We were engaged by one of the world’s leading betting companies, which required support in integrating an online betting exchange into its corporate structure.  We created a clear, agreed vision and strategic objectives, building a roadmap for change and redesigning the organisation structure to deliver the vision and planned growth.

Challenge

We were engaged by one of the world’s leading betting companies, which owns thousands of betting outlets across Europe as well as over one million online customers.  The business acquired an online betting exchange with a view to delivering a unique ‘one stop shop’ retail and multi-channel fixed odds and exchange betting proposition.  They required support in integrating the new exchange into its corporate structure.

After many years in private ownership, the acquired business needed a new vision and strategy and a redefined operating model to help it achieve planned growth, whilst at the same time launching a newly branded online betting exchange.

Approach

Working alongside the new Managing Director, we started by taking the senior team through the process of defining and agreeing the vision and strategic objectives for the whole business.

We then developed a transformational road map that set out the initiatives required to deliver the vision.  This shaped the programme design into five workstreams, which covered the full operating model and customer proposition.

The new combined business needed an organisational structure that would enable delivery of the new vision and strategy.  Following a holistic review of the existing organisation design and capabilities, we worked with the executive team to redesign the company structure, using a combination of 1:1s and facilitated workshops.

Working with the HR team, we defined options for transitioning to the new organisation structure, which were reviewed and agreed with the executive team.  With the impending launch of the newly branded betting exchange and some bold performance targets, we needed to move to the new organisation structure as quickly as possible with minimal disruption to the business.

To ensure that the business was fully aligned to deliver their vision and strategic objectives, we implemented a balanced scorecard with supporting review processes, and a new performance management process, cascading the strategic objectives through the business.

The implementation of new technology was important to the delivery of key elements of the betting exchange’s new vision and strategy.  Their acquisition had resulted in a demerger of the technology arm of the business, which would exist as a separate company.  This meant that they lacked internal capability around technology and the new working relationship with their technology partner needed to be supported by the right governance structures.

We worked with the business to define processes and implement capability to help them manage the end user aspects of the IT development lifecycle, including requirements definition and UAT.  We also helped set up governance structures to support the new working relationship between the merged companies and their technology partner and to act as a forum for managing the delivery of the newly branded betting exchange.

We also played a key role in integrating the new business into the parent company’s corporate governance, compliance and reporting structures, whilst balancing the desire to maintain and protect its unique culture.  In addition, the team played a lead role in aligning the regulatory and corporate tax structures of the new organisation in a complex and challenging environment.

We built and managed a large Programme Team with representatives from both businesses to build engagement and get real ownership for lasting change.  Throughout our engagement, we focused on transferring core change skills and capabilities into the business.

Outcome

At the end of the engagement we had created a clear, agreed vision and strategic objectives, which allowed us to build a roadmap for change.

The redesigned organisation structure was in place to deliver the vision and planned growth.  New processes and structures managed the new working relationship with the technology partner whilst new business processes and structures maximised financial and operational synergies.