The Challenge

A global banking group had acquired part of a retail banking division and intended to combine it with an existing function within its investment banking arm.

The objective was to create a new 500-person division across three sites in the UK and Western Europe, using the combined scale and capabilities of the two functions to generate financial and operational benefits.

However, some teams were reporting a 40% uplift in revenue compared with others, and the organisation did not understand what was creating the performance difference or how it could be replicated.

The integration required more than placing the two functions within a new structure. Different operational practices, leadership approaches, sales methods, capabilities and motivations needed to be understood and aligned.

Without this alignment, the organisation risked carrying inconsistent working practices and service standards into the new division, placing people in unsuitable roles and limiting the commercial value of the acquisition.

What We Found

Mapping the two functions showed that each brought different strengths to the new division, including relationship and project core capabilities.

The performance difference was not explained by capability alone. The functions approached sales, client relationships and workforce engagement differently. These practices influenced how clients were approached and sold to, how effectively employees contributed to the process and how consistently each team converted its expertise into commercial performance.

The diagnostic work also identified different capability and motivational requirements within sales and operational roles. Existing role allocations did not always reflect where individuals could contribute most effectively.

This gave the organisation a clearer understanding of why performance varied across the teams and which capabilities, practices and people needed to be retained, repositioned or shared.

Our Approach

We mapped the operational functioning, core capabilities and leadership practices within both entities. This identified where the functions were aligned, where important differences existed and how those differences could affect the performance of the combined division.

We then created a systemic operational transition map connecting the new structure with the roles, capabilities, leadership practices, processes and service standards required to make it work.

The work established what full integration needed to look like in everyday practice, including collective ownership, consistent internal processes and integrated approaches to sales and client relationships across all three sites.

We aligned employees more closely with the sales and operational roles that matched their capabilities, motivations and potential contribution. People were redeployed into the new division or other parts of the organisation according to their role fit.

We also worked with leaders and employees to share effective practices between the original functions and apply their different core capabilities where they would create the greatest value for clients, commercial teams and internal support resources.

Measurable Impact

Within six months, the organisation had created a fully integrated 500-person division operating across three sites.