Cases
Three organizations facing very different moments of change — from reputation under pressure, to digital disruption, to new growth ambitions.
The organizational contexts were different. The underlying challenge was often the same:
How do leaders build what comes next without losing what made the organization strong in the first place?
Reputation under pressure
A global brand icon, under pressure from shifting societal expectations and scrutiny around the "McJob" narrative, needed to change how it was seen — and how it saw itself. One region led a people and culture transformation that became the foundation for the company's first Global Employer Reputation Strategy.
Not a quick fix: a decade-long reinvention, touching every region and function, with a people mindset as the catalyst.
The result: Multiple markets ranked in Great Place to Work, improving external perception and supporting a 205% increase in share price.
Digital disruption
A 70-year-old FMCG veteran, built on operational excellence and disciplined standardization, was challenged by competitors redefining digital innovation. Hiring 350 developers was only the start — they were integrated into the company's existing foundation and structure, then empowered to help shape its future.
The work wasn't about chasing technology or marketing trends. It was aligning every stakeholder around innovation while respecting the company's history and its legacy of customer and employee trust.
The result: A new brand experience anchored in legacy — a digital platform for 220 million loyalty customers, plus 1 million frontline employees connected through an internal digital ecosystem.
New growth ambitions
A global service company, shaped by more than 600 acquisitions, had grown fragmented in culture and decentralized in its offering. Across 35+ countries and 340,000 people, it needed to unify around a shared purpose and a customer-centric mindset.
A reminder of its foundation — its original 1901 mission — guided executives back to a legacy purpose, not just process.
The result: In a global survey, 94% of leaders reported a strong sense of belonging.
Our services have supported organizations of all sizes, across industries, sectors and geographies — often at pivotal moments: scaling operations, merging with other entities, or adapting to newly appointed leadership.
A closer look — Monta
Monta is building the digital backbone of the EV transition. Growth has been fast, international, and mission-led. As the company moved from startup to scale-up, the People & Culture team faced a key challenge: how do you protect the cultural foundation while evolving into a more complex, high-performing organization?
Our contribution
Real-Ex was invited to review the impact the P&C team had created during Monta's early growth, and how to increase value creation within the broader business story. We identified five strategic priorities to help the function focus its energy and influence in the next stage of growth.
One of these, focused on leadership and communication, was quickly embraced by the management team — helping C-suite leaders reconnect with Monta's purpose and align their voice with the values and mission that had defined the company's success so far.
"In our early days, culture was our engine. We had energy, alignment, and belief in our mission. As we grew and scaled our products and systems, we naturally shifted focus toward execution. We defined how People & Culture could deliver measurable value in scaling our business.
We launched a leadership and communication initiative with immediate support from our senior management team. Working with Real-Ex gave us the clarity and confidence to reduce friction and move forward guided by our purpose."
Vibe Herlitschek
VP People & Culture, Monta
