Case Studies

We worked with different specialist teams at a global publishing and knowledge group to help them think about how to drive innovative behaviours into technology teams.

Using a mixture of showcasing technologies and applications, as well as bringing to life the journeys of several highly creative people, we gave the teams an understanding of how to build a culture supported and promoted innovation across the business and didn't slip deeply into over engineering solutions. Failing fast was not something that fitted well into their highly specialist perfectionist culture.

Imagine a greenfield development that created one of the world's most profitable automotive businesses: Japanese American JV; French and American leadership blended with local Hungarian and Slovak know-how; pre-accession for Hungary into the European community so a time of massive change.

Largely through very hands on coaching, we worked with all stakeholders, both inside as well as within the Hungarian Government to create an outstanding blueprint for partnership and collaboration. We used the Cyclone model to deliver sustainable successful business transformation.

Managing business growth

The CEO of a company initially set up to identify, develop and commercialise opportunities in pharma was seeking to grow the business into a specialty pharma business with innovative treatments.  In short the company would be catapulted into the world of established quoted pharmaceuticals.  He was passionate about wanting to hold on to the values and culture that kept the company inquisitive and entrepreneurial but, at the same time, put in place structures, processes and disciplines that instilled the rigour and acumen of a respected commercially astute business.

Adaptive leadership in a fast moving business

The VP of the IS function of a global drinks company sought my help in building her leadership team from scratch into a high performing team impacting across the business. Her challenges included: building their identity as a leadership team (their purpose, vision and their operating principles); designing a process to cascade the high performing team environment throughout the IS function; and coaching individuals and their teams to ensure follow through and a continued noticeable impact on the business.

Thinking outside the box across industries

One of my favourite activities is to get people to share ideas and experiences from different industries - where they are not directly competing and where ideas can cross-fertilise.  I designed and ran a session where the subject was how to develop a culture of innovative behaviour and thinking in business - an idea feared by many as it ‘goes against the grain’.  With the support of an inventor friend, I made sure our session generated both excitement and a few 'aha' moments.

establishing operations in newly emerging markets

A global packaging business needed help in Central Europe prior to accession to the EU. I helped them with: cultural integration of Polish, Hungarian and Czech acquisitions; setting up a pan European development programme for senior executives and leaders; and creating innovative solutions to reduce operating costs.