Ran the IT operating model transition for a German financial services provider, onboarding 70+ people across five IT domains.
70+ team members
Successfully onboarded
All areas of IT
covered by transformation
Diamond-class engagement
Rescued by rebuilding trust
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The challenge
A major German IT provider for banks & insurers faced:
Outdated legacy systems: high error rates requiring 24/7 support
Regulatory hurdles: strict German outsourcing restrictions
Relationship breakdown: client rejecting all proposed changes and team members
Team morale crisis: onsite team facing personal criticism and siloed work
It was the largest deal of its kind in Europe, and all four were live at once.
My approach
Rebuild trust by showing the work, then transform in phases.
1. Team rehabilitation
Actions
Became primary client POC to shield team
Implemented daily standups across silos
Redeployed members to strength-based roles
Instituted recognition program
Outcome
75% morale improvement
60% better collaboration
2. Client acceptance strategy
Key interventions
Conducted 1:1 sessions to uncover real concerns (job security fears)
Co-created “Critical Knowledge Retention” roles for client staff
Implemented penalty-free pilot phases
Established joint governance with client leadership
Result: Profile acceptance rate improved from 0% to 85% in 3 months
3. Accelerated knowledge transfer
80/20 training model
Focused on incident resolution essentials
Job shadowing with client SMEs
Phased evaluation checkpoints
Impact
65% faster ramp-up
40% fewer escalations
4. Stakeholder alignment via executive engagement framework
Bi-weekly C-level briefings with visualized metrics
Regulatory compliance dashboards
“No Surprises” communication policy
Key insight: Disclosing the risks in full is what turned B-level stakeholders into internal champions.
Results
70+ FTEs transitioned
5 IT domains stabilized
100% regulatory audits passed
Lessons learned
The resistance was about job security, not process.
The 1:1 sessions surfaced that, and the profile acceptance rate only moved once we addressed it.
Start where the client is receptive.
Early wins in the areas that would accept them bought the credibility to attempt the harder ones.
One set of numbers, shown to everyone.
The bi-weekly briefings and compliance dashboards worked because every stakeholder was looking at the same figures.
