Rich Aquilina is often called upon to organize and facilitate online and on-site alignment, planning, transformation and problem-solving work sessions for executive, leadership, Agile, Lean and product teams.
Great things in business are never done by one person. They're done by a team of people.
~Steve Jobs
I believe the organizational, management and leadership development we have received from Rich have been invaluable.
~Mark Hale, CEO, Visible Alpha, New York
Customer Success Stories
Leveraging Organizational Talent: $43 Million in Cost Savings
Case: A world-class appliance manufacturer was hit with cost increases in parts and materials. The Global VP for Technology was challenged by the CEO to identify quick hit cost savings in design and manufacturing. The VP’s target was $23 million in cost savings within the next fiscal year. He was unsure where the cost cutting would come from. Three of the VP’s key teams were convened for a three-day session with Rich.
Results: A practical plan was created, saving $43 million, almost double the original target.
Executive Teamwork: Aligning 100 Software Development Centers
Case: A 17-member Executive Steering Group wished to align future software development for this leading edge, global company. The “Federation” met regularly for a year, and as the Executive Director commented, “We have very good chats, but we tend not to make many important decisions.” Their biggest challenge was the software development process. Quality and time to market were slipping. Alignment was needed in 100 development centers. They initially rejected a facilitated problem-solving approach. After falling further behind, Dr. Aquilina was called.
Results: The Executives’ decisions increased quality and accelerated time to market, becoming the centerpiece of the global development process.
Collaborative Reorganization: 92% of Staff Reorged with a Smile
Case: Three major North American IT Support functions of this global company needed to be merged. Rather than impose the reorganization, the SVPs asked Rich to lead and manage the change. Over 100 staff, at appropriate times, took an active role in the restructuring. Rich created the blueprint and facilitated the change.
Results: The new Americas Information Technology Group (AITG) was built within budget, ahead of schedule and 92% of staff were assigned positions reflecting their top choices. Over 50% of staff willingly changed roles (career development by-product). AITG became a global model for company IT support groups.
Eliminating Wasted Meeting Time: $2 Million Saved
Case: The Tech Center at this global corporation’s headquarters struggled with ineffective meetings. For example, Directors' meetings, to their own dismay, would last over four hours. They needed a change. A customized Leadership Development Program created by Dr. Aquilina. Department leaders embraced new tools and methods of working for their meetings and team activities, then monitored and measured progress.
Results: A conservative estimate of time and money saved for the first year was $2,000,000. The Tech Center was awarded its President’s Quality Team Achievement Medal. The program was then offered throughout the engineering division.
The Seamless Acquisition: Eliminating Us and Them
Case: A global manufacturer acquired its major competitor. The merger required comprehensive product alignment. Senior management selected 100 engineering and procurement leaders from both organizations to identify design and cost savings in four product lines. The challenge was to get two organizations that had a long history of competition to work together. Rich facilitated a kick-off event for a weeklong work session.
Results: Once “fears and concerns” were shared, the group realized they had more in common than not. They agreed, “If you didn’t already know, you wouldn’t be able to tell who belonged to which company.” The leadership team felt it saved six to nine months of costly role ambiguity and conflict.
status Meetings: Transformation from Dread to Problem Solving
Case: The “dreaded" weekly status meeting is one which attendees sit for hours, finding little connection to their daily work. Typically, the leader conducts one-on-one interviews with each participant, while all others wait their turn with no chance of escape. Those not under the spotlight often “multitask,” reading and responding to the email they haven’t addressed, because they are attending meetings like this one. Sound familiar?
Results: Rich has helped executives, managers, team and project leads from all over the world, transform their status meetings into value added, engaging and enjoyable problem solving work sessions.
Schedule a COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION to explore your interests and determine if our collaboration is a good fit for you ... and for us.