CASE STUDIES
Case Study: Defining Vision, Strategy & Culture for a Growing Fashion Retailer
The Challenge
A small but growing fashion retailer had built a strong customer following but lacked a clear business vision, strategic direction, and cultural identity. While the brand had great products and loyal customers, the leadership team struggled to articulate:
- Where the business was heading and how to scale sustainably.
- How to align the team around a shared purpose and strategy.
- What the company values and behaviours should be to shape the right culture.
Without these elements in place, decision-making was inconsistent, employees lacked clarity, and growth felt reactive rather than intentional.
Our Approach
We used our Organisation Effectiveness Model to bring structure, clarity, and alignment to the business.
Defining Vision & Purpose
- Facilitated strategy sessions with the founders to articulate a clear brand vision and long-term ambitions.
- Identified the retailer’s unique market position and created a compelling purpose statement to guide decision-making.
Building a Focused Strategy
- Created a roadmap for growth, aligning sales, marketing, and operations under a clear strategy.
- Established key priorities, balancing short-term wins with long-term sustainability.
- Introduced decision-making frameworks to help leadership stay focused.
Embedding Values & Behaviours
- Defined the company’s core values, ensuring they reflected both the brand and the way the team worked.
- Coached leaders on role-modeling behaviours that aligned with the values.
- Developed cultural rituals, such as leadership check-ins, team recognition, and performance frameworks, to embed the values into daily operations.
The Results
- Clear vision & strategic direction, enabling confident decision-making.
- Stronger leadership alignment, improving communication and focus.
- Defined values & behaviours, creating a positive, performance-driven culture.
- More engaged employees, leading to better customer service and brand consistency.
Within months, the retailer saw increased team alignment, faster decision-making, and improved employee engagement, setting the foundation for sustainable, values-driven growth.
Case Study: Scaling Operations & Leadership in a Fast-Growing Tech Startup
The Situation
A rapidly expanding SaaS startup had seen significant growth in its customer base but was struggling to scale its operations and leadership capability. With a lean team, fast-moving environment, and increasing pressure to deliver, the business faced key challenges:
- Lack of operational structure, leading to inefficiencies and bottlenecks.
- Leadership stretched thin, with founders involved in day-to-day decisions.
- No clear roles and responsibilities, creating confusion and duplication of effort.
Without intervention, the business risked burnout, disengagement, and stalled growth.
Our Approach (3-Month Engagement on a fractional basis)
Organisational Review & Strategy Alignment
- Conducted a deep dive into current workflows, decision-making, and leadership structure.
- Identified operational gaps and prioritised quick wins to reduce inefficiencies.
- Defined a scalable organisation design to support future growth.
Leadership Development & Delegation
- Implemented leadership coaching to help founders shift from execution to strategic leadership.
- Clarified roles and responsibilities across teams, introducing clear accountability frameworks.
- Introduced cross-functional leadership meetings to improve communication and reduce bottlenecks.
Embedding Sustainable Processes
- Developed repeatable systems for scaling operations, from onboarding new hires to tracking performance.
- Introduced simple, effective decision-making frameworks to streamline execution.
- Created a 3-year roadmap to guide growth, balancing agility with structure.
The Results (After 3 Months)
- 50% faster decision-making, freeing up leadership time for strategic priorities.
- Increased operational efficiency, reducing bottlenecks and improving team performance.
- Clear leadership roles & structure, ensuring sustainable, long-term growth.
- Stronger team engagement & alignment, improving retention and morale.
Case Study: Scaling an IT Business with Strategy, Organisation Design & Leadership
The Challenge
A fast-growing IT services company had doubled in size within 18 months. While revenue was increasing, the business lacked structure, leadership clarity, and a strategic approach to scaling.
Without an HR function, leadership was struggling to manage hiring, retention, and team development—resulting in inconsistent decision-making, overloaded managers, and operational bottlenecks.
They needed to define their organisational structure, align leadership, and create a clear roadmap for sustainable growth.
Our Approach
Using the Wild Owl Organisation Effectiveness Model, we worked closely with the leadership team to build a scalable, structured, and high-performing organisation.
Strategy & Vision Alignment
- Defined a clear business strategy aligned with growth ambitions.
- Identified key priorities across customer delivery, product development, and talent acquisition to focus resources effectively.
Organisation Design & Structure
- Mapped out current roles and responsibilities, highlighting gaps and inefficiencies.
- Introduced a scalable organisational structure, ensuring clarity on reporting lines, decision-making, and leadership responsibilities.
- Created a hiring plan to ensure future recruitment aligned with business needs.
Leadership Development
- Coached the founders and senior team on effective leadership, delegation, and decision-making as they transitioned from a hands-on approach to leading at scale.
- Introduced leadership routines and accountability frameworks to ensure alignment and collaboration across teams.
People & Culture Strategy
- Developed a people plan to support hiring, onboarding, and retention.
- Introduced performance frameworks to ensure clarity on expectations, feedback, and career progression—boosting motivation and engagement.
The Results
- Stronger leadership alignment, reducing daily firefighting and improving decision-making.
- Clear organisational structure, enabling faster growth without chaos.
- Defined hiring and people strategy, improving talent retention and engagement.
- More efficient operations, ensuring the business could scale sustainably.
Within six months, the business transitioned from a reactive, stretched leadership team to a structured, focused, and high-performing organisation, ready for the next stage of growth.
