Global 
Germany 
Aligning owners around a clear long-term strategic direction
We advised the company on developing a clear owner strategy to create shared long-term direction in a complex cooperative structure. The strategy made owner priorities, roles, and trade-offs explicit and established a common reference point for strategic decision-making – strengthening governance and supporting long-term value creation across owners, board, and management.
Balancing ownership priorities for the long term
The company operates as a large cooperative with many owners and inherent tensions between short-term payouts and long-term investments. While the company had a clear business strategy, there was a need to clarify owners’ long-term ambitions, risk appetite, and expectations – particularly given the dual role of owners as both suppliers and long-term investors. Without an explicit owner strategy, these legitimate trade-offs risked being handled situation by situation, increasing pressure on the board and management and complicating strategic decision-making in a volatile and competitive market.
Turning different perspectives into shared direction
We advised the owners through a structured owner strategy process aimed at making long-term priorities and trade-offs explicit. Based on interviews, fact-based analyses, and facilitated dialogues, we helped surface differing owner perspectives and translate them into a coherent set of shared principles. The work focused on defining long-term ambition, value creation logic, and expectations for capital allocation, investments, and the interaction with the board and management. The resulting owner strategy was designed to serve as an active decision-making framework rather than a substitute for the company’s business strategy.
Creating clarity for long-term value creation
The owner strategy has given the company a shared and explicit reference point at the ownership level. Owners gained greater clarity on their role as long-term investors and suppliers and on acceptable trade-offs between payouts and reinvestment. This has strengthened the board’s mandate and legitimacy in making long-term decisions and provided management with clearer strategic guidance. Overall, the owner strategy has increased strategic discipline, reduced ambiguity in critical decisions, and improved alignment across ownership, board, and management in support of long-term value creation.
The client
The company is a leading player in the food industry, operating across multiple international markets. It is owned by a large network of primary producers and plays an important role in its broader value chain, with a strong focus on long-term competitiveness and sustainability.
“The real value was creating a shared direction that helps owners, board and management navigate difficult trade-offs with the long term in mind.”
