CtheC supporting cross-country post-merger integration projects at ARMetallizing

ARMetallizing (or ‘ARM’) is a Belgian based packaging company, which rapidly evolved over the past years from a regional SME with turn-around challenges to a multi-site, global leader in its sector, with industry benchmark profitability. In the process, ARM grew revenues from approximately 25 million Euro (2006) to close to 130 million Euro today. The rapid pace and growth of the company, entailed a series of significant challenges, of which the building and integration of management teams of several acquisitions into a high performing and self-propelling leadership group was of foremost importance.

Kristien Manteleers of C the C supported the top team of ARM at several occasions during crucial moments in its journey. Kristien was instrumental in providing personal coaching, team structuring and leadership development. Through several workshops, complemented with personal coaching of the management team, and flowing over to CEO counselling, she paved the way helping me to build a self-standing leadership team with high ambitions. By doing so, she was an important component, enabling me to evolve way from the CEO function, and into a confident shareholder role.

Concretely, I called on C the C on three occasions: (i) coaching and developing a leadership profile and communication model for the local Belgian management in Genk; (ii) integrating and building a mixed Italian-Belgian team following a post-acquisition integration and (iii) surfacing ambitions, working methods and team dynamics following a US acquisition.

In the first, local project, Kristien helped the management in understanding their team dynamics and individual leadership styles. She supported development of a leadership model, which led to an aligned communication concept. The impact became obvious in key moments, such as an important reorganisation. For me as CEO, it helped surfacing personal preferences and assessing the bench strength of the team.

The second project – establishing from ‘scratch’ a mixed Italo-Belgian leadership team following an Italian acquisition was certainly more impactful. The acquisition was positioned as a merger of equals, this reflected in a 50/50 management team composition between the two nationalities in the team. At the same moment in time, the company evolved from a runner-up, to a leader in its sector, requiring a different mind-set from the leaders. Kristien navigated proficiently through the multiple – and sometimes very emotional – moments the team encountered. One of the key determinants of the successful sessions, was to combine aspects on personal preferences, coaching skills, etc.. with collective exercises on team problem solving, influencing skills, etc… Blending what is typically, though simplistically, referred to as ‘hard skills’ and ‘soft skills’, did elevate the several two-day workshops to memorable moments for the team. Four years later, the management team still refers to the different sessions (we organized 4 in total, spanning two years) as defining moments in their careers and in their personal development as a professional and person. The various workshops were so intense, making Kristien to step very naturally into the role as personal coach for most of the team members. Having worked in different high-performing organisations, in both small as multinational blue-chip contexts, I can only but testify that the transformational impact Kristien achieved. This definitely different to many of the work of other consultants in the HR space, I have seen. I would say that has not only to do with her skill set and intelligence, but also with an ability to use frameworks and techniques as a platform for deep personal engagement, rather than bringing a ‘boxed solution’. The team needs to be prepared for some improvisation though, but surely will go through a ride which is as revealing as it is enjoyable.

In the third main project I did with C the C, we worked with a US team, from an acquired company. The team carried a legacy of reporting into a mogul corporate organisation, and needed to discover its abilities and ambitions within a dramatically more entrepreneurial environment. The team got complemented with a Belgian GM, which did not simplify the matter. Again, Kristien did reach in two days off-site important break-troughs. Also, the concept of combining ‘problem solving skills’ with ‘personal development’ radiated again strongly within the team, a mix of many engineers and a few lone finance and HR rangers.

Today, I can look back on the collaboration with C the C as defining moments for my company, and will certainly engage with her in future contexts. Together with Kristien, I have leveraged the experiences we went through and build a 3 days programme where I can only hope from it brings similar value to other organisations than it did to mine.