Steering Model & Organizational Design for an International Naval Defense Group

Strategic clarity
TTE Strategy worked closely with the client’s PMO as well as the CEO, CFO, and COO to develop a consistent group-wide target picture across different steering logics and local organizational structures. Based on core elements of the CLEAR framework, the project created transparency on value drivers, governance gaps, and existing responsibilities, translating them into a clear and integrated steering logic. 

The focus extended beyond KPIs and governance mechanisms to a broader question: how leadership, accountability, and decision-making should be structured across headquarters, Business Units, and shipyard sites going forward.

Execution that sticks
From the outset, the project was designed with execution readiness at its core. Governance mechanisms, leadership structures, and organizational decisions were developed in line with the operational realities of the shipyard network and closely connected to existing decision-making and escalation processes. 

Particular focus was placed on establishing clear accountability across Business Units and shipyard sites, including leadership layers, functional and disciplinary reporting structures, and selected dual-role setups where integrated ownership was organizationally beneficial. The result was not a theoretical target model, but a structure designed to work within the client’s existing operational setup. 

Co-Creation for real buy-in
The engagement followed a strongly collaborative approach across all organizational levels. Together with the CEO, CFO, COO, shipyard heads, international leadership teams, and the client-internal PMO, the project openly addressed operational tensions, differing expectations, and existing steering challenges across the group. 

Through iterative co-creation formats, the team jointly developed leadership principles, governance structures, and organizational guardrails for future collaboration across the organization. Ownership was therefore not transferred at the end of the project, but built continuously throughout the engagement. The result was not a top-down model, but a jointly developed organizational and steering logic. 

The project established a consistent steering and organizational backbone across the entire group, creating the foundation for disciplined performance management and future organizational scalability.  

From a business perspective, the steering model enabled a clearer linkage between EBIT ambitions, operational efficiency targets, and milestone adherence across Business Units and shipyard sites. Standardized KPI logic, governance structures, and decision-making processes increased transparency and strengthened the organization’s ability to steer performance consistently across the group. 

From an organizational perspective, the project defined a future-ready target picture across headquarters, Business Units, and shipyards. Clear accountability structures, aligned leadership responsibilities, and harmonized governance principles created greater organizational clarity and reduced structural ambiguity across interfaces and management layers. 

From a people perspective, the engagement strengthened alignment across C-level leadership, shipyard management, and PMO. By involving key stakeholders throughout the design process, the project created ownership for the future steering and organizational setup and established a shared understanding of how performance and accountability should be managed going forward. 

The transformation was shaped with and by the leadership. 

CEO, CFO, COO, shipyard heads (national and international), and the internal PMO team were actively involved. Through interviews, joint design sessions, and decision workshops, we ensured every relevant perspective was reflected in the final steering model. 

The PMO became a central anchor for continuity, while the C-level visibly sponsored the ambition. This visible leadership commitment was critical to building credibility and ownership across sites.