ABG Case Study

Leadership Transition and Strategic Growth: How ABG Built Its Next Chapter

By Patrick Maloney, Managing Director, Lead Talent

The Challenge: A Business at a Crossroads

ABG had experienced rapid growth in recent years—but that success came with a major challenge: three-quarters of its long-standing leadership team were retiring or planning to exit. One of the company’s owners, a key operational director, was also due to step down within 18 months.

For this established manufacturing business, it was a pivotal moment. The owners recognised the need to act now—to future-proof the business, maintain momentum, and create a strategic roadmap for both financial and non-financial goals.

A new leadership team had been identified, but they were early in their journey. The business needed strategic alignment, a shift in mindset from reactive to proactive, and a clear plan to transition from a regional player to an international growth-focused operation.

The Lead Talent Solution: Building Strategy Through Leadership

Step 1: Aligning the Leadership Team

With leaders based across different locations and departments working in silos, team cohesion and communication were lacking. We brought the leadership group together and launched our tailored Lead Talent Strategic Planning Process, grounded in ABG’s real-world challenges and growth ambitions.

We defined a clear 3-year vision by focusing on four core business pillars:

• Finance: Profitability and revenue growth targets

• Operations: Manufacturing efficiency, R&D, delivery, safety, and sustainability

• Marketing & Brand: A stronger sales strategy, global expansion, and improved customer experience

• People: Building internal capability and putting the right people in the right roles

We then designed a bespoke leadership development programme to equip the senior team with the skills and confidence to lead from the front.

Step 2: Strategic Evolution and Cultural Reset

We revisited ABG’s core values to ensure they reflected the business today—not just its history. This formed the cultural foundation for a new chapter of leadership, innovation, and commercial focus.

Our strategy also addressed post-pandemic operational challenges, such as supply chain disruption and internal capacity constraints—ensuring the business could deliver on short-term goals while preparing for long-term global expansion.

The Results: Stronger Strategy, Stronger Business

Despite global parts shortages and leadership turnover, ABG delivered its most profitable year on record in 2022.

Key Outcomes:

✅ Two new senior leadership roles created
✅ Personal development plans for every SLT member
✅ Successful expansion into Chile
✅ Launch of new products and machining centres
✅ Refreshed website aligned with the new brand strategy
✅ Increased investment in training and skills development
✅ Strategic planning expanded across the US, Germany, and Spain

What the Client Said:

“Due to business growth and leadership change, we’d reached a milestone and needed a robust strategy for the next phase. Patrick and the Lead Talent team helped us build that strategy, develop the new leadership team, and continue to support us as true strategic partners. From planning and training to branding and delivery—they’ve become an extension of our business.”
Richard Knight, CEO, A B Graphic International

What Lead Talent Delivered:

✔ Refreshed and embedded ABG’s core values across the business
✔ Defined a clear core focus and value proposition
✔ Built a bold 5-year growth strategy
✔ Delivered a 3-year strategic plan across finance, operations, brand, and people
✔ Unified international teams under one target market and sales approach
✔ Introduced new meeting rhythms for accountability and consistency
✔ Launched a team leader training programme aligned to strategy
✔ Supported the onboarding of key senior hires
✔ Facilitated quarterly and annual strategic planning sessions
✔ Built a scalable business structure with clear accountabilities and development pathways

Ready to Future-Proof Your Business?

Whether you’re facing leadership transition, international expansion, or the next stage of growth, we can help you:

• Build a stronger leadership team

• Align your strategy across the business

• Drive consistent, profitable growth

Call Patrick Maloney on 07715 326 502
patrick.maloney@lead-talent.co.uk
www.lead-talent.co.uk