Restructuring a finance function without losing what makes it work
A multi-workstream change management programme for the UK Finance function of a FTSE 250 international services organisation, supporting a structural shift from contract-aligned teams to a centralised hub model.
The challenge
The finance function had grown around its contracts. Each had its own team, its own processes and its own way of working. Capable people, operating in silos.
A programme to centralise transactional finance into a dedicated hub had been approved. Over a hundred people faced role changes, redeployment or departure. The challenge was human, not technical: land the change without losing the capability and relationships that made the function work.
The approach
Change management was established as an integrated programme workstream from the outset. The approach combined:
- A stakeholder assessment mapping ten distinct groups, each with different impacts and information needs
- A bespoke training curriculum spanning soft and technical skills, sequenced against programme milestones and differentiated by audience
- An interaction matrix defining how finance activities flow between contracts, partners and the hub, socialised through structured feedback sessions before finalisation
- A communications and engagement strand covering leadership cascade, listening loops, FAQs and a dedicated knowledge hub
- A change agent network of Finance Directors and hub leaders, supported by a weekly steering committee
The work drew on the change curve, ADKAR and Bridges' Transitions model, applied selectively rather than by rote.
The delivery
- Stakeholder impact analysis across all ten groups with tailored intervention plans
- A rolling weekly steering committee at FD level
- An interaction matrix developed through iterative consultation, capturing feedback before finalising accountabilities
- Over fifteen training courses across six audience groups, from continuous improvement to resilience and career preparation
- Structured support for departing colleagues alongside programme delivery
- Readiness assessments at two checkpoints before Go-live, with targeted remediation
The shift
A shared interaction model is now in active use, replacing what had previously been understood informally. Role clarity has improved. Training is sequenced to real milestones rather than delivered as a standalone calendar.
With the change network and steering committee operational, issues surface earlier. The programme has a visible feedback loop rather than relying on escalation.
The impact
What made the difference was treating this as a change programme from the start, not a restructuring project with comms bolted on. The interaction matrix was built through genuine consultation. Training was designed around what each audience actually needed, not what was available off the shelf.
For the organisation, Finance now operates with standardised processes, a hub with its own identity and development pathway, and business partners freed to focus on commercial value. Career conversations have a framework. The function's credibility with the wider business is strengthened by a visible operating standard.
A finance function that was already delivering is now positioned to operate as one team.
