Helping an Insurance Firm drive culture change and build closer global relationships

Organisation: A leading provider of group income protection, wanting to drive growth from existing competitive markets and diversify into new products/markets. They also wanted to drive significant business and cultural change, building closer operating links with the US parent organisation.  The UK HR team had historically operated as a stand-alone function and the US parent organisation was keen to collaborate, identify synergies and consistent ways to deliver HR support across the group.

Solution: Working in partnership with the UK CEO, his leadership team and HR teams in the UK and US a People Strategy was developed focussing on the people change agenda as well as implementing closer working relationships with the US.  The HR Operating Model leveraged specialist support from larger US HR teams.  The people change agenda was high profile and regular updates were presented to the UK and US Boards providing reassurance that key strategic people risks were mitigated.

Deliverables included:

• Leadership Transformation – in partnership with the CEO reshaped the structure and skill-set of the executive team to role-model and lead the change agenda.
• Culture Change – Introduced a programme for the executive team and senior managers to role-model significant culture change.
• HR Transformation – Reshaped the HR team defining roles and responsibilities and introduced HR Business Partners aligned to client groups. Leveraged support from specialist US HR teams ie shared services.  Reduced headcount.
• Talent Strategy – designed and implemented a talent agenda differentiating high performance from high potential. Strengthened succession plans.
• Resourcing Strategy – Defined the approach and tools used to recruit and retain high performing staff capable of working in a demanding change environment.
• Pension Scheme – closed the final salary pension scheme transitioning 250 people to a defined contribution pension scheme.