Outcomes
The review identified a total cost efficiency opportunity of £18.1m, representing 10% of the addressable people cost base. This comprised £15.7m through targeted functional improvements and a further £2.4m through macro structural change. Quick wins of £5.7m were identified as achievable within three months, with the full opportunity accessible over a nine to twelve month horizon. The findings formed the foundation of a Blueprint for Change and clear decision pathways to support executive alignment and implementation.
Background
The operating model had developed organically rather than by design. Support and project functions had grown disproportionately relative to revenue, spans and layers were unbalanced, and many roles lacked clear accountability. Duplicated roles, legacy positions, and shadow activities had accumulated over time, adding complexity and cost without adding value.
There was no structural clarity across the Group and Divisional functions, and uncontrolled cost growth had gone unchallenged. The organisation needed an honest, evidence-based assessment of where it stood, and a credible set of options for what to do about it.
Curzon Approach
Curzon conducted a comprehensive organisational review across three core business blocks, grounded in desktop analysis of HR data and financial budgets aligned to a live workforce snapshot. Rather than applying a single efficiency lens, four distinct levers were deployed across the analysis: Stop, Optimise, Do Cheaper, and Automate. This framework ensured that every efficiency opportunity was categorised by the nature of the intervention required, not simply its financial size, giving the executive team a nuanced and actionable picture rather than a flat list of cuts.
Macro structural alternatives were evaluated alongside targeted functional improvements, including a higher-ambition scenario designed to align the organisation more fully with its strategic priorities and future ownership plans. Each initiative was then prioritised for implementation across a three to twelve month horizon, assessed against risk, disruption, and return to ensure sequencing was practical and defensible.
The output was not a report but a Blueprint for Change: a structured set of findings, prioritised initiatives, and decision pathways designed to give executive leadership the clarity and confidence to act.
