Practice Area
Strategic Advisory Services

Focus Areas and Engagement Examples

Strategy Development and Facilitation

A family-owned manufacturing company experienced a decline in its primary market due to changing technologies. The President sought Sage’s assistance to leverage the firm’s core competencies into new high-growth, high-value markets. Sage surveyed current customers (to assess any untapped market potential), helped prioritize market opportunities, developed a strategic roadmap and rapid action plan, and supported marketing communications (including helping launch a US website and LinkedIn presence). Sage also assisted in outreach to target market segments. As a result, the client established key partnerships and was positioned as a key supplier to new high-potential markets.

A leading European transportation company pursuing a digital transformation strategy sought Sage’s help in overcoming internal barriers to executing this strategy. They desired to leverage the expertise of US faculty to smooth their path forward. Sage worked closely with the client to understand their needs and issues, identify and assess faculty experts, and organize and lead a 3-day senior executive workshop. The client came away better understanding the value of digital transformation and how to overcome their internal hurdles.

The Founder/CEO of a management information software company desired to find a buyer for his business. This client sought Sage’s assistance to value the company, find a suitable strategic buyer, and help negotiate the deal. We helped the client develop a compelling growth narrative, developed pro forma financials, and analyzed peer valuations. We identified several attractive potential acquirers and negotiated a sale above the top end of the client’s target price range. The company continues as a leader in its space serving satisfied customers.

A professional services firm providing culture- and leadership-driven performance improvement to Fortune 250 clients engaged Sage to help them find an acquirer to drive their next stage of growth. Sage helped assess market interest and determine a valuation. In the course of this work, Sage uncovered and helped to address balance sheet and legal structure issues that could impact the company’s attractiveness. As a result, the company was sold successfully on attractive terms.

A publicly-held medical services company had grown rapidly and successfully to $100 million by acquiring local/regional practices. However, after acquiring one of its largest competitors, integration issues arose and profits stagnated. The Board asked for a strategic review to clarify how far the acquisition model could go and how to integrate future acquisitions into their business model, especially to serve regional and national clients. Sage planned and executed the company’s initial strategic assessment, addressing issues that included: aligning the operating models of previously-independent local practices, assessing lines of business/service offerings, and developing a management structure to accommodate future growth of 5x-7x current revenues. The client was able to drive continued rapid growth to $600 million in revenues in domestic and overseas locations. It was subsequently acquired by a PE firm at a value of over 2x sales.

To support its growth, a top 30 US Bank sought to replace a critical internal system supporting its frontline staff. Through a series of internal user interviews and focus groups, Sage helped highlight key functional requirements for the new system and documented the new customer experience for critical customer transactions based on those requirements.

Board and C-Suite Governance

Client is a public/private partnership building airport terminals in the New York area. Funding for construction is largely provided by public bond financing. Airports are highly regulated at the local, state, regional, and Federal levels. The client was seeking an independent monitor to ensure that the competitive process of awarding concessions (newsstands, restaurants, other retail outlets) was completed in accordance with the regulations that govern the bidding process. Sage filled the role of fairness monitor. We attended all planning, bidding, and decision-making meetings and rendered a report at the end of the process as to our role and activities.

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Strategy

Transactions

Capability

Governanance