The Problem

One of the world’s leading manufacturing companies, with 70,000 employees and 64 manufacturing facilities in 26 countries, was in the process of divesting a significant division. A buyer for the division had been identified, but the division’s HR organization was fairly intermingled with the parent company’s function.  The division did not have a defined HR structure, and the division’s employees often split time between the division and the parent.

The parent needed to set up a distinct infrastructure for the division. The company initially formalized a process in which the parent’s HR staff would continue to perform HR services for the division, but would perform them distinctly through a lease arrangement with the division. It quickly became apparent that although the parent’s HR staff had deep HR subject matter expertise, they didn’t have the required change management and project management skills needed to manage the transition. 

The Solution

• Solleva supported the parent company throughout the divestiture process by providing project management and change management support to ensure the parent company supplied deliverables on time and in advance of the “Go Live” date when the company was officially transferred to a private equity firm.

• Our change services team took a facilitative approach, raising red flags as needed, allowing the parent company to focus on the projects that were most important.

• Solleva identified the need for global support, and formed and trained teams in each of the parent company’s regions of operation: Europe; the United States; Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa; Latin America; and Asia-Pacific. In each geographic area, Solleva brought valuable subject matter expertise, including country laws and regulations, technology, process, labor union issues, retirement, health and welfare benefits, and compensation.

• Solleva leveraged its strong project management experience to integrate various work streams and identify interdependencies.