Chief Restructuring Office (CRO)

The problem

Restructurings are typically complex, time-pressured, and demand careful stakeholder management. These demands may often overwhelm management teams, who lack the time or resources to handle creditors, restructure debt, and tackle evolving critical tasks, all while running day-to-day operations.

In these situations, companies seek to supplement their existing team with an interim Chief Restructuring Office (CRO). This time-bound setup focuses exclusively on stabilising the business and managing restructuring challenges in order to drive a turnaround and prevent insolvency.

Our solution

Eight International helps set up a “crisis unit” with a cross-functional team. Within a limited timeframe, the CRO develops an action plan to restore the company’s financial and operational health, working with local teams to ensure swift mobilisation.

We implement tight, action-oriented governance, including recurring working meetings and alignment with function managers. Our approach relies on short decision loops through regular, productive sessions with senior managers. Ultimately, we build a financial model that accounts for revenue and cost trends, enabling senior management to make informed decisions.

Our CRO unit provides a variety of support:

• We help establish a sense of urgency to eliminate decision-making bottlenecks, reduce timeframes, and accelerate solution implementation for the turnaround plan.
• We guarantee success by applying the 80/20 rule, analysing key indicators, developing strategies, acting decisively, empowering leaders, and clearly defining roles—like those of the CRO and programme manager.
• We create an action-driven environment, place experienced and determined implementers in charge, and assume accountability for outcomes.