Enhancing Leadership Team Effectiveness for International Trust and Corporate Management Firm

In 2022, an international trust and corporate management company asked Hanover to partner with their Western Europe executive team.

Our client provides world-leading, specialised administration services in over 30 jurisdictions, including to 80% of the top Private Equity international firms (PEI 300). They focus on bespoke corporate, fund, capital market and private wealth services.

The leadership team of 12 executives, including nine different nationalities, was facing significant change due to new ownership and numerous market challenges.

They recognised they each had valuable expertise and experience but were not operating as a team, rather a collection of senior individuals focused on their own teams, functions and specialisms.

Hanover designed and facilitated a team effectiveness process that started with meetings with the Managing and HR Directors to agree objectives and understand the context.

We then completed confidential, one to one meetings with each team member to give us a strong understanding of their views and an opportunity to build rapport.

The Hanover team designed and delivered an initial offsite workshop for the team. This focused on sharing themes from the one to ones, clarifying the need for change, and building trust amongst team members.

A further two workshops followed over a four month period in 2023, enabling the team to build a strong understanding of themselves, their shared challenges and objectives, and how to operate more effectively together.

The leadership team now has much stronger relationships, increased collaboration, and a clearer view of their business objectives and how they can help each other.

We are now talking to our client about how we can continue to partner with them and work with teams at the next level down.

Executive Leadership Feedback

How would you describe your overall team development experience with Hanover?

• Very valuable 55% (6)
• Extremely valuable 46% (5)

How positive was your experience of working with the Hanover facilitator?

• Very positive 36% (4)
• Extremely positive 64% (7)

Would you recommend Hanover to others?

• Probably would 18% (2)
• Definitely would 82% (9)

What did you like most about the process?

• ‘The “self journey” in terms of profile as well as understanding how to assess profiles of the team (and others) aimed at more productive interactions and outcomes.’
• ‘Agility of the facilitators – very knowledgeable – great impact thanks to their ability to understand the complexity of our transformation journey.’
• ‘Very positive – there is still a purpose for this team to exist.’
• ‘It impacted the discussions I have with colleagues and how I approach issues with each person. Overall I thought it was a good investment of my time.’
• ‘Very impactful as it got me thinking and reflecting on myself and the way I manage my team.’
• ‘The quality of the facilitators – I would recommend the same programme to any leadership team.’