Experience Repository

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BHL

Boparan was the Western Europe largest food manufacturing company, with significant operatons in the UK. Around 75% of the UK population eats their product regularly. Between 2015-2018, they were struggling with declining EBITDA (negative 26% yoy). On 2018, the Board appointed a new CEO to change the situation. I was brought-in as the Chief of Staff to the Group CEO and Chief Strategist to support the corporate-wide transformation program.

My mandate is to help the CEO design and implement the transformation program. Reporting to the CEO (Ronald), I was leading the program, in collaboration with the Group CFO (Craig), CCO (Dan), CIO (Ferenc), as well as the Divisional Leadership Teams. The overall project had a $2M budget and a 12-month delivery timeline. To support me, there were 14 representatives across various functions assigned to me. My approach was 4-Ds:1. Define: Understand key problems and define them clearly (i.e., 4 weeks of challenge mapping)2. Diagnostic: Structure the problems and identify the root-causes (i.e., 4 weeks of root-cause analysis)3. Design: Create the blueprints and detailed initiatives (i.e., 8 weeks of strategy and action planning)4. Deliver: Prepare, drive, monitor, and readjust the initiatives (i.e., 6-12 months of transformation management)5. Sustain: Address the communication, collaboration, and culture side (i.e., change management running in parallel)Result: We scuccessfully improved the EBITDA by $75M just in 12 months. In addition, we successfully released cash by $700M from corporate simplification as well as identified further $95M for the next 3 years. Following the successful transformation, the owner of the company (Ranjit) said: "Now I see the power of strategy. Strategy is the most important. Once it is well-defined, everything will just follow from there."

Sanofi

Client was interested in performance improvement from the digitalisation of its manufacturing processes and the adoption of AI. Therefore, we were tasked to create a digital twin of their processes and then leverage AI to generate value and optimise the processes.

Led a cross-functional team comprising data scientists, software developers, system architects, and UI designers to successfully deliver the AI solution, employing a sprint-agile approach.Collaborated closely with Business Process Owners (BPOs) to develop digital twins for the key manufacturing processes.Provided coaching and guidance to life scientists and business managers, facilitating their adoption of a digital culture.Result: Saving $145M annually across IE, DE, FR, and BE through digitalization & AI.

Ferrero

As part of its growth strategy, Ferrero bought several confectionary companies in the UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Denmark. All of these acquired companies were on different ERP systems and at various sophistication levels (e.g., massive reliance on spreadsheets, poor data quality, inability to consolidate financial data). In addition to this IT challenge, at the same time, Ferrero was also integrating these companies from a business perspective to capture financial synergies and position the integrated entity for hyper-growth. Hence, they needed a new, standardized ERP system to be rolled out to all the acquired companies – that would also be compatible with the parent company, the Ferrero Group. Following a short diagnostic phase, the SAP S/4 Hanna Cloud is the preferred ERP system.

As an interim Strategy & Transformation Director, I was tasked to lead the project. I was reporting to the Finance Lead of the Family Office (Giovanni), the Ferrero HQ CIO (Giandomenico), and the integrated entity's CFO and CTO (Saeeda). The overall project had a $20M implementation budget and an 18-month delivery timeline. To support me, there were 91 Business Process Owners (BPOs) from various functions (with a range from 25% to 50% time allocation) and 4 full-time representatives (from Finance, HR, IT, and Strategy) assigned to me. Result: A new, standardized, and integrated SAP S/4 Hanna Cloud system successfully went live on time, within budget, as per the original specifications across all countries. According to our SAP Representatives: "This is the fastest and smoothest transformation we have ever seen." This new ERP system then well-positioned the new integrated entity for hyper-growth. We successfully achieved a $100M EBIT improvement as part of the overall transformation.

Margin Diagnostic for Industrial company

Assess source of margin gap of automotive OEM to two key competitors in North America

Identified key sources (~20 drivers, e.g. cost of engineering, pricing, etc.) of margin difference with key competitors and identification of key actions to close margin gap.

Struggling Executive

Client was at risk of losing is job and was consistently passed over for promotions.

Worked with client for 12 months on emotional intelligence, influence skills and understanding and building a strategic network.

