Case Study - innovation
Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB), one of the UK’s leading mortgage advice brands, wanted to future-proof its culture while undergoing a major transformation project. With 200 businesses and 1,500 advisers, they needed a cultural framework to connect strategy, people, and performance.
more likely to recommend MAB as a place to work
improvement to communication (internal NPS)
of employees feel they fully understand the Mission, Vision and DNA
at the Business Culture Leadership Award
Our client was a global life sciences leader whose driving goal is to enable longer and healthier lives by connecting investment, talent and global expertise. Their strategy for doing so is based on acquisitions that enhance innovation and strengthening their existing business segments.
Looking forward, they had a series of key objectives and ambitions to work towards:
MAB was already driving a tech-led change programme to simplify the customer and adviser journey. But the leadership team knew that without a unifying culture, the transformation risked stalling.
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The entire project was completed in just 3 months, from initial planning through to final rollout, including communication efforts and onboarding activities designed to inform and engage employees with the new system.
Broadly, the project followed a straightforward process. The first was to define what innovation meant for the client: in their case, it was to reduce disease burden for patients and healthcare systems, to foster operational excellence and deliver above-industry returns through their products, market differentiation, technology and partnerships.
Following this, we defined the client’s Innovation Thesis, Idea Lifecycle Framework and Innovation Process. Each framework was developed through an iterative process informed by interviews at all levels, workshops and industry best practice.
The aim of this process was to ensure that the company’s innovation system wasn’t decided solely by leadership but was informed by the challenges faced by employees each day, their diverse perspectives and needs, and the company’s culture.
We concluded the project with a company-wide call for ideas, giving teams the opportunity to test the newly developed innovation process and ILC framework in practice. This real-world trial not only validated the system but also allowed us to refine it based on feedback gathered during the development of submitted ideas, all within the structure of the new governance model.
Throughout the engagement, we ensured minimal disruption to the company’s day-to-day operations, working collaboratively and efficiently.
Our delivery team consisted of four people – a partner, senior consultant, analyst, and project manager – who together ensured strategic oversight, hands-on support, and smooth execution across all phases.
Delivered through our award-winning 3-stage methodology:
Established a Culture Design Group of leaders, managers, and colleagues to surface real issues and define the future culture.
Developed MABology with clear DNA behaviours, leadership alignment, and a narrative connecting past, present and future.
Leaders were upskilled and supported through mentoring, and cultural metrics were introduced to track progress.
MABology is now embedded across the employee lifecycle. Staff report stronger communication, improved alignment, and a deeper sense of pride in the business. Culture is no longer an abstract idea – it’s a daily lived reality driving engagement, performance, and growth.
It was incredible seeing that in just 3 months, we went from zero to having a minimum viable innovation system in place. This new setup now gives us the confidence to move straight into venture building – an important step toward driving repeatable and sustainable organic growth in the months ahead.”
Pharmaceuticals
Making
Complexity
Simple.
