Examples of our work

A Partner and Senior Manager were engaged part-time for 8 weeks to:

• Benchmark current performance relative to key competitors
• Identify defining market trends and their implications
• Recommend where the organisation needed to focus for continuing and profitable growth
• Document the recommendations for presentation to the senior leadership team at their annual planning event
• Facilitate strategic workshop with senior executive team

Outcome:

The identification of economic trends caused a reprioritisation of capital allocation between business units. In particular, funds were shifted away from traditional areas to enable investment in new building types with higher returns. The revised investment plan was approved by the Board and the company is well underway in executing against that plan, and construction has commenced on one of the new pilot sites.

A Senior Manager was engaged on a flexible basis over 18 months to:

• Facilitate multiple executive workshops to articulate vision, goals, strategic initiatives
• Provide guidance where required on design and execution of strategic initiatives
• Facilitate an executive workshop to identify desired leadership behaviours and translate that into a 180-degree feedback survey
• Design an executive goal-setting and achievement plan process
• Conduct 180-degree leadership team survey and provide summary of feedback to individuals

Outcome:

> 25% growth in revenues of core business, successful international expansion, launch of independently produced film productions, successful launch of education academy with leading university.

A Senior Manager and a Project Leader were engaged 2-3 days a week for 12 weeks to:

• Define current performance relative to competitor and best practice benchmarks
• Identify major client, competitor and macro trends and the impact this will have on the client
• Define a five-year vision of where the firm should focus to create enduring profitable growth
• Identify what needs to change to deliver on this vision
• Design highest priority changes
• Develop a multi-year change roadmap and implementation structure

Outcome:

The work resulted in a much clearer identification of the firm’s competitive advantage, leading to sharpened focus on mid-market clients and selected industry sectors, a restructure of the leadership team, and the launch of a range of initiatives to deliver on the strategy developed - this has led to significant growth in revenue and partner numbers.

A Partner, Senior Manager and Analyst were engaged for 6 months to:

• Develop a new operating model for the company, including organisation structure, KPIs, new major processes and functions with the intent of reducing costs and improving organisational alignment
• Develop an overall industry financial and operational model to enable the industry structure and conduct to be analysed and strategic options developed
• Create a number of strategic options for the company to improve its strategic position and long-term performance
• Refine these options with the management team and select the highest value course of action
• Develop an implementation plan for the strategy.

Outcome:

New, more efficient and effective organisation structure implemented and industry strategy implementation underway

A Senior Manager was engaged 1 to 2 days per week for a period of 3 months, working with the executive team and Board to:

• Analyse the industry landscape and identify major trends and emerging opportunities
• Develop a growth strategy, considering a range of options as well as competitive dynamics and the overall aspirations of the firm
• Synthesise this growth strategy and work with the Board to gain approval and to put in place KPIs and a road-map for implementation

Outcome:

Agreed growth strategy implementation underway that will more than double the market capitalisation of the company.

Two Partners, two Senior Managers and three Consultants were engaged full time for a year to:

• Lead project planning for the merger, including decision and governance processes and planning/review materials
• Oversee early execution, working side-by-side with client executives
• Design and support employee selection and redundancy process, closely tracking outcomes and impact
• Assist in identification and on-time delivery of over $100m of cost synergies

Outcome:

Delivery of over $100m in cost synergies ahead of milestones, executives with strong sense of ownership of process and outcomes

A Senior Manager and Project Leader were engaged 3 days a week for 4 months to:

• Define the organisational outcomes required and what implications this has for a new sales and service system
• Evaluate system providers and recommend the preferred system
• Agree the change road map
• Redesign relevant sales and service processes
• Refine management structure and personnel where necessary
• Implement required changes

Outcome:

Accelerated identification and successful implementation of new sales and service system

A Partner and two Consultants from Cast were engaged for 5 days a week for differing periods over 12 months to:

• Define the transformation in organisational health outcomes and practices required for the company to shift from 'good to great'
• Design and deliver a rigorous baseline assessment of people leadership capabilities across multiple countries and job levels
• Agree the transformation road map
• Establish operating discipline and owners’ mindset in the weekly cashflow improvement rhythm
• Deliver a transformative leadership program with site leadership teams across the world
• Partner with site locations to develop action plans and implement change

Outcome:

The company's organisational health has now improved from 4th quartile ('poor') to 2nd quartile ('good') as measured in an annual comprehensive survey of employees at 750 companies globally. The next challenge is to improve from 'good' to 'great'.