Strengthening accountability and efficiency
CONTEXT
A private equity firm bought a €600M industrial company lacking commercial savvy and operational efficiency in some areas.
APPROACH
The 3Ds: Diagnose, Design and Deliver
Through initial discussions with the PE firm and the company’s CEO, we collected information such as strategic plans and organisation charts then identified points for attention and issues. Based on this we made preliminary assumptions and conducted deep structured interviews with the top management worldwide (~50 people). We looked into external benchmarks in parallel.
With all the information gathered, we proposed two organisational options, each assessed against a limited number of criteria (such as efficiency, customer orientation, results focus) and a governance body with a clear agenda.
OUTCOME
One of the two options has been chosen and implemented with a clear focus on simplification and people accountability.
A couple of new managers have joined the company and helped to reinforce the change; this was an opportunity for the CEO to bring in some fresh thinking and add it to the existing team’s capabilities.
CONTEXT
A single family office needed to take stock of progress made to date, validate their vision for 2025, and recommit key family members to the vision.
APPROACH
- Detailed interviews and psychometrics with each family member to understand their style, experience, capabilities and personal aspirations
- Private retreat in a secluded resort in Bali to facilitate three days of one-to-one sharing, feedback sessions, reflection and brainstorming
- Alignment around key projects and key governance processes
OUTCOME
The project gave a clear sense of direction to the family members including:
- A strong sense of individual and collective ownership and (re) commitment to the family vision and mission
- A renewed appreciation for each family member’s strengths, vulnerabilities, and personal aspirations
- A clear delineation of projects (organisational and otherwise) that must be tackled to achieve the family’s vision for 2025
- A follow up plan to progressively include non-family professionals and secure their commitment to the vision
CONTEXT
A listed insurance company, addressing broad change management activity, wanted to increase awareness of its organisation and strengthen its internal succession pipeline.
APPROACH
- Identification of key positions to be reviewed for succession planning purposes
- Assessment interviews with incumbents of each key position and potential successors
- Preparation of a risk management dashboard
- Analysis of the pipeline, to assess the mix of competencies and experience and readiness to cover the role
OUTCOME
- An overview of the succession risk to have key positions vacant and a related recovery plan
- Deep analysis of the potential and experience of the executives and the firm’s internal pipeline
- Individual development plans as a tool to support next generation leaders for key roles
CONTEXT
A leading European private equity firm had just acquired a mid-size consumer goods company with operations in Benelux and the UK. We were mandated to assess the 30 top executives of the acquired group and design individual development plans.
APPROACH
We put together a team of four senior consultants with expertise in consumer goods within these regions and used a combination of in-depth interviews, focusing on competencies deemed critical by our client, and selected psychometrics. All executives were assessed and debriefed in just a few weeks.
OUTCOME
We provided a clear picture of executives’ key areas of strength and weakness, leading to some reshuffling of the senior management team, as well as concrete recommendations for people to realise their full development potential. Additionally we suggested ways to simplify the organisational structure, clarify roles and responsibilities and improve corporate governance.
CONTEXT
An important group of families, composed of more than 200 shareholders, belonging to five different branches from six generations, owns more than one multi-billion industrial company. Their governance is complex, and the need to align the general family shareholders group with the family council and boards of directors of the operating companies, was crucial.
APPROACH
Proper alignment among these governing bodies is important because it affects the success of the families in terms of sustainability, transition to the next generations and togetherness (“affectio societatis”).
OUTCOME
Our advisory role, exercised over a period of three to four years, consisted of reviewing the family council, as well as the boards of the operating companies (in terms of organisation, functionality, behaviours and capabilities), then driving the selection committee for the nomination of family members to be appointed to the boards and finally recruiting external directors. In performing this mission, our contribution helped the family upgrade its “family charter” and improve their internal processes.
CONTEXT
A multinational telecommunications company was undertaking a critical transformation of its shareholding and governance model.
The change of shareholding and a challenging competitive landscape required a board that could make effective and cohesive decisions.
APPROACH
- Understanding the situation by interviewing key board members (chair, CEO, lead independent director, committees chairs, board secretary) and analysing selected company documents including strategic plans and board meeting reports
- Preparation of a questionnaire for leading interviews with all board members, addressing the resulting critical areas and aimed at finding common ground
- Execution of confidential interviews
- Development of a report containing our findings, suggested areas for improvement and a feasible implementation plan
- Presentation of the results to the board
- Follow-on support
OUTCOME
A set of projects was unanimously agreed:
- Improvements in communication between the management and the board
- More involvement of the board in the discussion of the company’s strategic plan
- More efficient flow of documents to the board
- Implementation of common sense actions to improve cohesion (such as informal pre-board meetings)
- Proper induction programme for new board members
CONTEXT
A global consultancy needed to expand its operations in Asia and was looking for two senior advisors to guide the establishment of their Singapore hub.
APPROACH
We developed a list of around 20 potential candidates who could demonstrate the domain expertise and seniority required by our client.
OUTCOME
Our client appointed two senior advisors: the recently retired
CEO of one of the largest Singapore-listed corporations, and the former head of investment banking for Southeast Asia at a global investment bank.
Context
A global consultancy needed to expand its operations in Asia and was looking for two senior advisors to guide the establishment of their Singapore hub.
approach
We developed a list of around 20 potential candidates who could demonstrate the domain expertise and seniority required by our client.
outcome
Our client appointed two senior advisors: the recently retired CEO of one of the largest Singapore-listed corporations, and the former head of investment banking for Southeast Asia at a global investment bank.