Transformation Carlsberg into a cosmopolitan firm: build strategies process capabilities (C case)

This is part of a case series. The Carlsberg C case (the third in a series of three cases on Carlsberg’s transformational journey) focuses on the systems that Carlsberg put in place to facilitate strategy processes throughout the Group. This case can be taught independently of the other two cases, which focus on the industry’s consolidation dynamics and Carlsberg’s M&A strategy (A Case), and the post-merger cultural integration challenge (B Case). The starting point for this case is Carlsberg’s Global Management Conference, which was held in St. Petersburg in August 2008. At that meeting, it became clear that after the successful acquisition of Scottish & Newcastle (S&N), Carlsberg needed to spend time and resources on the development of an effective formal strategy process that spanned its globally dispersed businesses. Tayfun Uner (Head of Group Strategy) was in charge of defining how strategy was to be developed on a group level. He was supported in this role by Anne-Marie Skov (Head of Group Communications). The case describes how the strategy process developed from the status quo 'Version 1.0' right after the acquisition in 2008 to 'Version 2.0', ie, the first round of a formal, group-wide strategy process during 2009-2010, and again to the latest updated 'Version 3.0' with a focus on linking strategy to performance during 2011-2012. The case ends with a reflection on how the process had been improved and what critical issues remained.