Kerry Foods: Driving growth through employee involvement and innovation

Challenge

Technology, sustainability and health consciousness are driving major changes in the food industry. Kerry Foods knew it needed to adapt with its customers. It set out to engage its people in a new strategic direction, and a refreshed purpose, vision and values, and help them discover them the difference they could make.

Solution

We helped the leadership co-create a Story which captured the pioneering legacy of the business and inspired a company-wide, integrated campaign to embed the values into the business and encourage shop-floor innovation. Leaders used the Story to create dynamic two-way conversation across the business, engaging their teams in what change meant for them and the part they could play. A system for sharing stories of success and a network of champions maintained momentum behind the change, driving rapid results.

Results

• 2.1% volume growth and trading margin up +30 bps to 8.8%
• Rose from 42nd to 14th place in Management Today’s ‘Britain’s Most Admired Companies’ list
• Winner of 2017’s Personnel Today Awards: Employee Engagement Initiative of the Year
• 100% shift in understanding around strategy, goals, Purpose, Vision and Values
• Dramatic shift in employee engagement: 860+ product development entries submitted – 60% from the factory floor
• New style of leadership centred on credible, authentic, inspiring communicating
• “One of the highlights of my career” (CEO)

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