Expertise & Experience

Most of Speyside work is directly measurable in P&L terms, and our programs deliver a significant multiple return on investment, such as:

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Market entry & transaction support:

• M&A, Privatization, and Greenfield Investment. This includes Building support for deals, securing incentives and approvals, and supporting post-acquisition change.

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Issues and crisis management:

• Regulation or legislation, Stakeholder unrest, and Litigation. This includes Anticipating and managing risk, resolving live issues, and developing social and environmental solutions.

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Enabling growth:

Market Access, Competition, and Cost. This includes Game-changing initiatives such as regulation, tax, trade, tariffs, and incentives.

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It is estimated that over 73% of delays and cost overruns on large-scale greenfield investment projects are due to non-technical risks, i.e., political, regulatory, social, and cultural issues between developers and local stakeholders.• Speyside helps clients identify and anticipate significant issues and risks, structure stakeholder dialogue, and craft effective, affordable, sustainable social investment programs. As with all our work, this involves a mix of strategic advice and practical hands-on support to build bridges.• While most commonly on the investor’s side, we also have an extensive track record of helping to position investment opportunities and attract interest, working at various times for municipal, regional, and national governments in different sectors and at a sovereign level.

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Examples of our work:​

• Supporting 50+ large scale projects across energy, mining and transport​
• Planning for iconic multipurpose real-estate & leisure developments ​
• Helping to build/embed this capability for a leading Indian infrastructure co.​
• Sovereign level work attracting FDI for multiple European countries

We support clients operating in the world’s most complex market access environments, helping them secure technical and social licenses to operate.

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Common problems in the heads of global MNCs:

Sell-side support:

•Working alongside other technical experts to help structure privatization programs for success.
•It is developing and delivering programs that promote privatization at an overall sovereign level and by sector & asset.
•Investor targeting and engagement support.

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Buy-side support:

•Helping multinational companies and investors to conduct due diligence on opportunities, stakeholders, and issues at play.
•Helping to craft & communicate winning bids by appropriately positioning the bidder among decision-makers and influencers.
•Support for associated government and media relations to build support among key constituencies.

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Examples of work performed by Speyside:

•Support for the national privatization programs in Poland and the Czech Republic in the 1990s and early 2000s.
•There is support around major ‘crown jewel’ deals, including US Steel’s acquisition of Koskcice in Slovakia, which represents 13% of the GDP.
•Approx. Fifty other transactions were made across mining, energy, infrastructure, telecoms, and media.

Our due diligence work focuses on:

•Political and reputational risk
•Policy, regulatory, tax, and trade environment
•Stakeholder relationships and expectations
•Government incentives & other external funding opportunities

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During a transaction, our support includes:

•Developing and implementing strategies to engage critical media and analysts to support ‘offensive’ or ‘defensive.’
•We are developing and implementing strategies to secure political support for a bid and, later, all necessary licenses and approvals.

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Examples of work performed by Speyside:

•Supporting major infrastructure PPPs in India, healthcare PPPs in Brazil
•Trafigura’s acquisition of strategically sensitive assets from ExxonMobil
•Decade-long partnership supporting M&A for what is today ArcelorMittal.
•Management of foreign ownership concerns among EU/US regulators

The most crucial time in any IPO marketing campaign is the preparatory period before you register your intent to list. During this time, you can build a favorable profile for the company and its management, explain the equity story and growth potential, and educate the market on comparable/outlook.

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We typically support a four-step process which starts 12-18 months before Listing Day:

​1. Upgrading the company’s communications tools, incl. brand, website, marketing materials.
2. Generating positive corporate profiling through media relations & third-party endorsement.
3. IPO marketing should focus on the offer and valuation against the backdrop of effective corporate profiling.
4. Listing day and aftermarket communications, sustaining demand and price.

