Case studies

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Rollup acquisitions for a PE-owned benchmarking provider

Assessed a new market opportunity for a cost benchmarking company in the automotive sector, leading rapidly to making acquisition approaches.

Our client foresaw new growth opportunities working with automotive OEMs as they shift their R&D focus to electric and autonomous driving vehicles. Building a thorough understanding of competitor strategies, evolving customer needs and the changing dynamics in the automotive sector, we validated the client’s hypothesis about the attractiveness of creating a new service offer and defined where to play, ultimately identifying two acquisition targets, conducting diligence, and building a high-level integration plan.

Efficiency improvement in building materials trading

Supported a building materials trading company to restructure a failing back office efficiency programme, delivering savings ahead of target.

Our restructured programme unlocked blockages by sequencing three consecutive streams, to first centralise functions, then harmonise and optimise processes, and finally automate manual process steps. The programme is on target to deliver 20-40% FTE reductions across finance departments, with our continued support.

Learning & development for a global oil & gas player

Supported one of the world’s largest companies to achieve a step-change in their in-house strategy capabilities.

Initially focused on the company’s in-house strategy teams across 4 continents, our targeted coaching programme drove a sharp uplift in project feedback scores, and was then rolled out to senior business leaders globally.

Sustainability innovation for a shipping provider

For a leading shipping company, developed a fuel technology strategy to underpin a 60% reduction in emissions.

Working with their senior management team and board, in preparation for a potential investment in a new fleet, we assessed the economic and carbon impact of different technologies and fuels, and modelled the business implications by scenario. The strategy will not only significantly reduce emissions but maximise flexibility, enabling sustained viability amidst fuel price volatility, and for the long term.

Commercial due diligence in fashion retail

Strategic due diligence in fashion retail, leading to our Private Equity client’s successful acquisition of the business.

Our detailed diligence combined market and competitor analysis with customer research in 4 markets to evaluate the growth potential for the brand across geographies, categories and channels over the next 5 years.

Outside-in DD of a Japanese conglomerate

For a large investment manager, conducted outside-in due-diligence on a Japanese conglomerate thought to be underperforming its potential.

An assessment of the conglomerate’s 10+ businesses and their markets was followed by deep dives on the 5 most attractive ones to identify the potential for these businesses and the options to unlock that value.

Commercial due diligence in additive manufacturing

Due diligence in a niche additive manufacturing sector with evolving technology, determining the true potential for a PE target.

This scenario-based project, grounded in a solid fact-base and acquired understanding of this particular technology and its future use-cases, unpacked and assessed long-predicted sector hockey-stick growth to build a robust view on the future outlook, the target’s ability to capture it, and the cash requirement to achieve that growth.

5-year full potential strategy for a luxury brand

For a PE-backed global luxury brand, developed a 5-year growth plan in preparation for a successful sale.

Following a turnaround, this rigorously prepared plan defined and validated the company’s growth strategy and full potential in Europe, the US and Asia. Developed in a highly collaborative process with management, the PE firm and bankers, the vision for success was grounded and aligned, leading to a broad range of buyers and an attractive valuation.

Scaling the supply chain for a social enterprise

For a West African social enterprise supplying subsistence farmers with key agricultural inputs, we developed a fully scalable supply chain model to enable a tenfold increase in reach.

The new SC model, designed to support an ambitious growth strategy, was the result of a collaborative and iterative process, supported by onsite workshops and local data gathering to reflect field realities. Board approval led to immediate fundraising and implementation planning for the new supply chain.

Growth strategy for a home heating manufacturer

Supported a PE-backed manufacturer to double its market share in the wake of a major brand reputation setback.

Our unpicking of the layers of influence on purchasing decisions, and insight into different players’ choices and perceptions, led to a thorough understanding of how and where to shift views and regain trust. This fuelled a dramatic recovery in market share and the PE-owner’s successful exit.