(photo by Ian Wilson CC-BY)
GSK engaged Deloitte to support Global Communications and Change Management activities for its global business services on a $30 billion, three-part transaction with another global pharmaceutical organisation. This was the largest transaction ever undertaken by GSK and it has subsequently been described as one the most significant and complex deals of its kind in the Life Sciences industry.
With a merger, an acquisition and a divestment all happening simultaneously, the role of the Change and Communications Team was to support the functional teams across Core Business Services (CBS) including IT, Real Estate & Facilities, Procurement and Finance Services in developing an overall view of the impacts to the various stakeholder groups throughout the transaction cycle and the resulting communications requirements. In essence, Deloitte’s role was to support GSK in structuring and seamlessly executing a communications plan that distributed appropriate and timely information to over 14,000 staff in more than 70 countries, including those who were joining GSK as part of the acquisition, leaving GSK as part of the divestment or being transferred within the organisation as part of the merger.
Having identified the communications requirements, the Deloitte team was responsible for defining, developing and cascading information in a timely manner and in accordance with strict legal and regulatory guidelines relating to pre-transaction-close sensitivities. This required careful planning and management as any breach could have put confidential or commercially sensitive information in front of the wrong people, damaging the company’s reputation, incurring penalties and potentially jeopardising the entire transaction.
Following Day 1 – the transaction day – the Deloitte Change and Communications team produced and delivered a comprehensive range of communications tools to provide information on the mandatory and discretionary communication activities for each market.
The communications supported the efficient transfer of thousands of staff between organisations with minimal disruption to business and patient-critical services.
Deloitte's project with GlaxoSmithKline was awarded Change Management in the Private Sector Project of the Year at the 2016 MCA Awards.