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Case examples

Strategy translated into organisational choices.

Illustrative examples of how we help leadership teams resolve complex workforce, organisation and performance questions. Client identities are confidential.

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01

Telecommunications

Building future-ready capabilities at scale

The client

A Middle East-headquartered telecommunications group with more than 30,000 employees and operations across multiple markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

The challenge

The group had adopted an ambitious digital strategy centred on artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, automation and robotics. The board recognised, however, that significant capability gaps across the organisation could prevent the strategy from being implemented at the required pace.

Our work

We developed a group-wide “Capabilities of the Future” framework based on the technological and workforce trends reshaping the telecommunications sector. These included large language models, advanced analytics, intelligent automation and robotics.

We translated these trends into the behavioural and technical competencies required across the group’s operating companies. The resulting framework was incorporated into job descriptions and role profiles and used to assess capability gaps by business, function and role.

For each critical gap, we determined whether the capability could be developed internally through targeted learning or whether its urgency and scarcity required accelerated external recruitment.

The outcome

The group gained a practical workforce transformation roadmap connecting its digital strategy to organisational design, recruitment and employee development. Leadership could identify where the most important capability gaps existed and make clear decisions about which capabilities to build internally and which to acquire externally.

02

Diversified group

Connecting performance, accountability and reward

The client

A Middle East-headquartered diversified group with several thousand employees and approximately 20 operating companies across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

The challenge

Performance management differed significantly between operating companies and depended heavily on the discipline and appetite of individual leaders. The group lacked a consistent connection between strategy, business performance, individual objectives and employee incentives.

Our work

We designed an integrated performance-management system combining operational KPIs with six-monthly employee OKRs.

For each operating company, we created a value tree linking strategic and financial priorities to operational performance. KPIs and targets were then cascaded through the organisation to mid-management level. Real-time dashboards connected to financial and operational data gave the board continuous visibility of performance across the portfolio.

In parallel, we introduced a structured OKR process. Priorities were established by each operating-company CEO, cascaded through the organisation, approved by managers and reviewed periodically.

We also redesigned the bonus system so that 50% of variable compensation was linked to KPI performance and 50% to the achievement of OKRs. Measures included conventional business results alongside AI adoption, agile working and the development lead time of AI use cases.

The outcome

The group established one consistent performance ecosystem connecting strategy, management information, individual accountability and reward while significantly improving board-level transparency.

03

Family-owned regional group

Creating the operating model for enterprise AI

The client

A family-owned regional group with more than 25,000 employees and businesses spanning consumer services, property, retail and hospitality.

The challenge

The group had appointed a central Head of AI and established a specialist AI team. However, accountability for identifying, funding, developing and scaling AI use cases remained unclear. The business, central AI function and technology teams needed a common operating model.

Our work

We designed an enterprise AI operating model defining the responsibilities and decision rights of each part of the organisation.

Business teams became accountable for identifying and owning use cases, providing subject-matter expertise, supporting implementation and delivering the expected value. The central AI team assumed responsibility for the group roadmap, investment prioritisation, budget allocation and the monitoring of adoption, value creation and return on investment.

The central technology function provided the required architecture, data, engineering and development capabilities. Its teams developed proofs of concept and converted successful solutions into secure, scalable applications.

We embedded agile delivery through cross-functional teams, structured sprints, product owners and shared KPIs. Interim agile coaches helped teams establish the required routines and transfer these capabilities into the organisation.

The outcome

The group moved from a collection of individual AI initiatives to a governed enterprise model with clear ownership, investment discipline and a repeatable path from initial use case to scaled implementation.