Mariateresa Vacalli is CEO of Bank Cler, a subsidiary of the larger Basler Kantonalbank (BKB), a traditional local incumbent in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. She needs to secure the successful future of Bank Cler and its mobile bank Zak, in an increasingly digitally connected and competitive space. The variety of disruptive business models with a range of online financial services offerings backed by traditional banks, foreign competitors and fintechs poses a complex challenge. After attracting many customers following its launch in 2018, Bank Cler’s mobile-only bank Zak has seen its number of customers stagnating. Having analyzed the business models of other digital banks and the threat of tech giants entering and competing in the Swiss market, Mariateresa needs to choose whether to focus on the existing omnichannel strategy and customer segments or expand internationally.
Solving the puzzle of today’s multi-dimensional labor force
Gone are the days of the loyal company man or woman. Today’s workforce often includes a mix of freelancers, agency temps, and outside contractors. Here are four work models to keep these disparate elements happy and motivated.
By
Sebastian Reiche
5 February 2025
CO-RO (B): Weathering the storm
Summary
Case B describes the unprecedented challenges faced by CO-RO in 2020. The implementation of the sugar tax in its largest Middle Eastern market led to a near 50% volume drop in CO-RO’s sales, and Covid-19 lockdowns impacted the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in particular. These events led to a dramatic drop in net sales and gross profit, forcing CO-RO to re-evaluate its growth strategy and implement cost-saving measures. By 2022, CO-RO faced further challenges with global supply chain disruptions and inflation due to the war in Ukraine. This required strategic decisions to stabilize and ensure future growth amid ongoing external pressures.
Reference
IMD-7-2640
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
CO-RO Group
Industry
Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
CO-RO (A): Storm clouds forming
Summary
The CO-RO Group is a manufacturer of fruit-based still drinks, concentrates and ambient ice (home-freeze popsicles) headquartered in Denmark. Although production takes place in Denmark, most of its products are sold internationally, with the company relying on long-term local partners to convert and market the finished products. Historically, the company focused on markets in which fruit-based drinks were rare, which led to steady growth in line with GDP and population increases; 70% of sales and 80% of profits came from the Middle East. Set between 2015 and 2019, Case A describes the company’s “Shape for Growth” strategy, which aimed to reduce over-reliance on key markets and resulted in new market entries and over 150 new products. This strategy also mitigated the effects of the 2014-2016 oil price crisis. However, in 2019, Saudi Arabia’s announcement of a 50% sugar tax on sweetened beverages threatened to significantly reduce market volumes.
Reference
IMD-7-2590
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
CO-RO Group
Industry
Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
TBC Group: Future proofing a history of success
Summary
The case explores TBC Bank Group’s remarkable journey from a small Georgian bank to a regional leader in digital financial services across Central Asia. Founded in 1992 with just US$500 in initial capital, TBC evolved into Georgia’s largest financial institution and pioneered into digital banking. The case highlights TBC’s strategic expansion into Uzbekistan, where it rapidly built a leading digital banking ecosystem. Students will analyze TBC’s international growth approach as it transformed customer experience, leveraged technology and built a sustainable competitive advantage through product diversification, strong organizational culture and operational agility. The case explores international market entry, digital transformation and aligning strategies with local market needs, highlighting how TBC’s focus on innovation drives its regional expansion.
Reference
IMD-2651
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
TBC Bank Group
Industry
Finance and Insurance, Banking
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Boosting and sustaining operational excellence
Summary
The case explores the principles and challenges of operational excellence through the experience of Magdi Batato, former EVP of Operations at Nestlé. It examines how he implemented Mission-Directed Work Teams (MDWTs) to empower front-line workers, align goals and drive accountability within a collaborative culture. MDWTs, introduced in South Africa and later adapted in Malaysia, emphasized team autonomy, transparent goal alignment and continuous improvement tools. Supervisors transitioned into coaching roles, fostering collaboration through Mini Business Units (MBUs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs). These initiatives improved teamwork, reduced downtime and enhanced problem solving. Cultural and hierarchical barriers were addressed through tailored leadership development and training programs. The document also highlights how MDWTs became part of Nestlé’s global Nestlé Continuous Excellence (NCE) program. Combining tools like LEAN and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) with leadership and behavioral shifts, NCE promoted sustainable improvements. Magdi stressed that while tools are essential, success depends more on fostering cultural adaptability and alignment with measurable business outcomes. A recurring theme is the balance between technical tools and behavioral dynamics. Misconceptions about continuous improvement are addressed, emphasizing its role as a means to achieve results rather than an end in itself. The narrative explores how these principles apply beyond manufacturing, touching on functions like marketing and HR, while considering the potential of emerging technologies such as IoT and AI to enhance operational excellence. Magdi’s leadership journey offers practical insights for aligning technology, culture and tools to achieve and sustain operational excellence.
