Work that works
Real challenges. Real organisations.
Real outcomes.
A selection of client stories showing how greater clarity, stronger evidence and practical partnership create measurable impact.
Performance
Turning post-merger friction into strategic momentum
for a $3bn US financial services group
A rapidly expanding US financial services firm had nearly doubled its size via acquisition but struggled with post-merger integration. This led to stagnant growth, softening revenues, declining analyst confidence, and a stalled strategy.
Contexis analysis revealed a sharp disconnect between employees’ experience of
their immediate teams and their perception of the wider organisation. At the heart
of the issue were two missing factors. Context: clarity about strategic direction, and trust, particularly in leadership. These challenges were most acute among teams affected by the acquisition.
We developed a targeted response focused on strategic clarity, communication and leadership behaviour. Ongoing pulse measurement helped refine interventions, uncover leadership alignment issues, and support a sustained programme of cultural change.
“Having this data now and in the future is critical to our ability to culturally integrate our organisations. To be frank, this is so central to how I lead my business that if the central team couldn’t find the budget for it then I would pick it up in my budget immediately”
FS Regional Head
Performance
Creating the culture to match the ambition
for a rapidly growing GCC AI business
Bringing together six distinct technology companies spanning the AI value chain revealed a critical integration gap. The primary objective was to unite these entities into a single, high-performance organisation capable of delivering at speed and scale, establishing the ultimate AI backbone for governments and major commercial enterprises across the GCC.
We identified the barriers to transformation which had stalled due to unclear organizational purpose. Although employees believed in the company’s purpose, there was little clarity about what that purpose was in practice. This led to confusion and distrust. This disconnect was most severe among senior leaders and executives.
Focusing on executive alignment, a clearly defined organisational purpose and values, and a network of culture champions, we supported the business over 6 months to build a stronger, more unified culture capable of supporting its strategic ambitions.
“We recognised culture as fundamental to our growth trajectory. We had interviewed the usual global consultancies. But we realised we didn’t want a cookie-cutter approach. We were impressed by Contexis’s data. But more than that by their bespoke and entrepreneurial approach. They felt like us”. Chief Operating Officer
Risk and control
Transforming risk culture at
scale
A leading global financial services organisation needed to strengthen risk culture across thousands of employees in multiple countries. While processes were in place, leaders knew lasting change required shifting behaviours, not adding more policies or controls. We partnered with the client to design an enterprise-wide Risk Culture programme.
The programme combined behavioural science, leadership development, governance reviews, targeted training and business-led interventions to identify perception gaps between employees, leaders and risk professionals. A global network of “Risk Culture Changemakers” helped embed change locally and make risk culture part of everyday decision-making.
The result was a stronger first-line ownership of risk, a global Changemaker community, close to 100 locally led improvement initiatives, and a sustainable capability for continuous cultural improvement.
Risk and control
Creating a more strategic compliance function
for a global FS firm
A multinational financial services organisation needed to evolve its Compliance function. Possessing deep technical expertise, the team wanted to become more forward-thinking, engaging better with the business and shaping risk-based decisions. Consequently, the Compliance leadership team sought greater clarity on collective roles, priorities, and influence.
Drawing on our experience of leading risk, regulatory and cultural transformation programmes, we identified that the opportunity was not one of capability, but of alignment. The team needed a clearer identity, a shared approach to risk conversations and greater confidence in articulating the value Compliance brings to the organisation.
We worked with the Compliance leadership team to define its purpose, strengthen stakeholder engagement and establish a more consistent approach to leadership, culture and risk. As a result, the team developed a stronger collective voice, increased its influence with stakeholders and shifted the focus of conversations from regulatory oversight to future risk, strategic priorities and business outcomes.
“For the first time, Compliance is speaking a common language about risk and has a much clearer view of the role we play in helping the organisation succeed.”
Professional services
We work on a
business-by-business basis
With responsibility comes retention
An international professional services firm faced the common problem of silo-driven management, focusing on the success of individual practices, not firm-wide commercial interests. Our diagnostic revealed that senior management measured poorly in feelings of ownership, commitment, and responsibility.
A sophisticated engagement programme, targeted at specific offices and groups identified as at risk, resulted in an increase in commitment and effective ownership of 22% over a 12-month period. This led to enhanced strategic collaboration, increased cross-group fee generation, and a 17% increase in retention of the most valuable fee earners.
“Contexis are simply the furthest forward in the science of what activates performance and purpose in business.” — Partner