Kearney · Strategy · Easy · 20-30 min

Operating Model Redesign for an Energy Trading Arm

Last updated 2026-07-29

What is this case about?

A global energy major's trading and supply arm has doubled headcount to 2,400 in five years. Two regional desks are increasingly fighting over the same flow. Return on capital has slipped from 28% to 17%. The COO wants a redesigned operating model that fixes accountability and capital efficiency without a redundancy bloodbath. You have eight weeks.

Where strong candidates start

  • Diagnose the ROC slip — is this capital intensity, mix shift, or operating leakage from the desk overlap
  • Map the current org and find the duplications, blurred accountabilities, and capital approval bottlenecks

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