Our financial services consulting offering
Burnie Group provides financial services consulting support to banks, lenders, payments organizations, corporate accounting companies, and other financial institutions undergoing growth, transformation, acquisition, or operational change.
Our expertise is concentrated in a select set of areas where we have deep experience and a proven track record of delivery, including post-merger integration, target operating model design, contact center transformation, branch operations optimization, and strategic planning. We combine financial services industry knowledge with hands-on support to help clients improve customer experience, increase operational efficiency, and build scalable operating models.
Post-merger integration consulting in financial services
Burnie Group has extensive experience supporting financial services integrations from pre-close planning through Day 1 readiness and post-close execution. Our work typically includes Integration Management Office (IMO) support, synergy tracking, change management, organizational design, and hands-on support for functional integration workstreams including HR, marketing, operations, and technology.
Find out more about our Post-Merger Integration Consulting.
Case study
Supported a complex post-merger integration of two large Canadian financial services organizations focused on subprime lending and mortgages (approximately CA$5B in deal value), exceeding synergy targets. Provided Integration Management Office (IMO) activities across 15+ workstreams, including synergy tracking, organizational design, change management, and HRIS integration, while maintaining business-as-usual operations.
Contact center consulting in financial services
Having supported several of Canada’s largest financial institutions in the contact centre space, Burnie Group brings deep expertise across contact center operating model design, workforce management, IVR optimization, performance management, governance, and benchmarking. Our work helps clients improve customer and employee experience while increasing operational effectiveness and service levels.
Find out more about our Contact Center Consulting.
Case study
Supported a Top 5 Canadian bank in redesigning the Workforce Management (WFM) operating model for a 4,000+ agent contact centre organization. Designed a future-state WFM Centre of Excellence, optimized the organizational structure, and established clear governance, roles, accountabilities, and service levels. The new model is expected to support approximately 15% growth in the agent workforce without increasing WFM costs, while improving service quality and operational effectiveness.
Branch operations consulting in financial services
Branch networks remain a critical channel for many financial institutions. Burnie Group helps clients assess branch operations, identify efficiency opportunities, optimize workforce models, and improve overall branch performance through a combination of analytics, benchmarking, and on-the-ground observation.
Find out more about our Branch Operations Consulting.
Case study
Supported a global financial services organization in a branch network operational diagnostic, analyzing 15,000+ data points across 30 branches via time studies to identify staffing requirements, productivity improvements, and workforce optimization opportunities. The assessment established fact-based benchmarks that improved FTE planning, role utilization, and operational efficiency.
Organizational design consulting in financial services
Organizational design in financial services organizations extends beyond reporting structures to include governance, operating model design, roles and responsibilities, decision rights, and performance management. Whether driven by growth, centralization, cost optimization, acquisition activity, or operating model transformation, effective organizational design helps ensure the organization is aligned to execute its strategy.
Burnie Group combines robust analytics around organizational sizing, spans and layers, role design, and workforce requirements with a practical assessment of skills, capabilities, and organizational relationships. Working closely with leadership teams, we develop, evaluate, and implement organizational design solutions that improve organizational effectiveness while minimizing disruption to employees, customers, and day-to-day operations.
Find out more about our Organizational Design Consulting.
Case study
Led an organizational diagnostic and future-state design initiative, clarifying accountabilities, eliminating role overlap, and improving organizational alignment. Developed an implementation roadmap that unlocked operational efficiencies and supported future growth.
Target operating model consulting in financial services
We help financial services organizations redesign operating models across people, processes, technology, governance, and customer channels. Our focus is twofold: improving customer experience and increasing operational efficiency through practical, implementable operating model changes.
Find out more about our Target Operating Model Consulting.
Case study
Supported a leading Canadian transfer agent and corporate trust provider following a major acquisition in redesigning its customer experience, operating model, and technology roadmap. Conducted a comprehensive diagnostic across customer journeys, processes, and technology, identifying 50+ improvement opportunities and designing future-state operating, experience, and technology models. Developed a multi-year transformation roadmap to improve customer satisfaction, efficiency, and service delivery, with significant reductions in processing times, improved SLAs, and material operational savings.
Strategic planning and board facilitation for financial services clients
Financial services organizations often require alignment across business strategy, operations, technology, customer experience, and organizational priorities. Burnie Group supports executive teams and boards in developing strategic roadmaps, prioritizing initiatives, aligning stakeholders, and translating strategy into actionable transformation plans.
Find out more about our Strategic Alignment Program.
Case study
Supported a Canadian financial services lender in developing a 2-year transformation roadmap to accelerate growth and improve organizational effectiveness. Worked with the executive team to assess strategic priorities, align stakeholders, and rationalize 170+ initiatives into a focused roadmap built around five transformation themes. The engagement delivered a clear, actionable plan and secured board investment to support a shift toward a more client-centric growth strategy.
Our insights on banking, finance, and insurance
Testimonials
“A number of Canadian banks have worked with Burnie Group to complete a contact centre benchmarking survey. I was impressed with the quality of work and information gleaned from the benchmark."
"Flexibility on the project timeline and the ability to deliver the required scope was key to the quality of the final deliverable. Without that flexibility, I'm not sure what we would have had for a final product. Thanks, Andrew, Ghalib and Sean! I would engage BG again to work with Andrew and his team."
“We were proud to work with Burnie Group and are very pleased with the results. Excellent partners who worked with all levels of our organization to create a robust strategic plan.“
Looking for consulting support in your financial services organization? We can help.
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