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Change Management | Operations Excellence

Rapid growth by acquisition out-strips the IT infrastructure of an international insurance brokerage

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A growth business is a great thing unless you fail to scale.

An international insurance brokerage was acquiring new companies faster than IT needs could be supported.  Problems were growing as quickly as their acquisitions.  Something had to change for the client to continue rapid expansion and maintain competitive service levels.

Our client had recently migrated its customer-facing IT solutions to the cloud, but even the best technology was falling short without the right people and processes to support it.  Internal IT applications posed even more problems.  They were too numerous and fragmented for anyone to manage, let alone organize into a strategic plan.

Our client needed help designing an end-to-end process that could support their ever-expanding technology and operational needs.  They chose Clerestory to analyze the current operating model and guide their business leaders in creating a more efficient, scalable technology solution.  We engaged our client’s leadership and stakeholders to define and communicate a future state vision for the technology organization.  The comprehensive vision included the essential behaviors, expectations, and cultural practices necessary to support lasting change.

After establishing the desired vision, Clerestory led a future state process redesign initiative across crucial technology and operations functions.  Knowing people support the change they create, we guided the cross-functional client team to design and validate each process and align on the systems, roles, and responsibilities needed to solve the operational issues they faced.

Of course, strategies and plans are useless unless carried out in real life.  We developed an implementation roadmap to guide our client along each step needed to enact and support the new organization design and processes.  In every project, we apply EMBED components℠, our proven change management methodology, so people owning redesigned workflows and tools have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to champion new ways of working.
We didn’t stop there.  Clerestory helped the insurance brokerage client position itself for greater success with enhanced future state capabilities.  We developed a post-merger integration staffing model based on future state processes and roles.  This tool supports the client’s aggressive acquisition strategy by planning for the necessary IT resources to integrate newly acquired businesses.  We also addressed that unwieldy technology portfolio.  We completed a comprehensive application assessment so that, over time, the technology organization could refine its IT strategy based on reliable data.

Working together with our client, we designed a scalable, process-driven operating model.  This model supports ongoing expansion and makes the insurance brokerage even more competitive in the industry.  Defining clear and consistent responsibilities and socializing new ways of working, the client gained the capacity, direction, and buy-in needed to achieve market-leading organizational change.

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“I have been with [this organization] for 13 years and we have had several great initiatives that have provided better service to our fields and clients.  However, this is the first initiative that has been about investing in the people and improving the way we work.”

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Sachin Master

Supply Chain Leader, Operations Expert, Program Manager

Sachin is a Senior Vice President at Clerestory Consulting with over 20 years of leadership experience in both industry and consulting.  Sachin serves as a trusted advisor to his executive-level clients and helps them deliver on strategic, operational, and technology transformations.  He leads blended client/consultant teams to provide a big-picture perspective and foster a collaborative partnership between stakeholders.  Prior to joining Clerestory, Sachin earned an MBA, deployed enterprise-wide solutions, and implemented customer-centric strategies.  Sachin has experience in manufacturing, logistics, insurance, healthcare, professional services, and high-tech (hardware and software) industries.  Sachin is known for his holistic approach to problem-solving and his direct communication style.

Maura Halbach

Inspirational Coach, Problem-Solver, Change-Maker

Maura is a Senior Vice President at Clerestory.  Since the firm began two decades ago, Maura has been a cultural standard-bearer and developer of consultants.  Maura has led transformative client engagements in the manufacturing, financial services, property management, and healthcare industries.  Maura has contributed to Clerestory’s change methodology EMBEDSM and helps clients develop a greater capacity for change.  She consistently drives sustainable results in operations excellence, organization design, and technology implementation.  Clients value Maura’s ability to unite an organizations’ employees around a shared vision to develop internal change agents.  She is highly effective at creating enthusiastic participation and meaningful collaboration.

Michelle Kerr

Trusted Advisor, Organization Designer, Change Leader

Michelle is a Co-founder and Principal of Clerestory.  She became a consultant after working in industry and completing an advanced degree in Organization Design.  Over the last 25 years, she has earned a reputation as an authority in the fields of organization design, executive project management, and HR process design.  Michelle has led numerous efforts for global companies aligning corporate strategy with investments in technology and human capital.  She has continuously improved Clerestory’s change methodology EMBEDSM and applies it to help clients with large scale transformation.  Her clients trust her to quickly adapt to fast-changing project needs.  Michelle generates tremendous client value and inspires innovation.

John Wick

Client Advisor, Fact-finder, CFO, CPA

John is a Co-founder and Principal of Clerestory.  He is a CPA by training and has over 30 years of experience leading consulting engagements in the insurance, financial services, pharmaceutical, and distribution industries.  A skilled Program Manager, John is sought after for his expertise in implementing process and technology solutions with a focus on the top line.  His clients appreciate his ownership of P&L and his deep understanding of financial processes, including financial/information technology audit concepts.  Clients view John as a thoughtful listener and an inquisitive and thorough problem solver.

Linda Toops

Leader, Mentor, Business Builder

Linda is the founder and Managing Principal of Clerestory and has more than 35 years of consulting experience.  Throughout her career, she has applied her expertise by developing high-performing teams, delivering business value, and leading companies from vision through execution.  Her bias for clear communication and processes that put people first have become values that Clerestory consultants bring to every client project.  In her role as Managing Principal, Linda is responsible for the firm’s strategy for client and staff growth.

Clerestory's Change Management Principles
  1. A clear vision and the right sponsorship enables change.
  2. Reasons for change should be fact-based and clear.
  3. People support what they create.
  4. People need to change the way they work.
  5. Deliberate communication makes change sustainable.