Success story · November 2025
Senior Advisor as a driving force behind operational and workforce restructuring in the food sector
An 11-month project to implement a competitiveness plan and lead the company’s workforce restructuring.
Client and Sector: Our client, a leading multinational company in the food sector with operations in Spain (North and Centre), was undergoing a period of major transformation following its acquisition by a private equity fund.
The Situation / Need (The Pain):
The organisation faced a critical challenge: the need to implement a complex Competitiveness Plan to ensure the viability and sustainable future of the business. This plan involved highly sensitive measures, such as the rationalisation of work sites and the restructuring of the workforce. It required immediate executive leadership: a Senior Advisor with proven experience (Accountability), capable of managing negotiations with trade unions and public authorities and implementing complex decisions from day one.
The EPUNTO Approach and Solution (The Methodology): EPUNTO engaged, within less than two weeks, a Senior Advisor from our pool of executive talent to join the management committee. For 11 months, the executive took charge of the plan with clear objectives: to lead the implementation of staff reduction measures and the closure of sites, and to manage negotiations with employee representatives and trade unions.
Under the supervision and mentorship of Patricio Gil Olmedo, a Partner at EPUNTO, the project focused on ensuring the plan’s implementation, facilitating dialogue with public authorities, and providing detailed progress reports to shareholders and the executive committee.
Frequently asked questions
What was the main challenge in this project?
The challenge was to lead the implementation of a workforce and operational restructuring plan in a post-acquisition environment, where social and trade union sensitivities were high, and with no time for a learning curve. A ‘plug-and-play’ executive was needed who could deliver solutions and ensure implementation.
Why was an interim manager chosen rather than a traditional recruitment process?
Speed and specialisation were critical. The client (and its private equity shareholders) could not wait the 6–9 months required by a standard selection process. It needed top-tier talent – highly qualified and experienced in complex negotiations – who could guarantee measurable results in the short term (11 months).
What was the most significant impact during the first 90 days?
In the first quarter, our Senior Advisor succeeded in validating and refining the existing restructuring plan, designing a detailed implementation framework (timeline, milestones, key personnel) and leading the initial round of negotiations with trade union representatives, thereby laying the foundations for the plan’s implementation.
How did EPUNTO ensure the transfer of knowledge at the end of the mission?
Our methodology includes a structured exit plan. The Senior Advisor sat on the restructuring monitoring committee, ensuring that all processes and agreements were implemented correctly and documenting the current status for the executive committee, thereby ensuring the full sustainability of the improvements and compliance with the agreements.
What unique feature did EPUNTO bring to this solution?
The speed of the onboarding process (less than two weeks) and the accuracy of the executive selection. We provided a Senior Advisor who not only had proven technical expertise in complex restructurings, but also the soft skills required to navigate the company’s culture, manage the high pressure from stakeholders (shareholders, trade unions, public authorities) and bring all parties into alignment.
