Case Studies: Advisor Experience

Creating and Listing a Global Public Company

Challenge
A complex joint venture between two multinational consumer companies was undergoing a historic transformation. The mission: to separate and launch a new, fully independent £30 billion global consumer company—one that would be dual-listed on both the London and New York Stock Exchanges. This would be the largest demerger and public listing in the UK in modern history, and it came on the heels of a rejected £50 billion takeover bid. The challenge was not only technical and legal but also strategic, requiring the rapid stand-up of an entire corporate infrastructure and operating model from the ground up.

Approach
As part of the executive leadership team, the advisor co-led the global separation strategy and execution, overseeing the legal, governance, compliance, and enterprise risk components of the demerger. The advisor’s work included:

  • Separation and Operating Model Design: Directed the legal and structural disentanglement from joint venture partners while co-developing the new entity’s strategic and operating model to enable independent growth and global scalability.
  • Dual Listing on NYSE and LSE: Led all legal and regulatory elements of the simultaneous listing of the company on both the London Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange, ensuring full compliance with UK and US capital markets regulations.
  • Building the Corporate Core: Designed and launched the legal, compliance, intellectual property, cybersecurity, and secretariat functions. Built high-performing teams and put in place the policies, procedures, and infrastructure necessary for day-one readiness and long-term governance.
  • Governance and Risk Architecture: Chaired the inaugural Enterprise Risk & Compliance Council and established the new company’s governance framework—covering board structures, Code of Conduct, anti-bribery and corruption (ABAC) protocols, and enterprise-wide risk management.

Results
The demerger and dual listing were executed seamlessly, resulting in the creation of a £30bn FTSE 20 company that instantly became a leader in its sector. The company emerged with a globally respected governance framework, a robust legal and compliance infrastructure, and a foundation for future growth as a fully independent enterprise.

Strategic Impact
This transaction redefined the possibilities of large-scale corporate transformation, combining speed, rigor, and resilience in the face of market pressure. It not only secured the company’s independence but also established a blueprint for world-class governance, operational integrity, and shareholder confidence.

This is the caliber of transformation leadership that defines the Astellara Advisors network. With deep experience navigating complex corporate separations, public listings, and governance design at the highest levels, our advisors bring first-hand expertise to clients facing critical inflection points. At Astellara, we don’t just advise on strategy—we’ve led it from the inside.