Leadership Identity Architecture During a High-Stakes Merger
THE IDENTITY
How might I help a company undergoing a merger protect its soul - while making its leadership unmissable to the market?
THE CHALLENGE
Maker Lab had scaled fast, with an in-house model trusted by Google and Netflix. But now competitors mimicked their language. The pipeline softened. Leadership struggled to express who they were becoming. With a merger looming, the risk was clear: be remembered for what they built - or absorbed and quietly forgotten.
THE APPROACH
I worked with Maker Lab across two phases, supporting both the CEO and CGO directly - then the wider executive team - through a high-trust, high-stakes transformation.
The first phase focused on Executive Identity & Influence. Over six months of confidential work, I ran deep interviews, identity diagnostics, and thought leadership sprints. We clarified voice, presence, and positioning for the CGO and CEO - resulting in keynote narratives, public pivots, and aligned external messaging.
The second phase was a three-month Organisational Codex Sprint across seven senior leaders. I developed Personal Identity Systems™ for each executive: visibility strategies, content pillars, award angles, and key themes. We built a shared leadership narrative while allowing individual differentiation.
I also scripted speeches, ghostwrote content, revamped decks for Amazon and Google, created a full internal Agency Codex, and delivered media training to ensure every leader could speak with coherence - and confidence.
THE OUTCOMES
Deliverables and External Results
Developed executive visibility strategies for 7 C-Suite leaders
Built a shared internal Agency Codex to unify brand language and coined terms
Ghostwrote articles, scripted speeches, and overhauled pitch decks for live BD conversations
Upgraded website copy and public-facing messaging across leadership
Secured two senior hires in Singapore to lead business development strategy
Extended client work with Amazon and Google through refined narrative and pitch materials
Launched award submissions and keynote placements to elevate CEO visibility
Internal Shifts
Achieved alignment on voice, values, and leadership narrative during the merger
Reduced internal imposter syndrome and leadership friction
Unified HR, BD, Marketing, and PR under one strategic communication system
Gave each executive a platform to lead publicly - without losing personality
