Meridian Success Story: 12

National Safety Council

A Restructured Board of Directors and a New, Market-Focused Strategic Plan Leads to Increased Market Penetration and Improved “Excess Revenues” for a Valued $50 Million International Non-Profit Enterprise

• Client Objective: Create a 5 Year Strategic Plan that acknowledges not only the organization’s important social mission but also the critical need to operate this non-profit as a successful business
• MAI Contributions:

1. Development of a 5 Year Strategic Plan: Over a six-month period, MAI led the NSC management team and Board Strategic Planning Committee in creation of a 5 Year Strategic Plan. The new Plan included eight corporate objectives, along with strategies, tactics, team assignments and timetables. Financial targets and metrics for tracking progress against each objective were established
2. Framework to Guide Future Investment Decisions: MAI created a market-based framework that grouped the multitude of NSC product and service offerings into three business areas. This new framework was then used to identify past financial contributions of each NSC business area, and to create going-forward objectives by business area, including future investment levels required
3. A New Board Structure: MAI led development of a Board restructuring objective which redefined the 60+ member NSC Board to a manageable number of senior executives only. NSC completed implementation of the new structure within 12 months after commissioning MAI to provide guidance in addressing this issue
4. Role of NSC Foundation Redefined: With Meridian’s guidance, a new, measurable role was identified for the NSC Foundation, and subsequently implemented by management

• Results:

1. Better Business Processes: Within two years of the initial Meridian Associates engagement, clear financial objectives were being set annually and pursued in an organized, deliberate manner by NSC management
2. Broader Impact on Safety and Health: Being more attuned to the market, the Council has expanded from its traditional focus on industrial safety to embrace other sectors with even greater potential for preventing human suffering and economic loss
3. Culture Change to a Business Focus: A culture change among NSC staff occurred over the course of the MAI engagement, resulting in a new emphasis on delivering market-based programs better targeted to important customer sectors, at a profit
4. A More Effective Board: The board restructuring led to clearer delineation of responsibilities and improved effectiveness of the overall board in assisting management to set and accomplish organizational goals
   

Click here for a detailed description of Meridian’s initial engagement with the National Safety Council