An Inside Look at Business Talent Group’s Typical Projects

July 18, 2023 Rachel Halversen

If you’re looking to build your agile workforce, access hard-to-find skills, reduce consulting spend, or simply get more done, you’ve come to the right place. Business Talent Group (BTG)’s marketplace of experts and problem solvers—backed by top-notch client service and proprietary technology—positions us to best support top companies on their projects and priorities. Whether you’re looking for strategic industry or functional knowledge, project execution, or interim C-suite leadership, BTG’s on-demand talent can fill your need seamlessly and on budget.

Carefully curated and expertly vetted, our consultants, subject matter experts, operators, and executives hail from top consulting firm and leading companies. In short, they possess cutting-edge skills and expertise to tackle your most demanding strategic, operational, and technological challenges, which is why Business Talent Group’s typical projects tend to involve filling critical skill and leadership gaps.

Today we’ll take a moment to explore a number of BTG’s typical projects to showcase our network of experts and capabilities.

Typical Project Overview

There are a few recurring themes for most BTG typical projects: strategy, operations, transformation, organization, and interim executive engagements.

Strategy

In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing business landscape, having a well-defined and adaptable strategy is a must for organizations looking to stay competitive. Strategy projects require specialized knowledge, keen problem-solving skills, and fresh perspectives. As such, strategy requests top the list of Business Talent Group’s typical projects.

One strategy project we see frequently are opportunity assessments. In a clinical trial technology opportunity assessment, BTG helped an F100 pharma company conduct a landscape analysis of technology trends in Phase 3 clinical trials in immunology. The consultant identified key players, areas of opportunity, and ways to achieve competitive advantage.

Large-scale strategy development is also a common use case for on-demand talent. For example, a strategic advisory firm was looking to develop a global communication strategy in the mining sector. Part of a global expansion program, the initiative consisted of creating communication and ESG strategies whilst building capacity and overseeing day-to-day communications—all relying on much-needed expert market insights. The firm needed transformation and operational support to conduct a landscape assessment, global stakeholder mapping, competitor benchmarking, and an internal review of current strategy.

BTG placed a senior strategy consultant and former mining executive, who conducted the assessment and devised a strategic plan to improve global positioning and better communicate to international audiences.

Similar projects might include: corporate and business unit growth strategy, digital strategy, innovation strategy, product and launch strategy, ESG strategy, staffing strategy, advanced analytics, project management, advanced analytics, and more.

Operations

Today’s challenges and opportunities have renewed business leaders’ focus on efficiency, sustainability, and resilience, making operations requests popular Business Talent Group projects.

Supply chain optimization and resilience has been mission-critical in recent years. For instance, a large footwear brand sought to harmonize and integrate its supply chain operations and practices. BTG provided a supply chain expert with 15+ years of experience to help the company develop a hypothesis, analysis, recommendations, and a roadmap for implementing the project.

Oftentimes operations projects are related to transformations or growth, but sometimes it’s simply a matter of filling a short-term leadership gap. One such need arose when a UK based financial services firm needed an interim operations director to fill the gap between the incumbent director’s departure and the start date for the full-time replacement. BTG placed an interim operations director with extensive experience in contact center operations to provide critical coverage during the leadership gap.

Similar projects might include: process and structural overhauls, resource upgrades, process optimization, performance improvements, integrated business planning initiatives, cost cutting, resilience, project management, and operational excellence.

Transformation

Another set of Business Talent Group’s typical projects revolve around transformation as leaders look to drive efficiencies in business processes, add new layers of security, deliver new offerings, and capitalize on innovation and change—all while catering to demands for worker flexibility and autonomy.

Process optimization and transformation came in at the #4 most in-demand skill in this year’s High-End Independent Talent Report, so it’s no surprise that leaders of one industrial holding company turned to BTG when they found themselves in need of a cybersecurity transformation leader for an IT infrastructure overhaul. BTG provided a cybersecurity transformation leader with 20+ years of experience to assess vulnerabilities, develop plans, and implement a secure IT infrastructure.

