Part 1: Case Study - Driving Turnaround and Alignment in a Global Manufacturer

"See how a global manufacturer turned underperformance into growth, strengthened leadership alignment, and reconnected teams across continents. Part 1 shares the case study; Part 2 reflects on the lessons learned for leaders driving complex change."

This two-part case study explores how a global manufacturer in mission-critical electronics reversed underperformance, strengthened cross-site collaboration, and re-established a unified organisational identity.

• Part 1: The Case Study – focuses on the facts: the challenges, approach, actions, and measurable outcomes achieved across strategy, transformation, and culture.

• Part 2: Reflections – shares the insights and lessons learned, including how leadership alignment, executive visibility, and local engagement contributed to success, and the subtle human and cultural factors that made the difference.

Together, the two sections provide a complete view of both results and the thinking behind them — offering practical takeaways for leaders navigating complex organisational change.

Context

A global manufacturer of electronic components was facing sustained underperformance, fragmented operations, and low trust between business units and the centre. Years of siloed working had diluted the group’s identity, weakened collaboration, and limited its ability to mobilise around a shared ambition. A new CEO was appointed to reset direction and restore confidence.

Approach

The turnaround began with a comprehensive strategic review, led in close partnership with the CEO, the Executive Management Board, and local site leadership teams. Rather than treating strategy as a head-office exercise, the work deliberately involved leaders across the organisation — combining rigorous analysis with deep listening at site and business-unit level.

Together with the executive team, we:

• defined a small number of strategic priorities and a unifying positioning narrative for the group,

• introduced a new business planning and performance rhythm to improve focus and accountability,

• redesigned the organisational structure to reinforce collaboration and clarity of purpose, and

• restarted internal communications and engagement to ensure consistency, transparency, and effective cascade after each executive board meeting.
  

A key success factor was the visible and sustained commitment of the wider executive team. Executives actively sponsored workstreams beyond their own functional areas, participated in mobilisation workshops, and acted as role models for the “one group” mindset.

CEO site visits were carefully designed to strengthen trust and recognition. Local leadership teams were engaged in shaping the agenda, and individuals across sites were deliberately acknowledged — reinforcing pride, visibility, and connection to the wider group.

Six cross-functional workstreams were established to address organisational and operational priorities. Some became permanent councils, embedding new ways of working and continuous improvement into the organisation’s fabric.

Mobilisation and culture

Cultural change was treated as inseparable from performance improvement. A consistent cadence of communication at group level, combined with support for local cascade, helped leaders translate strategic intent into everyday decisions.

An annual leadership event, delivered with an external partner, brought together the top 130 leaders globally — many meeting one another for the first time despite decades within the same group. The event played a critical role in (re)building shared identity, trust, and momentum behind the transformation.

Outcomes

Over the three-year programme, the organisation delivered a successful turnaround:

• financial performance improved from missed growth targets to exceeding market expectations,

• leadership alignment and collaboration strengthened markedly,

• a clearer group identity and operating rhythm were embedded, and

• the business was repositioned for future growth and portfolio evolution.

While the renewed sense of “one group” made subsequent divestment emotionally challenging for some, it was also a testament to the depth of engagement and cultural shift achieved.

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