Business Growth Case Studies
Restructuring the Central European Subsidiary of a NASDAQ-Listed US Software Company
Consultants who offer one-size-fits-all solutions to everything are working for themselves — not their clients. Jeff listens to clients, ensuring that the solution is tailored to their particular needs.
The Case: Jeff prepared a restructuring plan for the Central European subsidiary of a publicly traded US company. He was then asked to serve as the interim Managing Director for Central Europe and execute the plan.
The Action: Jeff reached out to his network of business leaders in Europe and created an Advisory Board that met three times per year. The Advisory Board advised Jeff and the senior management team on many aspects of the restructuring, including better cost management and a more focused sales strategy.
The Result: The Central European subsidiary was profitable for the first time since it had opened its office eight years earlier.
Conducting a Strategic Business Review for a Large Independent Services Firm
Clients seek Jeff's advice knowing he won’t sugarcoat the hard truths. His analysis is appreciated for its honesty and reliability.
The Case: When Jeff was asked to step into an interim leadership role at a global services firm based in Germany, the financial performance of the company was already in steep decline and various constituent groups within the firm had lost trust in each other. Jeff was asked to lead an effort to develop a plan to turnaround the precarious situation.
The Action: Jeff met with nearly all partners in 14 countries around the world, listening to their concerns and recommendations. Performance data was analyzed. Jeff's plan called for streamlining practice areas, closing some underperforming offices, and adjusting equity and compensation based on an unbiased review of performance and overall value contribution.
The Result: 82% of the partners voted in favor of the plan. When it became clear the governance structure would allow a few founding partners to veto any strategic decisions, however, the plan was not implemented, and the firm dissolved. In that situation, Jeff was able to facilitate the merger of two European offices with a US firm.
Assessing and Designing a New Business Plan for a German Software Firm
Listening, learning, and leveraging that knowledge to make bold yet realistic proposals is what leads to value-creation for Jeff's clients.
The Case: A Knowledge-Based Engineering software solutions company based in Germany had grown in its early stages, but investors were getting concerned after its revenues plateaued for a number of years.
The Action: Jeff and his team spent considerable time reviewing the company's internal strengths and weaknesses, the competitive landscape, and the investors' expectations. The project included a market entry strategy for the US, and a fresh look at opportunities in and outside the company's key vertical market.
The Result: The analysis and recommendations resulted in internal management restructuring, improved and expanded sales and marketing processes and capabilities, and US market entry. This led to a successful effort to raise additional financing from existing and new investors to support the execution of the business plan.