Reference
IMD-2653
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Nestlé
Industry
Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage;Consumer Goods
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Nestlé Health Science: Building a healthy future towards 2030
Summary
The board of Nestlé S.A. announced that Anna Mohl would become the CEO of Nestlé Health Science (NHSc) — a global leader in nutritional science — on 1 January 2024. She was delighted to hear about her new position but knew there was little time to celebrate. The pressure was on her to make timely strategic decisions to navigate some operating challenges while future-proofing the business for years to come. As Anna sat at her desk and looked out the large window, she began reflecting on how NHSc had grown under her predecessor, Greg Behar, who was instrumental in expanding it into new markets and establishing it as a well-known player in nutritional health solutions. Anna’s dilemmas boiled down to four main questions: Should the company choose organic or inorganic growth? What about market expansion and exploring potential outside North America? How to ensure continued product innovation via research and development (R&D) and potential acquisitions? Finally, how best to align sustainability goals with financial performance? And, of course, expectations were high and a lot was at stake. Anna was aware that the journey ahead would not be easy, but she was ready to tackle the challenges head-on, steering the company towards long-term success.
Reference
IMD-7-2636
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Nestlé Health Science
Industry
Healthcare, Health and Medical Services;Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
ABN AMRO (A): When culture drives transformation
Summary
The case describes two transformation journeys for ABN AMRO bank. The first transformation is cultural and the second is digital. It explores the interplay between these two journeys from the perspective of the head of the Personal Banking. The case goes into detail regarding how the bank rebuilt its internal operating model. The hierarchy was de-layered and replaced with agile ways of working, employee empowerment and a new performance management approach. At first, there was a lot of chaos, but, after some time for adjustment, benefits started to appear, such as higher NPS scores and improved financial results. The new approach also helped the bank cope with the Covid-19 pandemic as many of the changes were linked to remote working for employees and technology-mediated service provision for customers. The case also explores new challenges that appeared. While some teams embraced the new ways of working, others had trouble letting go of legacy approaches. There were inconsistencies and confusion around performance measurement. Despite improving performance in some areas, multifunctional teams were not necessarily delivering the best customer experiences. Sick leave was increasing, and there were signs that employee engagement was falling. The reader is placed in the shoes of the head of Personal Banking who must come up with solutions to these challenges.
Reference
IMD-7-2192
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
ABN AMRO
Industry
Finance and Insurance, Banking
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
ABN AMRO (B): The challenge of scaling self-organization
Summary
The B case picks up at the end of Case A. It’s now autumn 2022. Klaas Ariaans and Eric Jones, leaders within ABN AMRO’s Personal and Business Banking Division had been reflecting on the success of self-organization in their divisions. This new working method gave branches and banking teams more autonomy over how, when and where they worked, as well as how they could best serve their local customers. It had also improved employee attraction and retention. Video banking and self-organization enabled the division to find a balance between digital self-service and personal contact for complex products such as mortgages. The result was a 57% increase in the division’s transactional NPS score. Yet, although Ariaans and Jones had achieved considerable success, their ambition to expand self-organization to other parts of ABN AMRO had not yet been realized. The case explores the different strategies and initiatives they attempted and what happened. Their resolve was unchanged, however, and the case ends with a question: How could they set a path for the rest of the bank to enjoy similar success?
Reference
IMD-7-2439
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
ABN AMRO
Industry
Finance and Insurance, Banking
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Beyond foresight; Imagining distant futures
Summary
As uncertainty grows, organizations must rethink how they navigate a volatile world. Rather than relying solely on scenario planning based on historical data, organizations could take a more proactive approach—imagining and shaping distant futures...
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Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research: How AI helped executives improve communication
Summary
A great way for executives to hone their communication skills is by having a coach listen in on their conversations and provide feedback. But given the increasing capability of AI-based tools to have meaningful conversations with people, research...
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Solving the puzzle of today’s multi-dimensional labor force
Summary
Gone are the days of the loyal company man or woman. Today’s workforce often includes a mix of freelancers, agency temps, and outside contractors. Here are four work models to keep these disparate elements happy and motivated.
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications