Case Studies

Welcome to OKR Case Studies at OKR International
Discover how organizations across industries have transformed strategy execution, team alignment, and performance outcomes through our tailored OKR interventions. These OKR Case Studies showcase real-world success stories—from startups to Fortune 500s—demonstrating the power of Objectives and Key Results in driving business impact. Explore how our expertise has empowered leaders to turn ambition into action.

Colgate Logo

The Challenge

A newly appointed CEO and HR Director at Colgate-Palmolive sought to revitalize the organization’s way of working by introducing modern management practices. Their goal was to “Unleash the Potential” of the company by transforming culture, aligning leadership, and embedding outcome-driven frameworks. The leadership team recognized the need for strategic alignment, greater agility, and cultural renewal through structured execution methodologies.

Our Approach

OKR International engaged with Colgate-Palmolive on a strategic transformation initiative spanning three years. The engagement began with coaching the CEO and senior leadership team to translate their strategic priorities into annual and quarterly OKRs, enabling clarity and alignment across the organization. A phased rollout was designed—starting with a pilot and eventually scaling to a company-wide implementation. Alongside this, OKR International supported change management and leadership development efforts, advising the CEO and HR Director on embedding new ways of working. Employees across levels were trained and certified in the OKR-BOK™, while internal OKR champions were identified and developed to drive sustainability. The project also involved supporting the selection of appropriate OKR software, facilitating regular cadence check-ins and retrospectives, and running enterprise-wide townhalls for OKR planning and review. Managers were upskilled in coaching and leadership techniques to strengthen their ability to lead OKR adoption effectively, making the OKR process deeply embedded within the organization’s operating rhythm.

The Impact

Colgate-Palmolive achieved consistent quarter-over-quarter performance improvements, outperforming market expectations. The adoption of OKRs significantly enhanced employee engagement, accelerated innovation, and led to successful product launches. Their story evolved into a benchmark for OKR-driven transformation within the FMCG sector, with other regional Colgate units now following suit.

SWIFT Logo

The Challenge

At SWIFT, the key challenge was fostering a mindset shift across the organization—from focusing on effort to embracing an outcome-oriented way of working. Despite having multiple agile tribes and squads in place, teams often worked in silos and struggled with recognizing and managing interdependencies. The organization needed a unified approach to strategic execution that could cut across functions, connect team objectives to larger business outcomes, and embed a results-driven culture at scale. Leadership recognized the importance of aligning teams not just to deliver projects, but to create measurable value in an increasingly dynamic and complex environment.

Our Approach

OKR International partnered with SWIFT to lead an enterprise-wide OKR implementation spanning over three years. The engagement began by training and certifying over 350 agile professionals in OKRs, ensuring that the child team and extended squads had a foundational understanding of Objectives and Key Results. This large-scale enablement effort focused on empowering cross-functional teams to call out interdependencies, align priorities, and shift from an activity mindset to an outcomes-driven culture. Multiple cohorts of internal OKR coaches were developed to support sustainable adoption. OKR International facilitated the rollout across various tribes and functions, supported by cadence reviews, strategic OKR planning workshops, and capability-building interventions tailored to agile contexts. The intervention was deeply embedded in the operating rhythm of the organization, ensuring not just adoption but internal ownership and scalability.

The Impact

The organization-wide implementation of OKRs at SWIFT became a catalyst for cultural transformation and strategic agility. The shift toward an outcome mindset led to improved cross-squad alignment, enhanced collaboration, and greater transparency in execution. Teams were able to prioritize more effectively, innovate faster, and develop products that addressed the rapidly evolving needs of their ecosystem. The internal coaching infrastructure and sustained cadence reviews contributed to long-term adoption, making OKRs an integral part of how SWIFT operates and measures success today.

Sentosa Development Corporation

The Challenge

Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), a key statutory board under the Government of Singapore, was tasked with driving a forward-looking vision as part of Singapore 2040. To support this mission, SDC recognized the need to modernize its performance management practices. The challenge lay in moving away from traditional, static appraisal systems toward an agile performance management culture rooted in continuous feedback and strategic alignment. As with many government organizations, gaining leadership buy-in for this shift was not easy. The transformation required deep cultural change, a shift in mindset, and enabling systems to support this new way of working.

Our Approach

OKR International partnered with SDC to introduce the OKR Framework as the foundation for agile performance management. The engagement began by aligning the leadership team with the principles of OKRs and agile execution through strategic workshops and leadership alignment sessions. Over the span of one year, OKR International trained and enabled over 300 employees across functions and levels through a mix of in-person and virtual training. The approach included customized e-learning modules, hands-on OKR planning workshops, and regular cadence review sessions to build capability and consistency. The intervention helped teams connect their strategic intent with measurable annual and quarterly OKRs, while also improving planning and alignment across departments. Dedicated support was provided to key functions, including frequent coaching, planning facilitation, and review guidance.

The Impact

Through this transformation initiative, SDC successfully transitioned to a culture of agility, alignment, and continuous performance. Teams moved from reactive, compliance-driven reviews to more proactive and collaborative performance conversations. Strategic intent was translated into clear, measurable OKRs, and cross-functional teams were empowered to prioritize, align, and adapt dynamically. The leadership team now embraces an outcomes-driven mindset, and OKRs have become a foundational tool in how the organization tracks progress and navigates complexity in alignment with Singapore’s long-term vision.

Metlife Gulf

The Challenge

MetLife Gulf, a growing company in the life and general insurance space, was scaling steadily. In 2023 the leadership recognized the need to shift gears and accelerate their growth trajectory. They aimed to improve their product offerings, enhance service delivery, and attract top-tier talent. The core challenge was aligning a growing cross-functional team with clear strategic direction while cultivating a results-driven and agile culture. The core Leadership Team approached OKR International to help define and implement a structured approach to performance and scale.

Our Approach

OKR International began by coaching the Executive Leadership Team to convert their strategic priorities to ORKs. From there, we facilitated the creation of Annual and Quarterly OKRs aligned with their growth objectives. The entire team underwent OKR certification to build a foundational understanding of the OKR framework. We worked closely with teams to craft both committed and aspirational OKRs and integrated the methodology into their agile product development cycle. Initial cadence meetings were facilitated to instill a culture of collaboration, growth mindset, and result orientation. Over time, regular OKR reviews and strategic coaching were embedded to evolve the company’s goal-setting practices and sustain OKR maturity as the organization scaled.

The Impact

The results were transformative. MetLife Gulf’s business growth accelerated YoY. Their product portfolio widened, and the company successfully retained top talent while attracting high-performing professionals. OKRs played a pivotal role in enabling strategic partnerships with globally recognized medical institutions and healthcare organizations. 

Edelweiss

The Challenge

Edelweiss Alternative Asset Advisors (EAAA), one of India’s leading alternative asset management platforms with an AUM of INR 572.62 billion, was on a high-growth trajectory. With strategic plans underway to double their assets under management, the leadership team recognized the need to institutionalize execution discipline and align teams to the broader growth agenda. Despite having ambitious goals and a strong market position in Private Credit and Real Assets, there was a gap in translating strategic intent into measurable outcomes across business units. The challenge was to create a performance system that would not only support scalable growth but also foster alignment, collaboration, and ownership across functions.

Our Approach

OKR International was engaged by EAAA’s leadership to support this transformation by embedding the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) framework into their operating system. The engagement began with a deep-dive into the organization’s strategic goals and identifying key drivers that would enable sustainable growth. From there, we facilitated the conversion of these high-level ambitions into well-defined OKRs for various teams. Our approach included strategic planning workshops, OKR alignment sessions, and capability building through training and coaching. The initiative was highly participative, with leaders and cross-functional teams co-creating their OKRs, thereby ensuring ownership and clarity. OKRs were integrated into their management cadence, setting the stage for institutionalized performance rhythm and transparent goal tracking.

The Impact

The adoption of OKRs at EAAA helped streamline strategic execution and created a culture of alignment, focus, and accountability. By involving teams in the OKR planning process, the initiative enhanced collaboration across units and made interdependencies more visible. With OKRs becoming part of the leadership review cycles, the organization built stronger execution muscle, enabling faster response to changing priorities and better visibility into goal progress. This foundation supported their ambitious growth targets, helping scale their investment operations while maintaining a clear line of sight on strategic outcomes across geographies.

Aavas Logo

The Challenge

Aavas Financiers, a leading housing finance company managing an AUM of INR 15,000 crores, was poised for scale. Despite stable operations and strong annual disbursements of over INR 200 crores, the organization faced persistent challenges around internal alignment, resource consolidation, and strategic clarity. As part of their annual leadership offsite, the executive team engaged OKR International to explore how OKRs could support their long-term goal of sustaining growth without major structural changes. The leadership recognized a critical need to improve cross-functional collaboration and better manage dependencies across business units to unlock scalable performance.

