Quick Overview
A high growth energy solutions business needed a Commercial Alignment Programme for its senior leadership team fully aligned behind an ambitious strategy. The CEO had a clear plan, but execution relied on seven key leaders working with sharper commercial focus and stronger cross functional rhythm. Finance, sales, operations, legal, technical and programme delivery were all working hard, but not always in the same direction.
NorthCo designed a commercial alignment and leadership development programme that created clarity, cohesion and commercial confidence across the group. Through a structured diagnostic, OKR development, high tempo working sessions and weekly one to one support, the team strengthened their decision making, improved collaboration and built the operational discipline required for pace.
The results were clear. Execution improved, friction reduced and the CEO gained a leadership team capable of carrying the strategy forward with far greater certainty. The programme was extended indefinitely due to its success and now forms a core part of how the organisation maintains alignment as it continues to scale.
Case Study
Strengthening a Senior Leadership Team to Deliver an Ambitious Growth Strategy
A fast growing energy solutions business had set out a bold plan for expansion. The CEO had a clear strategic pathway, but the senior team needed stronger commercial alignment, clearer collective focus and a more consistent execution rhythm. Each function understood its own contribution, yet the team lacked a united view of priorities, constraints and trade offs. Decisions were increasingly interdependent and the leadership load was becoming heavier.
NorthCo was brought in to design and deliver a tailored commercial alignment programme that would strengthen capability across the team, improve decision making and create the clarity and rhythm needed to deliver the strategy at pace.
The Leadership Cohort
The programme included seven key executives responsible for delivering the commercial, financial, legal, operational and technical elements of the growth plan:
CFO
Sales Director
Programme Director
General Counsel
Technical Director
CTO
COO
This combination of roles meant the work needed to address varied perspectives, behavioural styles and pressures. It also meant that improved alignment across the group would have an immediate and organisation wide impact.
The Challenge
The business was scaling quickly. Each executive carried a portion of the growth plan, but the team did not share a consistent understanding of commercial drivers, customer constraints or the sequencing required for smooth delivery. Conversations were often functional rather than collective. Some decisions stalled, others moved ahead without enough appreciation of downstream implications.
The CEO needed the team to operate in a more integrated manner, with clearer cross functional thinking and stronger commercial judgement across every discipline.
NorthCo’s Approach
The work began with a strategic diagnostic to understand each leader’s commercial mindset, decision making style and interpretation of their role within the overall strategy. This included OPQ behavioural assessments and individual interviews to surface strengths, blind spots and alignment gaps.
These insights shaped a bespoke development programme focused on:
Translating the strategic plan into clear departmental OKRs
Building commercial awareness using customer driven decision frameworks
Improving cross functional collaboration
Clarifying interdependencies and removing friction
Strengthening accountability and execution discipline
Identifying opportunities to accelerate project timing and revenue capture
Monthly high tempo working sessions were supported by weekly one to one guidance for every executive, ensuring real world application rather than theory.
The Shift
With all major functions engaged, the organisation experienced a marked shift in how decisions were made and how work progressed.
Commercial maturity increased. Leaders across finance, legal, technical, sales and operations developed a sharper understanding of commercial implications and customer economics.
Alignment strengthened. The team adopted clearer shared language around priorities and constraints. Discussions became more efficient and less ambiguous.
Execution became more consistent. With OKRs in place and stronger cross functional rhythm, bottlenecks reduced and sequencing improved.
Leadership load eased. The CEO gained a more confident, cohesive and self sufficient leadership group, allowing him to focus on the wider strategic agenda.
Impact and Programme Extension
The programme delivered tangible improvements in capability, clarity and commercial discipline. Leaders reported improved confidence, stronger collaboration and increased alignment with the strategy. The CEO noted faster execution, reduced friction and greater certainty in how the organisation moved.
The improvement was significant enough that the engagement, originally planned as a three month programme, was extended indefinitely. It is now a standing component of how the organisation maintains leadership alignment and commercial focus as it continues to grow.
Why It Worked
The programme succeeded because it was grounded in real operational demands. It blended leadership development with practical commercial guidance, strengthening the team’s ability to deliver under pressure. By helping the group move from parallel effort to coordinated execution, NorthCo enabled the CEO to push the business forward with far greater confidence.
