Two regional housing associations embarked on a challenging consolidation journey, bringing together organisations with different histories, cultures and ways of working.
Having already worked with both, we understood their respective cultures, leadership teams and operating environments, as well as the similarities and differences that would shape the merger.
Discover the full case study below.
The consolidation coincided with significant operational priorities, including a major systems implementation and stock acquisitions. Leadership sickness, senior departures and critical vacancies, including within finance, created additional capacity gaps.
With restrictions on permanent recruitment during due diligence, both organisations needed flexible leadership support to maintain services, develop the merger business case, manage senior stakeholders and prepare for integration.
We worked closely with both Boards and senior stakeholders from due diligence through to integration. We provided interim and fixed-term leaders across both organisations, backfilling critical roles and maintaining the capacity needed to deliver operational priorities and the merger programme.
Crucially, we appointed an executive-level leader to deliver senior stakeholder engagement and lead merger integration, including developing the business case and helping shape the future organisational structure.
Following the merger, we have continued to provide integration-focused interim support, make permanent senior appointments and support leaders transitioning out of the legacy organisations
Our support has provided continuity across the full merger lifecycle, from due diligence and business-case development through to formal merger and integration.
We are now leading the permanent search for the new organisation’s Chief Executive. This benefits from our accumulated knowledge of both legacy organisations, their cultures, leadership teams and merger journey.
Insights from our research, Housing: The Leadership Evolution, have informed the CEO leadership profile, ensuring the search assesses not only experience, but also the behaviours, adaptability and leadership range needed to unite the organisation, complete the integration and lead its next phase.
The result is a long-term leadership partnership that has provided stability through uncertainty and an informed, evidence-led approach to building the leadership required for the future.