United Kingdom
October 2024
KFC UK & Ireland Case A: Crafting a Technology Roadmap
By Nitish Jain, S. Alex Yang
It was June 2021 and Jatin Chandwani was three months into his role as Chief Technology Officer of KFC UK & Ireland (KFC UK&I). Immediately upon joining, he completed a three-week induction working in a restaurant. The experience made him realise there was a massive gap between the digital c...
October 2024
KFC UK & Ireland Case B: Technology and Project Choices
By Nitish Jain, S. Alex Yang
Jatin Chandwani realised numerous opportunities existed for technology interventions to improve franchisees' financial performance at KFC UK & Ireland.. Specifically, these concerned attaining better customer experience and the widespread use of data-led analytics to guide franchisees' actions; ...
July 2024
Pentland Brands: Berghaus’s International Expansion
By Ioannis Ioannou, Ken Mark
Pentland Brands, a family-owned British company, aims to expand its outdoor apparel brand Berghaus internationally, with a focus on the German and Chinese markets. Berghaus, certified as a B Corporation in 2023, boasts a strong reputation for well-designed, durable products and offers unique service...
May 2024
Avon International: Imagining a Refill Program in Turkey
By Ioannis Ioannou, Ken Mark, Lisa Duke
The case explores the role of sustainability initiatives in Avon's business strategy and how they align with its mission of empowering women. It also discusses the potential financial and operational implications of the yet-to-be implemented idea of a refill program, including changes to supply chai...
April 2024
Ros Atkins and the 50:50 Project at the BBC (C)
By Siri Chilazi, Aneeta Rattan, Oriane Georgeac
In the summer of 2022, the 50:50 Project leadership was taking stock after three tumultuous years. It wasn’t just the Covid-19 pandemic; leadership transitions, organisational structure changes, and questions about mission and scope were adding up for 50:50 and the BBC as a whole. The 50:50 Projec...
November 2023
Sadler’s Wells Theatre – Compact Case
By Freek Vermeulen
Alistair Spalding, Chief Executive of Sadler’s Wells Theatre, recalled an evening back in the autumn of 2004 when he was sitting in a balcony seat in an empty, unlit theatre, watching a crew dismantle a set following a final performance. Earlier in the day, the board had confirmed Spalding’s app...
November 2023
Hornby plc: Strategic Transformation (B)
By Freek Vermeulen
In 2005 Frank Martin, CEO of Hornby, was feeling proud. Since joining in 2000, he had seen the company's share price rise from 35 to more than 250 and his strategic transformation of the firm from a toy company into a hobby company had been a resounding success. The company dominated the UK market a...
November 2023
Hornby plc: Building Communities (A)
By Freek Vermeulen
In 2005 Frank Martin, CEO of Hornby, was feeling proud. Since joining in 2000, he had seen the company's share price rise from 35 to more than 250 and his strategic transformation of the firm from a toy company into a hobby company had been a resounding success. The company dominated the UK market a...
November 2023
Lark & Berry: The diamond disruptors
By Ioannis Ioannou, Nick Mickshik
Laura Chavez was delighted beyond words when the Atelier Asymmetric Bow suite, designed by her luxury jewellery company Lark & Berry, won the 2019 Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council Graff jewellery award. The Graff Award was the jewellery industry’s equivalent of the Oscars award for Best ...
October 2023
Insearch Ltd: Searching for a company to buy
By Simon Webster
By March 2022 Steve Webb had spent more than three years looking for a company to acquire. He was in final negotiations to buy a company, but he and the vendors did not see eye-to-eye on its valuation. Steve was also concerned about how to structure an offer. He was in a difficult financial situatio...