Our client, Mattias, was an accomplished professional, having worked in senior positions at a two well-established CPG firms. Yet, he was having trouble finding his leadership footing in his newest position as the second in command at one of Mexico’s largest privately-owned cattle producing and distributing businesses. Mattias had a tremendous amount of responsibility which he was well-equipped to handle. However, he had far less experience in the cattle industry than the CEO/founder of the business. Elevating Mattias’ capabilities as an enterprise leader and strategic thought partner to the CEO in this new environment was critical.

We focused on both broadening and deepening Mattias’ understanding of the business. We introduced new strategic frameworks which were most relevant for Mattias as he was leading a new growth initiative – introducing premium Wagyu beef to their existing line of quality meat products. In his case, we did not set out to redefine strategy but, more critically, create a foundation for his approach to thinking more strategically. This was a welcomed mental refresh for Mattias, as he had become overwhelmed by the countless approaches to corporate strategy he had encountered in his career, without truly understanding how they all fit together.

We provided Mattias with a disciplined approach to making strategic decisions, as well as equipped him to confidently approach the Wagyu project from a more robust perspective. This encompassed both assessing his company’s current competitive position and considered the potential threats coming from the marketplace. We guided him through the exercise of listing out the different areas of operation and means of execution that were critical to the business’ profitability at its steady state. He also reviewed the macroeconomic factors and consumer trends that would impact his business over time. Matthias was quick to grasp the concepts and, by committing them to muscle memory, he could quickly call upon them when brainstorming what levers to pull in executing a strategic initiative and/or reacting to unforeseen exogenous risks. He then incorporated the tangible work we had done into his discussions with his leadership team.

The frameworks we introduced allowed Mattias to think more creatively and broadly about the Wagyu project. This led to the idea of seeking out joint ventures and strategic partnerships to best position the business when entering this new marketplace. As a result, Mattias pursued and successfully closed a partnership with a large distributor in Guadalajara. He is now better prepared to confront and execute distribution elements in this new market, and coupled with our leadership development work, better equipped to successfully engage his team and align them with this important initiative.