Choosing which markets to leave

The situation

A freight forwarder in nineteen markets needed to decide where to invest and where to step back. Leadership had good instincts and too many competing numbers; what was missing was a single, shared view of where value was created and lost.

What we did

We spent the first three weeks inside the business: in sales reviews, with finance, and on calls with customers. From that we built one model of the economics that every team could read, and used it to test a small number of clear options.

Each option came with its cost, its risks and the conversation it would require with customers. Leadership chose; we helped them carry it through, including the first ninety days of rollout.

The result

€42m capital redeployed, with 3 market exits, all on schedule. Just as important, the team now runs the model itself. We left behind the tools and the habits, not a dependency on us.