Large-scale transformations are no easy feat, but with the right people in seat, it’ll be smooth sailing ahead, like when a company-wide transformation project required specific data and analytics expertise. BTG supported the client, a multinational life science data and analytics company, by providing a data strategy and management executive who carried out a capability assessment, identified risks, and developed a roadmap for change.

Similar projects might include: IT and tech transformation, digital transformation, change management, ERP transformation, HR and culture transformation, organizational transformation, process optimization and transformation, tech and systems implementation, marketing and sales, innovation and R&D, and more.

Organization

In order to stay adaptable and resilient today, all industries are seeing an increasing need for valuable expertise, support, and guidance to enhance the effectiveness and success of organizational initiatives as they navigate challenges like change and uncertainty, cost-cutting mandates, risk mitigation, and restructuring.

Since M&A needs are among Business Talent Group’s typical projects, this post-merger integration HR project is of note. When an acquisition swelled an F500 hospitality giant’s headcount by 50%, the organization was committed to its unique culture, but the HR team was struggling to efficiently integrate the new employees. BTG placed an HR growth specialist, who developed a new talent acquisition and search process and supported a total organizational redesign without impacting morale or productivity of the two different company cultures.

Or, when an F500 consumer company was launching an initiative to improve organizational agility, BTG provided a senior organizational and operational strategist to help the VP of Transformation redesign everything from processes and systems to talent strategies and culture.

Similar projects might include: organizational design and workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, business processes, HR and culture transformation, compensation and benefits, organizational transformation, global HR, program management office (PMO), human capital, brand strategy, restructuring, post-merger integration, and more.

Interim

Increasingly, interim placements are among the top reasons companies reach out to Business Talent Group, as revealed in the 2023 High-End Independent Talent Report. Amid recent economic uncertainty, changing markets, and fierce competition, a leadership deficit is taking a toll on organizations large and small, contributing to a +116% YOY increase in demand for interim leadership at all levels.

Within interim leadership, the most significant demand is in the office of the CFO, with interim CFO requests increasing by 103% YOY. Other key finance roles are critical as well, with Controller taking the spot as the fastest-growing interim C-suite role with 223% growth.

Demand is also rising outside the finance department, with requests for interim CEOs up 220%, CHROs up 100%, and Chief Transformation Officers also up 100%.

Consider this first example of an interim CFO for a PE-backed consumer apparel company. BTG provided a seasoned interim CFO with 20+ years of experience as a management consultant to help a client with administrative priorities, including audit and tax filings, monthly close activities, a rolling CF model, and setup of ABL.

Interim leadership goes beyond the C-suite and is a frequent need for roles at the SVP, VP, and director levels as well. Take this case of an interim claims operations executive to support a benefits provider post-acquisition. BTG helped the dental benefits provider by providing a leader with 30+ years of experience in claims transformations to fill this short-term role. The executive seamlessly assimilated and worked entirely dedicated to post-merger data integration workstreams.

A Typical Project at Business Talent Group Swiftly Supports Your Unique To-Dos.

It’s easy to see how Business Talent Group fits the bill for these common project types, but the beauty of on-demand talent is that it enables quick access to the talent you need for your own priorities and pain points—whatever they may be. Whether you’re facing a situation like one above or in need of a unicorn talent, look no further than BTG’s network of highly skilled independent consultants, project managers, subject matter experts, and interim executives. Reach out today to discuss your talent needs.

GET THE SKILLS YOU NEED

Thousands of independent consultants, subject matter experts, project managers, and interim executives are ready to help address your biggest business opportunities.

Get Started

Previous Article
Debunking 7 Common Myths About Interim Executives
Debunking 7 Common Myths About Interim Executives

Interim executives are becoming increasingly prominent, but there are still a few myths to unmask to unders...

Next Article
What Are Interim Executives, and What Do They Offer?
What Are Interim Executives, and What Do They Offer?

More companies are leveraging interim executives in times of transition or crisis, but what’s their role? R...

Learn how to bridge gaps and build capacity with interim executives.

Get the Guide