Our Approach

OKR International introduced the OKR framework to the leadership team during the offsite through an immersive training experience. This was followed by multiple workshops across layers of leadership to ensure both top-down and bottom-up engagement with the methodology. We focused on coaching teams to translate the organization’s growth intent into focused, measurable OKRs. Using simulation-based learning and management games, we built OKR capability across levels. We also facilitated periodic check-ins, coaching sessions, and cadence reviews, enabling teams to stay aligned, reflect on progress, and drive accountability. Integration with existing review systems ensured that OKRs became a part of the organization’s operational rhythm rather than a standalone initiative.

The Impact

Within just one year of implementation, Aavas witnessed a significant shift in execution effectiveness. Disbursements increased dramatically—from INR 200 crores to over INR 500 crores—driven by improved coordination, sharper focus on outcomes, and real-time performance conversations. Teams gained clarity on interdependencies, improved prioritization, and cultivated a results-driven mindset. The successful integration of OKRs not only boosted business performance but also created a culture of continuous alignment and strategic agility across the organization.

NFCU Logo

The Challenge

As the largest credit union in the United States, Navy Federal Credit Union serves over 13 million members worldwide—primarily from the military and defense communities. With rapid digital transformation, increased member expectations, and a growing need for strategic agility, the organization’s strategy team recognized the importance of embedding a more agile and outcomes-focused approach to goal setting and execution. The challenge was to align cross-functional teams across a large enterprise, create clarity around strategic priorities, and build internal capability to lead and scale this transformation across all levels of the organization.

Our Approach

Navy Federal partnered with OKR International to introduce the OKR framework through a phased, capability-driven rollout. We began by training and certifying key members of the leadership team to ensure alignment at the top and to anchor the change initiative with credibility. From there, we expanded our engagement to train over 100 employees across departments, enabling a common language of outcomes, alignment, and accountability. Through a mix of live workshops, internal champion development, and strategic facilitation, teams were supported in drafting and aligning their OKRs to broader organizational objectives. Regular cadence reviews and coaching support were provided to both national and local teams to embed OKRs within their operational rhythm and foster a culture of continuous alignment and execution.

The Impact

The OKR initiative at Navy Federal Credit Union created significant momentum in aligning strategic initiatives across a highly distributed workforce. Teams gained clarity on organizational priorities, improved cross-departmental collaboration, and strengthened their ability to execute with purpose and agility. Strategic options were not only crafted more effectively but were also translated into measurable and actionable goals at the team level. With enhanced alignment and implementation discipline, the credit union laid a foundation for scalable, member-centric innovation while sustaining operational excellence at both national and regional levels.

The Challenge

Mondelez India, a leading player in the FMCG space with a legacy of iconic brands and a powerful nationwide distribution network, was undergoing a strategic transformation within its sales organization. With over 2.5 million retail outlets under its purview, the sales team was central to executing on-the-ground excellence, launching new products, and driving revenue growth. However, as the company leaned further into digitization and agile ways of working, there was a growing need to elevate leadership capabilities across sales regions. The HR team recognized this and sought a structured development journey that would empower sales leaders with both agility and alignment in execution.

Our Approach

OKR International was engaged to design and deliver a contemporary leadership development intervention tailored to the needs of the sales organization. As part of the initiative, we introduced the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) framework as a tool to help sales leaders drive focus, alignment, and accountability in their respective regions. The program involved a series of capability-building workshops, training over 100 sales leaders on how to craft and align OKRs with corporate and functional goals. The intervention was not only about OKRs—it blended leadership coaching, strategic planning, and agility training to help participants integrate OKRs into their regular sales cadence and performance tracking systems.

The Impact

The program led to a tangible shift in how the sales organization approached goal setting, execution, and leadership behaviors. By adopting OKRs, sales leaders developed greater clarity on outcomes, improved prioritization of key business drivers, and fostered a culture of shared accountability. The initiative served as a catalyst for agile sales performance management, enabling more frequent reviews, transparent performance conversations, and better cross-functional alignment. As Mondelez continues to evolve its go-to-market strategies in 2024 and beyond, the sales team now operates with increased focus, agility, and strategic coherence—well-equipped to respond to the dynamic needs of India’s FMCG landscape.

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