The organization excelled at project delivery but lacked a mechanism to align execution with long-term goals. While leadership committed to becoming strategy-led, operational habits remained unchanged. The core challenge was the absence of a formal structure to translate executive intent into day-to-day business reality.
Case Study
Building the function to turn strategy into a way of operating.
Leadership of this financial services organization had already decided the organization needed to be strategy-led instead of operations-led. What they didn't have was a leader, a structure, or a discipline to make that decision stick. We helped them build the function to carry it, and it's still running their strategy work today.
Engagement at-a-glance
Industry:
Financial Services and Insurance
Organization size:
~ 500-1,000 employees
Services:
Strategy Governance
Office of Strategy Management
Team Experience Design & Facilitation
Office of Strategy Management
Team Experience Design & Facilitation
The Challenge
Capable in execution, but lacking a unified strategic roadmap.
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No one owned strategy as a function
The organization had decided it needed to be strategy-led, but no leader, team, or charter existed to execute the function.
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Execution disconnected from long-term enterprise direction
The organization excelled at executing and completing initiatives, yet lacked a mechanism to connect workflows back to an overarching strategy or verify if active projects were generating long-term progress.
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A culture built for speed over strategic direction
Years of an execution-first mindset created bias toward immediate action. Defining long-term direction conflicted with legacy habits, presenting a cultural hurdle that persisted even after the new function was established.
Our Approach
Operationalizing enterprise strategy through a dedicated office structure.
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1
Validated the business case prior scoping the work
We facilitated a two-day workshop with the executive leadership team to co-design the framework for the new Office of Strategy Management. This session clarified the department's structural value and long-term benefits prior to formalizing the project scope.
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2
Defined the function with a target operating model
We utilized a Target Operating Model framework to define the new function’s services, governance, partners, tools, structure, and culture. Each component was tailored to the organization’s operating environment.
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3
Designed the operating model to be dynamic
Built an adaptable framework instead of a static checklist, allowing the organization to customize the Strategy Infinity Loop and other methodologies to their specific operational workflows.
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4
Supported stakeholders through integrating a new function
Transitioned the Chief of Staff into the new Vice President of Strategy role and provided continuous advisory support to scale the team into a permanent, multi-year internal capability.
Value Delivered
Leadership decisions now have a function behind them.
Established an executive strategy leader
Elevated the organization's Chief of Staff to the role of Vice President of Strategy, transitioning the position from an unstaffed mandate into an optimized, enterprise department.
Centralized all strategy functions under one unified governance
Consolidated corporate planning, cross-functional alignment, internal communications, resource allocation, and strategy governance under a single office governed by an established charter.
Scaled the strategic framework from enterprise to business units
Positioned the new strategy department as the central vehicle for modernizing corporate strategy, while establishing growth frameworks for five major business units.
Transferred full operational autonomy of the new function to the client
Successfully transitioned function to internal team to manage day-to-day operations and governance, allowing our advisory role to shift from core operations to supporting targeted, high-value strategy extensions.
Results that reflect the work behind them.
4-6 months
Timeline to design, staff, and stand up the initial strategy infrastructure
5
Business unit strategies built through the newly created strategy office
3
Tiers of strategy governed and facilitated across the enterprise: Enterprise, Business Unit, and Functional.
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Work With Us
The firms that move fastest don’t wait for clarity. They create it.
We help leadership teams cut their ambiguity, align around what matters, and build the momentum to transform their business.