Unlocking 65%+ EBITDA growth with a new global 5-year strategy

Coming out of a financial consolidation phase triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, our client — a global business travel management provider — was preparing to invest again for the first time in years. But the market they were re-entering had fundamentally shifted: a consolidating competitive landscape, the entry of innovative digital players, ongoing integration along the value chain, and significant pricing pressure had reshaped competitive dynamics. Leadership needed to define a clear path forward — one grounded in a realistic view of strengths and risks, anchored in a compelling long-term vision, and translatable into concrete strategic moves.

We structured the engagement around a tightly integrated three-stage logic. We started with hypothesis-driven internal and external analyses to pressure-test where the company genuinely had the right to win — and where it didn’t. We then ran the leadership team through a “Where to play? / How to win?” framework, forcing sharp choices on markets, segments, and competitive positioning rather than cataloguing options. From there, we worked backwards from a quantified financial ambition to derive strategic fields of action, and translated each into concrete, sequenced initiatives with clear ownership. Throughout, we worked side-by-side with leadership to build conviction, not just a deck.

The strategy unlocks more than 5% YoY revenue growth and an EBITDA uplift exceeding 65% over the strategy horizon — a step-change after years of consolidation. Beyond the numbers, leadership gained something arguably more valuable: alignment. For the first time post-pandemic, the global organization now operates from one shared answer to “where do we play and how do we win,” with reinvestment decisions anchored in a single quantified ambition rather than competing internal narratives. The company has shifted from defensive consolidation to confident, prioritized growth — with the strategic clarity to act decisively in a consolidating market.

Our client is a global provider of business travel management services, supporting multinational corporations in optimizing their travel programs across cost, traveler experience, and sustainability. Operating worldwide in a fast-evolving industry, the company combines deep service expertise with digital innovation to help clients travel smarter and achieve more.