Case: Fondia
Rediscovering Identity and Distinctiveness Through an Open Strategy Process
The legal services market is undergoing transformation, prompting Fondia to investigate how client expectations and service usage are evolving and how the company should respond. Fondia’s leadership had identified the need to strengthen Fondia’s identity and distinctiveness in the market to enhance its growth and profitability.
To address these questions that challenge the whole company, Fondia decided to initiate a strategy process guided by Noren’s open/closed strategy principles. The process engaged Fondia’s internal experts and assigned them clear roles alongside the board and executive team. The voice of the customer was brought in through qualitative interviews exploring client needs and expectations toward Fondia and its services, as well as broader legal challenges and concerns that Nordic companies are facing.
Fondia has from the outset positioned itself as a disruptor in the legal market. Its Legal Department as a Service offering challenges and expands the traditional legal service provider landscape across Finland, Sweden, and the Baltics.
The project helped Fondia’s leadership sharpen the focus of the strategy and identify the related needs for service development, organizational changes, and leadership adjustments. Fondia now has a stronger grasp on where to focus, what sets it apart from competitors, what is unique in its services and legal expertise, and how its competitive edge is shaped in the era of generative AI.
“Embarking on a customer-centric open strategy process was the best decision of 2024!”
– Timo Lappi, Chair of the Board
Project Aims:
To gain a deep understanding of changes in the operating environment and their implications for Fondia
To clarify the company’s positioning relative to client and employee needs
To sharpen the service offering and identify new business opportunities within a changing landscape
To define a high-level roadmap outlining the necessary transformation initiatives for the strategy period
Our approach was grounded in new client and employee research, interpreted broadly and deliberately through an open strategy process. In addition to Fondia’s executive team and board, the process involved a 40-person extended team who contributed insights, analyzed the research data alongside leadership, and co-created Fondia’s purpose. The work progressed systematically from defining hypotheses and questions to participatory analysis, management decision-making, and implementation planning.
Deliverables
Core strategic choices
Fondia’s new vision and purpose supporting the company’s updated narrative
Refreshed view on business development opportunities and needs
Updated understanding of legal market shifts, client needs, and employee expectations regarding work and the company
Grounded perspective on the necessary organizational and leadership development to support the new strategy
Want to learn more?
Get in touch
jaakko.luomaranta@noren.fi
