Fast Forward Strategy Consulting recently had the privilege of supporting Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI), who are an inspiring, passionate and ambitious travel insurer, on an exciting journey to shape their five year growth strategy and roadmap. What began as an insight rich discovery phase evolved into an immersive exploration of customers, markets, global best practices, and internal capabilities, laying a strong foundation for robust strategic choices.

Our in depth discovery phase encompassed:

  • In depth customer research
  • Market sizing and opportunity assessments across New Zealand and Australia
  • Competitor analysis
  • Global and local trend exploration
  • Global travel insurance and B2B distribution channel case studies

A critical part of this project was engaging with SCTI's people through qualitative and quantitative research, which highlighted the unique strengths, impressive culture and passion that SCTI's people bring to the business, ensuring strategic choices were culturally aligned.

The SCTI leadership team exploring insights from internal business and stakeholder research
From left Anita (CUO), Jo (CEO), Jacqueline (Purpose Business NZ), Jess (CCO), Alex (CTO), Nick (CFO) and Greg (CRO) exploring the insights from internal business and stakeholder research.

Through a series of collaborative strategy sessions with SCTI's leadership team and board, we crafted:

A collaborative ELT and board working session on strategy implications
Collaborative ELT and SCTI board working session on strategy implications from the discovery insights.
  • A clear strategic compass
  • Key drivers of change
  • Strategic anchor (the core problem to solve)
  • SCTI's competitive advantage
  • A compelling long term aspiration and bold, stretching strategic intent
  • Ambitious but achievable strategic priorities, goals, and metrics
  • Key strategic initiatives and enabling capabilities
  • Strategic phasing and business roadmap
SCTI executives exploring long term aspiration and strategic intent statement options
From left Anita (CUO), Jo (CEO), Greg (CRO), Nick (CFO) and Jess (CCO) exploring long term aspiration and strategic intent statement options.

We also had the privilege of integrating SCTI's meaningful new purpose and set of values with the new strategy, facilitated by Purpose Business NZ. The Bridge International were also instrumental in helping us with a deep understanding of the Australian travel insurance market.

SCTI now has an exciting and actionable new growth strategy that has galvanised the leadership, and sets SCTI confidently on a path of significant growth.

Trevor has been a fantastic facilitator of our strategy process at SCTI. His process is incredibly robust, considering the market, the customer, and the business and he really challenged us to think more broadly about what was important in these regards. Trevor has now left us with a solid strategy, based in fact and in evidence, collectively agreed by Management and Board, and I'm excited to see it executed over the next few years.

Jo McCauley, Chief Executive, Southern Cross Travel Insurance

A huge thanks to SCTI's exceptional leadership team, Nick, Jess, Drazenka, Alex, Greg, Andrea, Nicola, Andrea, Anita and especially Jo, for your courage, boldness, and support throughout this process. Thanks also to SCTI's board, Cassandra, Nick, Julia, and Mel, for your robust challenge, pearls of wisdom and expert governance, strengthening SCTI's strategic focus.

Having seen SCTI's exceptional culture first hand and interacting with many passionate individuals across the organisation, we have no doubt that SCTI's future is exceptionally bright. If the chance to join SCTI arises, grab it.

Read the full SCTI case study