Case Study: Transforming HR Operations to Reduce Risk & Improve Performance
The Challenge
A newly appointed HR Director stepped into an organisation with significant commercial risks due to poor HR processes, weak systems, and a lack of governance leading to:
- Legal and compliance risks, exposing the business to potential disputes.
- Inefficient HR operations, slowing down hiring, onboarding, and employee management.
- Low credibility of the HR function, with leadership seeing it as a blocker rather than an enabler.
Without urgent intervention, the business faced potential legal, financial, and reputational damage.
Our Approach
Partnering with the HR Director, we quickly assessed the risks and implemented a targeted HR transformation plan.
HR Team Restructure & Upskilling
- Identified skills gaps within the team and provided targeted training & coaching.
- Redesigned roles and responsibilities to ensure the right people were in the right positions.
Process & Systems Overhaul
- Audited existing HR processes, identifying inefficiencies and compliance risks.
- Redesigned core HR workflows, including hiring, onboarding, performance management, and employee relations.
Governance & Compliance Framework
- Implemented clear policies and controls to mitigate risks.
- Developed a reporting and measurement system to track HR performance and compliance.
- Ensured the HR function was legally sound and aligned with best practices.
The Results
- Operationally sound & legally compliant HR function, reducing business risk.
- Improved HR team performance, increasing credibility with leadership.
- Stronger governance & reporting, ensuring long-term sustainability.
- More efficient processes, enabling HR to support business growth effectively.
Within three months, the HR function transformed from a liability to an enabler of business success.
Case Study: Creating an Operating Model & Cultural Alignment for a Fast-Growing PE-Backed Organisation
The Challenge
A private equity-backed organisation was rapidly acquiring mature companies across multiple European markets. While this accelerated growth, it also introduced significant challenges in:
- Operating model design – balancing group-wide consistency with local autonomy.
- Organisational structure & capability – determining where key functions should sit.
- Cultural integration – managing differences across countries, leadership styles, and levels of business maturity.
- Strategic alignment – ensuring acquisitions worked towards a shared vision, goals, and planning cycle.
Without a clear framework, the business risked misalignment, inefficiencies, and cultural clashes, slowing down integration and overall performance.
Our Approach (3 month engagement on a fractional basis)
We partnered with the leadership team to design a scalable operating model and organisational structure that aligned strategy, decision-making, and culture across the growing portfolio.
Defining the Operating Model
- Established how the group and local entities would operate together, balancing autonomy with control.
- Defined decision-making structures, planning horizons, and reporting lines.
- Clarified accountabilities at both group and regional levels, reducing duplication and inefficiencies.
Organisation Design & Capability Mapping
- Identified where key capabilities should sit (centralised vs. decentralised functions).
- Conducted a gap analysis to highlight future talent and capability needs.
- Created a clear structure that enabled future acquisitions to integrate smoothly.
Cultural & Leadership Alignment
- Assessed cultural differences between businesses, focusing on national, corporate, and leadership cultures.
- Developed a cultural integration strategy to manage differences and mitigate conflict.
- Aligned leadership teams around a common vision, values, and ways of working.
The Results
- Clear, scalable operating model, providing structure for future acquisitions.
- Aligned leadership & strategic direction, improving decision-making and efficiency.
- Defined reporting lines & accountability, reducing operational friction.
- Stronger cultural integration, enabling smoother collaboration and employee engagement.
Within just three months, the organisation had a robust, future-proof model that enabled continued expansion while maintaining operational clarity and cultural cohesion.
Case Study: Building a High-Performing Leadership Team for Long-Term Success
The Challenge
A newly appointed CEO took charge of a leadership team with mixed capabilities, varying levels of organisational knowledge, and ambitious growth targets. While each leader brought value, the team lacked:
- A unified purpose and strategic direction to drive the business forward.
- Alignment on priorities, decision-making, and ways of working.
- The ability to navigate internal politics and create a culture of trust and collaboration.
Without intervention, the lack of cohesion threatened to slow execution, reduce engagement, and weaken business performance.
Our Approach
To build a robust, high-performing leadership team, we designed a year-long intervention plan, delivered through a series of tailored workshops and coaching sessions.
Defining Team Purpose & Strategic Direction
- Facilitated leadership workshops to establish a shared team purpose and vision.
- Mapped out individual strengths and development areas, ensuring complementary capabilities.
- Created a strategy framework, aligning leaders around key business objectives.
Navigating Politics & Strengthening Relationships
- Built trust and transparency through structured dialogue and leadership coaching.
- Addressed hidden tensions and conflicts, ensuring productive collaboration.
- Established clear decision-making processes, reducing internal roadblocks.
Embedding a High-Performance Culture
- Implemented a leadership development roadmap with structured interventions over 12 months.
- Introduced performance measurement tools to track progress and hold leaders accountable.
- Created ongoing coaching and mentoring support, reinforcing long-term behavioural change.
The Results
- Fully aligned leadership team, working towards a shared vision and strategy.
- Stronger collaboration & decision-making, increasing execution speed.
- Clear leadership roles & accountability, reducing inefficiencies.
- Embedded leadership development, ensuring long-term success.
By the end of the year, the leadership team had transformed into a highly effective, strategically aligned unit, capable of driving business success and navigating future challenges.
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