Context.

The Out of Home team at Unilever focuses on selling products outside traditional retail channels—such as in hospitality venues like the Efteling theme park or at petrol stations. In this fast-moving market, flexibility is essential: customer needs shift rapidly, distribution channels evolve, and competition is intense.

To better respond to these challenges, Ruud was brought in as a coach to help the team become more effective and efficient.

Insight.

The team had ambitious growth targets but found that traditional ways of working were holding them back. Decision-making was slow, innovation processes were sluggish, and cross-functional collaboration left room for improvement. There was a clear need for a new approach—one that would foster speed, focus, and customer-centricity.

Agile offered a solution: a way of working that empowers teams to test, learn, and adapt quickly in response to changing conditions.

Activation.

Ruud guided the Out of Home team through the transition to an Agile work structure. The transformation began by setting clear priorities and establishing a consistent rhythm for collaboration. The team learned to work in short, two-week iterations, during which they defined concrete goals and regularly evaluated their progress.

In parallel, a cultural shift was initiated. The consumer was placed at the center of every decision, new ideas were tested quickly, and feedback – both positive and constructively critical – was shared openly and actively. Through interactive sessions and coaching, the team was encouraged to critically examine their ways of working and continuously improve.

Impact.

The Agile transformation had an immediate impact on the team’s performance. Innovation processes accelerated, enabling new products to reach the market faster. Cross-functional collaboration improved, leading to more efficient decision-making and increased productivity.

The team culture also evolved. Team members took greater ownership, gave each other honest feedback, and worked with renewed energy and focus. Thanks to this new way of working, the Out of Home team became more responsive to market changes and better equipped to seize growth opportunities.

This mirrors broader trends at Unilever, where Agile principles – such as ruthless prioritization, empowered teams, and quarterly business reviews – have helped accelerate innovation and improve performance across business units.

Alewijn Brouwer, Channel Transformation Lead Foods Benelux reflects: “We achieved significantly better business results because of the advice we received.”