EXPLOSIVE BUSINESS GROWTH FROM $2.4bn TO $5.2bn SALES IN SIX YEARS
BREAKTHROUGH OPPORTUNITY
For over a century the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company successfully built its global business. By 2000, their annual business growth rate had slowed to as little as 2% in the US and slightly more to 5% in Europe and Asia. There was little focus on innovation, with new products contributing approximately 5% of total sales. The team operated in silos that stymied knowledge transfer and collaboration across regions and functions. Wrigley’s organisational culture was risk-averse and lacked the ability to capitalise on opportunities for growth.
“Breakthrough is our strategic partner in bringing to life and installing the Wrigley strategic plan through new Tools and new understandings, and creating a powerful unity throughout the Wrigley world. I don’t believe any other process could have brought us to where we are today.”
William Wrigley Jr
President & CEO
The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
BREAKTHROUGH APPROACH
To improve Wrigley’s current and future reality we unleashed the energy, power and creativity of the people, the brands and the organisation itself. Dr. Bart Sayle and Breakthrough worked successfully as Strategic Partners in the Company’s Transformation and Growth for over 6 years.
In November 2000, what started as a high level Strategic Breakthrough Programme, with the top 50 senior executives, quickly expanded to become a company-wide project with the goal of accelerating business growth toward the ambitious aspiration of becoming a $5 Billion company.
Wrigley’s Transformation process included over 100 Breakthrough-led Programmes, Executive Leadership Team Coaching and Tools Licensing. This cascade touched more than 500 senior leaders. Over 12,000 associates benefited from the Breakthrough Tools and Technology through licensed, multi-lingual Breakthrough Internal Facilitators leading a programme of Breakthrough Leadership Intensive, coaching, BIG TALKs® and Tools Programmes.
“Breakthrough transformed our organization; the way we behaved thought and operated”
Thomas G. Budlong
Senior Director of Human Resources – Americas
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
BREAKTHROUGH RESULTS
CREATING A GROWTH MINDSET
Breakthrough had a key role in facilitating the early development of critical future initiatives such as Global Branding and Innovation and the transformation of Wrigley into a Total Confectionery Company.
In 2002, Wrigley posted its highest growth since 1949. Breakthrough was instrumental in creating the organisational culture that enabled Wrigley’s explosive business growth from $2.4bn to $5.2bn Sales.
Wrigley hit their Aspiration of $5bn in sales two years ahead of their strategic plan. By the end of 2007, the gap between the Business-as-Usual Target and The Breakthrough Accelerated Target was worth an additional $1bn.
In 2008 Wrigley was sold to Mars Inc. for $23 bn