Digital Transformation - Commercial Banking

Need to develop technology roadmap to (1) improve customer service, (2) increase operational efficiency and (3) reduce risk

Developed technology roadmap covering (a) Introduction of CRM system, (b) Integration of existing systems to improve automation and increase data quality and (c) automate manual processes through introduction of MSFT Power Platforms

Facilitating credit card market share expansion for a multinational bank

This multinational banking client had a suite of successful cash back credit card offerings but wanted to capture the #1 ranking in the category. With this ambitious goal and products that were already ranked #2 in the category, improvements had been hard to come with the use of traditional big-plan-up-front marketing approaches.

The approach employed a lean, experimental-based marketing methodology. This approach involved: describing the business models for the cash back products that would deliver a top category ranking, discovering the non-validated assumptions being made in each product’s business model, running quick, inexpensive marketing experiments intended to validate business model assumptions, accumulating small insights from the above experiments that led to larger breakthroughs. Based on the insights gathered from the above growth hacking work, the client added new cash back credit card features and enhanced existing ones. Those changes created a cash back offering that has been growing faster than the industry since the project completed. Not only has the client achieved industry-leading purchase volume, but they have captured the highest share of new account growth in the cash back credit card category.

Executive Team Trust and Boundaries

The executive team was made up of exceptional engineers and experts but all lacked leadership capabilities and the team itself was functioning as a group of siloed departments which was leading to production and safety issues.

Provided individual Hogan Assessments and a Team assessment to begin developing self-awareness of the individuals along with looking at where the team stood in terms of strengths and what they looked like under stress (potential derailers). Worked with the team to form stronger communication expectations, decision making processes, and building trust to reduce unnecessary boundaries. Ultimately, helping them move from independent thinking/acting to interdependent thinking/acting.

Improvement in sales leads conversion through process optimization with AI

Client wants to increase their sales leads conversion and increase revenues: - Over 5,000 cold leads received per year with less than 3% conversion - Client aims to double sales lead conversion and improve the customer service process across every channel - Lack of information to understand what the roadblocks are and what drives or not sales lead conversion

- Developed a technological solution analyzes leads and automatically generates personalized response - Verification of product availability in inventory and MOQ (minimum order quantity) and sales requirements (e.g. controlled products) - Automated replies include both quote and payment link - Intelligent system that recommends alternate products or different quantities with the aim of generating sales Results: 80% lead reduction needing manual follow-up 400% increase in sales lead conversion - Automated process that responds in a matter of minutes to any sales lead – adapted to the cultural context of each country - Lead visibility with follow-up alerts through an interactive dashboard - Integration of inventory and pricing system to generate automatic quotes

Mastering market entry in beverages

Client was a leading global beverage giant which sought to expand its geographic footprint into a new region but lacked a clear understanding of the nuances of the regional beverage industry. To inform product development and market entry strategy, the client required a granular analysis of consumer preferences and sustained market leadership drivers in the region.

Conducted in-depth category analysis across coffee, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, health drinks, juices, and sports drinks to identify growth opportunities and competitive dynamics. Leveraged ethnographic research and focus groups to understand consumer preferences and behaviours within the target market. Developed product adaptation recommendations to align the client's portfolio with local tastes while preserving brand identity.

The talent of the future

Client discovered how to attract top talent in a market dominated by big tech companies. The big "ah-ha" moment was realizing that the best talent isn’t actively job hunting, but they are open to exciting new opportunities. This insight transformed their approach from internal processes to external recruiting strategies.

Developed a global talent acquisition, change management, and communication strategy for the HR department. Implemented and built internal capabilities in each country. Organized hackathons in partnership with universities and established strong partnerships with tech boot camps and startup incubators in 10 countries. Built global executive program in collaboration with Harvard, MIT, Kellogg, and Singularity University.

Coke - LATAM - Digital Transformation Labs

Clients can see firsthand how to build an internal digital lab, reducing the need for 100% external product development. This experience helps the client team understand the benefits and challenges of growing their product mindset and developing a successful B2B and B2C ecosystem.

identified key improvements to accelerate their digital transformation at scale. Over 650 people were empowered to start a daily capability-building program, enabling the company to create a digital lab. This initiative contributed to generating $80M USD in 12 months, with a target of reaching $1B USD in the next 12 months.

New cigar company launch

Client needed a plan for how to launch a new cigar brand and a way to track progress

Developed a project plan and conducted initial analyses to determine go-to-market strategy for launch of merchandise and cigar products

Packaging Optimization

Client needed to clean up data and tracking capabilities in existing systems while also consolidating the number of packaging skus it was carrying for it's customers and source lower cost suppliers.

