.
Her perspective is shaped by more than two decades of military family life and a career navigating organizations from both inside and outside the system. She examines how leadership decisions and policy translate into the lived experience of the people they are intended to serve.
At Branchford, Erica focuses on policy strategy, stakeholder engagement, public affairs, and partnerships that help organizations build support and turn priorities into coordinated action.
Contact EricaThe experience described above reflects work our founders have undertaken throughout their careers, including roles outside Branchford.
How we work
Understand the organization. Work with its people.
Our complementary backgrounds help us consider the operating realities behind a strategy and the relationships needed to carry it forward.
Explore our services →Start with the actual problem.
We examine how work gets done and where progress stalls before recommending a solution.
Build shared understanding.
We bring relevant perspectives into the work and clarify expectations so people can act with confidence.
Stay connected to implementation.
We help translate direction into practical responsibilities and adjust the approach as the organization learns.
Let’s talk about the work ahead.
Tell us what your organization is trying to accomplish and where you need support.