Years of poor management led to a disastrous experience
Pros
Some smart and dedicated colleagues - though decimated as a team by very poor decision making from owners I learned how to do the job on the job and was successful at it - but this was because of my prior experience and work ethic and not to do with any training etc offered by the firm (there was none!)
Cons
This was without a doubt the worst experience of my career. When I joined, the founder and primary shareholder was dismissed within about two weeks for what turned out to be sexual harrasment and embezlement. This information was not disclosed clearly at the time leading to months of speculation and horrendous morale, and a huge loss of talented delivery staff. A group of MDs then left after months of negotiation as they were dissatisfied that the founder would not sell 100% of his shares, they took with them yet more staff and some major clients and a lot of goodwill. Then a new Managing partner was appointed. This person was not in the right place in their life to do the job well - that's all I say. The firm was eventually (after many many months) sold to Leon Capital, It was their first investment and their naivetee as investors is what clinched the deal. I do not feel a sensible, experienced investor would have paid what they did for the firm. They changed the management team again removing several senior staff and appointing an interim Managing Partner who was very dilligent and determined to use data to drive decisions - including not misleading the board with e.g. an overweight pipeline which was something that the owners themselves did more than once. Theses new owners did not know how to empower the new managing partner and what remained of the management team to continue with the work we were diligently doing to shore up an extemely rocky position with clients and staff, and instead not only were too involved they ultimately decided to bring in a new, very expensive, team from PA. This 'aquisition/merger' as it was presented was very clearly a lie. The folks involved from PA did not have good knowledge of each other - they were clearly not a team. One who was meant to join as chair ultimately did not do so - causing yet more wasted months and energy. I believe at least one of these new PA joiners was ultimately mislead themselves. I found it to be a firm with such a lot of promise - an unique theory of change once upon a time but years of poor management (that's understating it - it was rot from the original founder that then compounded through poor management and excessive turnover) horrendous under investment in staff development and client relationships, has descimated the firm. I understand that since the takeover by the new owners the sales are 1/3rd of what they were at acquisition. The intention as I understand it is to roll the firm in with several other new aqcuisitions into some kind of consulting group. That may work but what will remain of Xynteo as an entity? I can't believe that much will.