Executed fixes to existing systems to enable collateral tracking, conducted analysis to consolidate collateral skus down from 50+ to ~10, and sourced suppliers that reduced cost per unit

Commission structure review

As part of my role as Head of Monetization at an eCommerce marketplace, I was tasked with redesigning our commission structure: local category managers wanted a differentiated fee for each category (which implied additional internal complexity and cost), while headquarters was pushing for a flat percentage across all categories (which reduced our revenues in certain categories, and made us non-competitive in others). My task was to design a solution that was acceptable for both parties.

Reviewed main competitors' commission fees for all subcategories and developed scenarios with flat fees, differentiated fees and proposed a flat percentage with a cap as an intermediate solution. This allowed for: Low complexity (no need to review that listings were correctly classified), Higher revenues (the flat fee was higher than otherwise would have been viable, resulting in 7% incremental revenues), High competitiveness (The cap made us competitive in 99% of our volume, and made it particularly attractive to sell high ticket items in our platform). The proposal was accepted by the local category management team, HQ, and local sellers, that were quick to accept the new commission structure.

Incubating digital-first apparel brands

Client was a nascent corporate incubator focused on digital-first apparel brands. To augment a clear vision to invest in high-growth ventures, the client sought advisory support in identifying the right sectors within apparel, invest in the right founders and brands, and developing growth strategies to help them succeed.

Conducted deep-dives into high-growth apparel segments through social listening and global trend analysis, which were used to identify, onboard and guide portfolio brands. For three brands in particular, I was involved in developing comprehensive growth strategies, including defining target audience, positioning, pricing, and supply chain recommendations. I subsequently supported these brands in building their targets and executing key growth initiatives.

School district demand and financial analysis

Client was a large urban school district with declining enrollment and high cost per student that was unsustainable and likely to lead to stake takeover without significant changes to operations.

Analyzed combination of enrollment, financial, facility, and geographies to recognize opportunities to consolidate schools, streamline operations, and apply best practices while meeting high bars of student and staff experience aligned to the district vision.

Generative AI-related productivity capture initiative for a global financial services company

Client needed to identify and capture significant cost savings opportunities associated with Generative AI implementation across multiple business units, as mandated by the CEO.

Developed a comprehensive Generative AI productivity strategy encompassing analysis of 8 business units, creation of implementation frameworks, identification of cost-saving opportunities, and development of a phased execution plan. The project included assessing current GenAI states, defining best practices, quantifying potential savings, and aligning executive leadership on a strategic headcount reduction approach to capture $50M in annualized cost savings.

PE Due Diligence in Food Service

Private equity client had exclusive rights to invest in a value-added food manufacturer. Before proceeding with the investment, they needed to better understand the target's market positioning and potential growth opportunities. In addition to identifying growth opportunities, they also wanted to assess potential go-to-market strategies to capture the opportunity

Gathered primary research consisting of 40+ interviews with potential customers, competitors and other industry players; combined primary research with analysis of industry data sets to assess customer needs (e.g., restaurant pain points, buying behavior / influencers, overall segmentation), competitive landscape and overall market / growth trends; data and insights were used to assess target's overall positioning and identify a complete set of growth options; each option was evaluated in terms of ROI, feasibility and strategic fit in order to develop 3 year go-to-market strategy

Adoption of an AI co-pilot by a National Sales Force

The North American sales force of this client’s commercial fragrance division was under pressure to deliver top-line sales growth. The leadership of this sales team engaged in the development of an AI tool to facilitate the sales process and bring in new business. This change in process was welcome for some and made others very uncomfortable as they saw the new tool as a threat to their expertise.

This challenge of changing the perception of the sales force to understand the intended value of the new tool required a nontraditional, nonlinear people change management approach. That approach was iterative instead of big-plan-upfront. It began with an understanding of the impediments and challenges that caused nervousness with the new tool directly from the sales force. It involved running short, inexpensive change experiments that allowed for rapid, inexpensive learning and adaptation. With the increased adoption of the new tool by the North American division’s sales force, 90% of their growth has come from new business. This is a new milestone for the division.