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Examples of work performed by Speyside:

• Enterprise-wide crisis planning and training for a global mining company.
• Scenario-based planning and training for a top 10 biotech company
• Managing >30 incidents and accidents in the maritime/shipping sector
• Audit/upgrade and training program for the public sector in East Asia.

Many of Speyside´s clients are experiencing unprecedented restructuring and change, whether driven by shifting global supply chains, changes in the route to market, or digital transformation.

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We help companies navigate these processes through strategic counsel and hands-on support, such as:
• Understanding how change will impact different stakeholders.
• Developing specific, targeted plans for each stakeholder group, including employees, local communities, government, regulators, customers, partners, and suppliers
• Detailed planning & training for ‘tell day’ including careful sequencing of who, how, where, and when the news is shared.
• Hands-on support for proactive communication, issues management, and ongoing change management to drive desired outcomes.

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Examples of our work:​

• Five factory closure announcements across two continents this year
• Extensive support for post-M&A restructuring, rebranding & change
• Advice for private equity on what would be politically & socially feasible.
• Support to many organizations to navigate change during Covid-19

Speyside supports clients operating in the world’s most complex market access environments, helping them secure technical and social licenses to operate.

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Common problems in the heads of global MNCs:
• Difficult & complex regulatory requirements for entry
• A high degree of local preference/regulatory capture
• The absence of a clear framework, esp. for new, emerging sectors

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Speyside helps clients to analyze the local environment and understand the realities on the ground, i.e., who decides and influences, what the roadblocks are, and how these can be resolved or navigated.

Then, we provide practical, hands-on support for our clients to systematically engage relevant govt., regulatory, and industry stakeholders to build support for market access & entry.

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Examples of our work:​

• Supporting a major global biotech co. with access to China
• Supporting a leading institutional investor around M&A in India
• Support for a significant Esports/gaming co. with access across Africa & Asia
• Navigation of local content rules for Oil & Gas in Brazil

Speyside helps organizations understand and evaluate the policy and regulatory environment, its real-world applications, and commercial impacts. It also works with clients to help inform new policy and regulatory proposals, drawing on local insights and international best practices.

We structure multi-stakeholder dialogues around these proposals, involving the public, private, and civil society as appropriate. Finally, we shape sentiment and build support for new policies and regulations, solving issues/risks and opening up new market opportunities.

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Examples of our work:​

• Shaping digital economy rules for Airbnb, Amazon, Uber & others
• Work with 8 of the top 10 global pharma companies on market access.
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of the ASEAN Economic Community
• Shaping food industry standards for a leading global industry group

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‍Much of Speyside’s work is on issues and crisis preparedness:​

• ​Analysing the top issues and risks facing an organisation​
• Planning to mitigate & manage the top issue issues and risks​
• Developing mechanisms for issues-tracking & early warning​
• Formulating crisis response protocols and teams​
• Scenario-based training

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We also provide 24/7 crisis support to augment the in-house team when a significant issue arises, advising who, how, where, and when to respond.

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Examples of our work:

• Enterprise-wide crisis planning and training for a global mining company.
• Global scenario-based planning and training for a top 10 biotech company
• Managing >30 incidents and accidents in the maritime/shipping sector
• Audit/upgrade and training program for the public sector in East Asia

All Speyside work is commercially focused, starting with a deep understanding of headline business goals & market dynamics. Following this, we typically conduct a reputation audit to understand current awareness and perceptions among critical stakeholders before developing/implementing a strategy to drive change.

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This typically includes:

• Development and overall corporate narrative
• Development of thought leadership platforms/programs
• Targeted engagement plans for media, govt., industry, and employees.
• Definition of roles, responsibilities, and resources
• Training for executive leadership and comms team
• Establishing governance, KPIs & reporting

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Examples of our work:

• Corporate launch support for Organon, Merck & Co. spinoff
• Corporate launch support for easyJet, Southwest Air, Wizz Air
• Building international reputation for YUKOS, Rosneft, PEMEX
• Work for SoftBank group across multiple portfolio cos.

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