Market sizing and growth strategy for medical device company

Respiratory remote patient monitoring data startup with >$50M in equity financing needed help identifying growth opportunities in pulmonary disease treatment 

• Sized total addressable market (TAM) of new and incumbent treatment providers and hub services providers • Identified attractive segments for market entry by analyzing marketed products for COPD medical interventions (e.g., price point and administration complexity for anticholinergic inhalers, beta-agonist inhalers, combination therapy, etc.) • Analyzed case studies of analogous real-world data usage in prospective studies in respiratory patients to improve medication adherence Impact: • >$10B Total addressable market identified • >60 Products analyzed

GTM Strategy and Business transformation

Client was a non-profit research arm of a hospital that had developed an interesting piece of technology that it wanted to spin off into a separate company. Client needed help with both establishing operations and developing its go-to-market strategy

Served as interim Head of Strategy and Ops for healthcare data analytics startup; responsible for establishing operations, developing go-to-market strategy, org design / team build-out, and helping to secure > $20M in series A funding

Customer experience improvement for call centers

Client has a call center for high end travel - historically they only monitor 2-3% of interactions - Client wants to improve their NPS (Net promotor Score) and their service quality - Chat and WhatsApp was seldom reviewed - The agents' adherence to the quality model was evaluated inconsistently - The agents typified their performance for their compensation and hardly monitored - Feedback/training was general and not very relevant

Developed a technology solution leveraging AI to monitor 100% of interactions - 100% of interactions (WA, calls, and chat) monitored through AI - Results available ~15 seconds after the call is uploaded - Visibility on each agent's performance (per call, daily, weekly, and monthly) - Implemented continuous improvement program tailored for each agent based on feedback from each interaction - Parametric, scalable model, in which multiple campaigns can be mounted quickly

Enterprise GenAI strategy and strategic roadmap for a $30B Global P&C insurance company

Client recognized the potential of Generative AI but lacked a comprehensive strategy for its implementation across the enterprise. They needed expert guidance to assess their GenAI readiness, develop a cohesive strategy, and create a prioritized roadmap for adoption, while addressing organizational barriers and ensuring buy-in from various business units and functions.

Developed a strategic roadmap for leveraging Generative AI, including comprehensive GenAI readiness assessment, developing enterprise GenAI strategy, and creating a prioritized implementation roadmap, including . The project included stakeholder engagement across functions, opportunity identification in key business areas, development of a phased implementation plan with pilot initiatives, establishment of value capture metrics, and recommendations for data infrastructure and model architecture to support GenAI initiatives.

Value proposition for drug-device combination developed by large PharmaCo

A large PharmaCo developed a drug-device combination using a generic antibiotic and needed to create a value proposition based on the new technology in order to position it against other versions of the drug in the market. The main market for the product outside the US was in Europe, so the PharmaCo also required a value-based Market Access strategy to be formulated for EU payors so that they would cover the product valuing appropriately the benefits to patients that this innovation provided.

Led the work to create the value proposition and the value-based Access strategy for this drug-device combination for EU and key ex-US markets. Conducted clinical data analysis and market research into the patient journey and needs. Based on this research and customer insights obtained in conversations with the local markets and key stakeholders, and working closely with the Health Economics, Market Access and Clinical Development teams, I crafted an evidence-based value proposition and value based Access strategy. The evidence-based value proposition and related value Access strategy served as the basis for Detail Aid, Global Value Dossier and Medical Education materials which were used to gain Access for this product across the major EU markets. The succinct and powerful value proposition allowed the global team to create promotional detail material which was recognized with 1st prize Innovation Award across Global Novartis Marketing organization.

Pharmaceutical launch across multiple countries

A two-drug combination with blockbuster potential for heart failure was granted priority review designation by the FDA. Therefore, the large pharmaceutical company which owns the product needed to urgently accelerate the pre-launch preparations across all geographies worldwide. These preparations included building specialty capabilities in a cardiovascular franchise that lacked them.

I coordinated the Go-To-Market strategy and pre-launch preparations for all countries in the Latin America and Canada region. I traveled extensively throughout the Americas working closely with all the local markets, as well as frequent Global meetings in Switzerland and Europe. Key actions included: serve as main point of contact between Country and Global teams; coordinating the cross functional teams; building specialty product capabilities in cardiovascular teams; identifying financial goals of revenue growth. All major markets in the Region were ready at the time of regulatory approvals with strong Launch Readiness Plans specific for their markets and aligned with the global strategy and branding. The two-drug combination (Entresto) achieved highly successful launches, including adequate Market Access with public and private payors across the Region. It is now an important treatment option for patients with Heart Failure for the markets in Latin America and Canada and a major blockbuster product.

Competitive analysis of a family of pharmaceutical products in clinical development

The business development function within a large medical technology company active in the GLP-1 receptor agonist space required a detailed understanding of the impact that oral GLP-1 formulations in clinical development may have on the injectable formulations that are the strongest players in the T2D and obesity markets. They needed a consultant experienced in understanding clinical trials with the ability to translate clinical data into business implications most relevant to senior management.

I performed a thorough literature scan of the oral GLP-1s currently in clinical development to identify the compounds that could have a substantial impact on the GLP-1 market in the next 10 years. Having identified and agreed on these priority development programs with the client, I conducted a detailed analysis of their clinical studies and published data. Combining these findings with analyst reports I estimated the potential growth of oral formulations and their impact on the injectable segment of the market. Shared findings with the client in conversations and two key deliverables: 1) a Detailed Summary in Excel that captured key data, milestones, strengths/weaknesses (in a format that can be modified, sorted, and filtered); 2) an Executive Summary in a set of slides capturing key findings and business implications most relevant for C-suite executives. With this project the client obtained a clear and robust picture of the evolving market that allowed senior management to make strategic decisions.

Biotech startup ops

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the biotech startup was looking to rapidly bring a new COVID vaccine for low and middle income countries through clinical trials to help save as many lives as possible

Acted as the Head of Trial Operations and Clinical Trial Manager to coordinate multiple international vendors, secure comparator vaccines through special approval by the South African parliament, and ultimately helped set the record for the fastest startup to take a new drug into phase 1 clinical trials.

LiveNation - Scaling the next frontier of sponsorships for live events & music culture

Live Nation is the world’s leading ticket distribution and event promotion company, owning Ticketmaster and 142 venues in the United States. In a post-pandemic era, Live Nation was looking to capitalize on their position of strength to unlock new, unexpected growth opportunities that can be scaled to shape the next frontier of live events and music culture.

We identified four high growth opportunities, designed a relevant business model for scale, and prototyped two concepts to help Live Nation give brands an always-on role in fandom.

JetBlue - Launching the airline's first transatlantic flight

JetBlue wanted to launch their inaugural transatlantic flight from New York to London. Although they were a reputable domestic airline, JetBlue had never flown 6+ hours, offered full meal service, or targeted a foreign customer. Airline experiences are often interchangeable, so JetBlue wanted to create an experience that ended the communization of air travel.

We designed the end-to-end inflight experience, including the seatback entertainment screen, food, amenities, flight attendant service, etc. To understand the European customer, we conducted a mixed methods research approach, including: Ethnographies (16 participants), Focus groups (20 participants), Customer in-flight diaries (13 participants), Surveys (700 participants), Customer co-creations (16 participants), In-flight simulations (3 experiments), Social media ad testing (161K+ impressions), etc. Achievements: - Awarded 'Best Economy' in 'The Points Guy Awards' (2022) - Generated $123M in operating revenue in first year

Corporate and Business Strategy in Telecommunications

Developing a strategy for 5G in Enterprise

5G: Established an initiative and achieved buy in by Group Enterprise and Vodafone Group CEO & Executive Committee for the 5G Enterprise priorities in Automotive, Private Networks for industrial verticals and Mobile Edge Computing. Established Group programs, aligned with major markets, established opportunity assessment, prioritized use cases, and initial customer interest in trials.

Product Lifecycle in Business Products in Telecommunications

Following creation of Group Enterprise, Vodafone created a Product team targeting development of products, adjacent to Mobile for B2B customers from SoHo to multi-nationals, with a Product P&L of €3bn. The challenges addressed were the set up of processes across product strategy and planning, new product development and product rationalization of a large product portfolio. Also addressed partner management, marketing and sales enablement.

Established Product P&Ls across all countries and introduced product performance reporting. Ensured all Product targets and roadmaps interlocked with each of the 20+ countries’ local programs. Prioritized the central investment program of €300m annually to build and expand products globally. Collaborated across product teams to develop a plan to double revenue growth targets in 10 countries, ensured NPD initiatives were prioritized and funded. Achieved 12% year on year growth vs. 7% market growth, with revenues now accounting for 29% of Vodafone’s service revenue, up from 11% in 2013. Established New Product Development Governance process and tools, delivering >120 launches per annum, while reducing time to market by 30% in 2 years of operation. Established Product Rationalization program, which over 5 years placed 650 products on stop sell, retired 340 products, delivered cumulative savings of €180m. Established Partner management, Product Marketing and Training, Business Analysis (Requirements Management) and CX design programs. Established a global product taxonomy and mapped products for lifecycle management.

Media company Due Diligence

Client had a commercial agreement with their target, but believed there might be additional potential if they became a stockholder (large minotiry investment), and wanted to validate their current operations, profitability and potential.

Performed a financial analysis of the target, assessed their performance vs other players in the market, mapped their operating model with advantages and risks, and provided a final recommendation on the valuation range of the target and items to include in a term sheet

Teaching a telecommunication giant to drive growth through customer-centric innovation

As the economic climate became increasingly challenging, this telecommunications leader was under pressure to optimize resources and seek new avenues for growth. Their goals were clear: minimize the risk of product failures, foster collaboration among all stakeholders, efficiently identify new markets for existing products, enhance the customer experience of their offerings, develop reusable components for customer journeys, deepen their understanding of customer behavior & needs.

The transformation strategy was focused on empowering the organization from within. This approach involved: developing Design Thinking and Lean Product Innovation playbooks, providing a mentorship approach where skills such as workshop facilitation, customer interviewing, survey design, and Design Sprints were demonstrated, followed by observing team members using those skills while providing coaching and feedback. A team, once dedicated to project delivery, evolved into leaders in Design Thinking and Lean Product Innovation who enabled the scaling of these methods and techniques organization-wide. Furthermore, the team used these methods to improve their existing delivery operating models by a factor of 50%, reducing its duration from 4-6 weeks to 2 weeks while ensuring they build what customers truly desire thereby driving intended business results.

Joint Venture PMI

Client was in the midst of closing a JV (acquiring 50% of an ongoing business) and needed to make sure a value creation plan was set up to achieve all identified synergies. An additional challenge was to ensure the deal closed in a timely manner, as it had already been announced to the market.

Set up of a PMO, including drafting an implementation plan, defining responsible parties and milestones, designing the governance structure and tracking tools. Transferred all tools, processes and plans to business owner for its continued implementation after the deal was closed, and the overall plan had buy-in from involved parties.

Optimizing Market Research through AI

Using the open and direct answers from each consumer we conduct AI analysis on the different questions part of the market research Developed an interactive dashboard to visualize and interact with different variables as needed Analysis time reduction from weeks to hours Detailed results include multiple correlations being analyzed Tangible recommendations to the customer on products and areas for improvement by each department (e.g. sales, marketing, development, etc.)

Client conducts blind tests for products with consumers to determine product positioning Current process is completely manual where each result is tabulated manually and takes weeks to develop insights for the client

Renewing the strategic asset allocation for a GCC-based family office

The client had last updated their investment stragey five years ago before Covid and changes in markets, interest rates, technology investing etc., so it needed an update and a complete revamp of investment criteria and decision making processes. They were presented in-person during a day-long workshop and agreed/implemented.

Market analysis, competitive benchmarking, client and expert interviews

Competitive intelligence for sustainability software product

Client's climate risk software product is in a crowded and rapidly changing market. They wanted to better understand where they stand against competitors and how to potentially reposition their offering

Developed competitor battlecards and overall competitive analysis to help the client's sales and strategy teams understand the current positioning of their climate risk product and provide recommendation on how to refine their strategy

Due diligence for investment in insurance agency with >$60M in commissions

Growth fund needed to evaluate >$150M investment into agency focused on non-standard auto insurance with >200 FTE

• Identified whitespace opportunities amounting to >$15M (>75%) in EBITDA growth potential by conducting geospatial analysis of >500 of stores to determine market penetration of target and competitors • Coordinated multiple vendors to implement survey of >900 consumers and >50 agents in target demographic to create proprietary competitive insights for the target and its key competitors within 2 weeks • Pressure-tested management plan against 17 growth drivers and identified additional >$35M in total additional EBITDA growth potential through quantitative assessment of M&A and operational improvement opportunities Impact: • >$50M EBITDA growth potential identified • >$150M Invested within 3 months

Sustainability market scan

Client understood that sustainability would be an important growth area for their business but needed more granular information about the market to know where to begin looking for potential M&A activity

Developed a sustainability market scan for data collection, data measurement and processing, and point solutions including market sizing, market growth, headwinds and tailwinds, overlap with existing capabilities, customer personas, and potential target profiles

US Disaster Recovery

Client needed support understanding the federal disaster recovery funding options (via FEMA, HUD, and others) and how it would be deployed in the region and impact the economy.

Used research and analysis to develop a financial model including the total amount of expected support, timeline, rules and requirements, and impact on the local economy.

Marketing to Local Decision Makers

Client needed to understand how Local Government leaders interact with each other and share resources and knowledge in hopes that this would inform their product's marketing and awareness strategy.

Sourced, identified, and facilitated close to 30 relevant leaders across the country for interviews and synthesized information to develop recommendations specific to this group that led to insights about their marketing strategy intended to grow their user base.

Founder's Floundering

Two co-founders were struggling with a lack of clarity on strategy and no one directing the ship.

Worked with the Founders for 18 months to create clear roles and responsibilities, identify a clear vision and strategy to execute on helping the company reposition themselves in the market and create greater interest in investors for their Series-B.

AI and Enterprise Data transformation for a >$5B apparel company

Client's AI and data practices were scattered, over-engineered, and ineffective, causing operational challenges that hindered customer engagement and conversion improvements in both retail and DTC channels. Client needed a comprehensive AI and data transformation to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and drive sales growth across its business channels.

Led a comprehensive AI and data transformation encompassing assessment of existing practices, infrastructure, and processes across retail and DTC channels. Developed and implemented a strategic roadmap including organizational redesign, operational restructuring, and technical architecture overhaul.

Cotopaxi - Paving the way for the next iconic outdoor brand

Cotopaxi is a new, trendy outdoor brand that is rising through the ranks of the outdoor industry ($58M in 2021 revenue). While Cotopaxi had the right ingredients for a differentiated position in-market, they needed to sharpen, simplify, and systematize their strategy and tactics to unlock a movement. Customers were confused around where and when to sport Cotopaxi products, standing in the way of building loyalty.

We identified Cotopaxi’s primary and second target audiences and revamped their brand strategy by creating a clear filter for decision-making. The team prototyped five brand activations to bring the new strategy to life. Achivements: - Cotopaxi grew from $58M to $150M+ in revenue (2021-2023) - Cotopaxi won the Fortune 2023 Change the World Awards

Digital / business transformation for large global retailer

Traditional brick and mortar retail client was facing a tremendous digital threat -- primarily from Amazon. Client recognized that a significant digital transformation was necessary but before determining a digital strategy and building / acquiring new capabilities, a better understanding of potential future trends/scenarios and technologies was needed.

Developed digital strategy and transformation plan for one of the world’s largest retailers; analyzed future technology trends (including mobile, IoT, cloud computing, big data, drones and mobile payments) in order to assess impact on org design / capability requirements as well as future growth strategies (including bolt-on acquisitions)

IT Product mindset

The client recognized the importance of adopting a product mindset over a project mindset in today’s market. They faced an added challenge of transitioning out of backup protection while simultaneously undergoing a major reorganization of their IT team.

We helped reorganize IT teams, involving over 150 people, to focus on products from strategy to execution. This included training, hiring, and building internal capabilities.

Launch and management of venture capital program for Fortune 500 venture studio

Fortune 500 client was dissatisfied with the performance of existing venture accelerator program and had a need to improve the quality and quantity of early-stage investment opportunities. Agreed goal was to build and run from scratch a corporate venture investment program

• Developed bespoke investment thesis and strategy • Built infrastructure and weekly sprint process for end-to-end deal flow management, including weekly deal flow meetings with the CEO • Sourced and screened thousands of investment opportunities • Closely worked with founders to conduct investment due diligence, including market sizing, financial modeling, customer and investor interviews, cap table and waterfall analysis, term sheets and investment documents • Led investment committee meetings, presenting investment opportunities directly to the CEO Impact: • >3,000 Investment opportunities sourced and screened • <0.2% Top deal selectivity for investment committee (vs. ~1% industry average)

The birth of a celebrity-led beauty brand

Client, a high-profile celebrity, sought to leverage their substantial influence and social media following into a successful beauty brand. However, they lacked a clear roadmap for translating their celebrity persona into a compelling product offering that would resonate with their dedicated fanbase.

Conducted a comprehensive market analysis of the global and regional beauty industry to identify key growth opportunities for a celebrity-backed beauty brand. Developed a robust product portfolio strategy by benchmarking holy grail products and analysing emerging trends via social listening. Created detailed customer personas based on survey data and one-on-one interviews to inform brand positioning and product development. Defined a compelling brand value proposition aligned with the celebrity's public image and developed a product, pricing, loyalty program, and starter kit strategy to optimise customer acquisition and retention.

Customer Success and Service / Org Model in SaaS

Customer Success Organization at Gartner wanted to establish a globally standardized approach to their operations and metrics across customer contract lifecycle. In addition, the CSO leader wanted to optimize the team's client alignment and organization, and assess transition from product-centric to account-centric client alignment model.

Designed a standardized approach to key processes and metrics, including Fast Start, frequent and diverse engagement, value capture, quarterly client reviews, risk management. Achieved 90+% retention & 10+% growth. achieving 100% adoption and 8-10pp uplift in high-risk retention through pilots and continuous improvement initiatives. Secured positive feedback from 70% of clients. Developed and rolled out client engagement pilots to promote Gartner capabilities in Procurement and Diagnostics tools, achieving 5-10pp uplift in retention of target clients. Developed and implemented a strategy to transition from product-centric to account-centric client alignment model, leading to a global reorganization of service teams. Achieved full alignment of hierarchy (managers, directors, vice presidents) of sales and service delivery functions, enabling improved execution of regional initiatives. Reduced internal partners from 30+ to <10, rollout of Anaplan for service territory planning, and saved managers 2.5 hours per week on client alignment decisions.

Growth Diligence for PE-Owned Hospitality Player

PE company was assessing whether to sell or hold hospitality asset, and sought a fact basis to inform their decision. Requested more information on their PortCo's market position, growth trajectory, and broader industry trends.

Conducted a customer segmentation exercise to better understand key customer personas, their needs, and how the PortCo met / did not meet them vis-a-vis competitors. Conducted a detailed competitor analysis and assessed client’s share of supply. Evaluated likelihood of PortCo achieving $1B in revenue by assessing where they've succeeded in the past, and how large the TAM / SAM was for similar locations domestically and internationally.

Digital Capability Assessment for Airline

To inform their 5-year digital strategy and anticipated investment requirements, client wanted to understand how their digital assets compared to competitors. Client was looking for both a fact base and a third party perspective on their positioning.

Gathered 100+ digital customer journeys and identified feature differences / gaps between operators. Conducted customer focus groups to assess relative importance of features. Conducted cross-functional workshops to assess the underlying capabilities and infrastructure required for competitors to enable features.

Co-Create 5-Year Strategy Alongside C-Suite

New CEO was stepping in at a critical time when the company was struggling and needed a new 5-year strategy. CEO needed support building a fact base around their customers, organizational capabilities, and competition before shaping a 5-year strategy.

Ran customer analytics, conducted a detailed competitive scan, and sized value pools. Conducted dozens of workshops across the organization to understand current state strengths and pain points. Planned and executed leadership offsites to ensure leadership buy-in.

Engineering Efficiency

Client is looking to improve engineering efficiency of software development teams by 10%+

Conducted interviews and surveys across engineering and product management organizations to identify key sources of inefficiencies and initiatives to improve efficenect by 15-20% within 2 years.

Analyst relations (Gartner, Forrester etc.) for SaaS start-ups in Europe, getting them featured in major publications like Gartner Magic Quadrant, Forrester Wave, Everest PEAK

Analyst firms can act as multipliers as they are involved in creating shortlists for software buyers. They do so on a 1:1 basis, but also via regular market publications. To get featured in them, software vendors need to be introduced to relevant analysts and go through a rigorous process of questionnaires, software demos and Q+A sessions. I assist software vendors through all stages of the process through to publication and communication of results through various channels

Understand the technology solution, assist in communication, identify key analysts, engage them (regularly), know about upcoming preparations, know what to answer and how, ask for feedback, assist in wording and communication planning

Software DD

Client needed to get a quick understanding of the GTM strategy of a large, quoted technology company with limited access to the target's management - internal, existing knowledge, market research and expert interviews helped to turn this around within two weeks

Due diligence of the go-to-market strategy of one of the largest quoted technology companies in Germany for a potential US investor