Case Studies

UNILEVER

To become a global benchmark in performance, Unilever SEAA partnered with PCFT to unite a diverse, cross-functional team under one shared purpose. The result? Record-breaking growth in engagement, leadership, and action, proving culture can be a catalyst for commercial excellence.

  • The Regional Unilever Leadership Team were clear that they wanted to build a powerhouse SEAA Refreshment business unit, growing in a way that was consistent, profitable, competitive & sustainable. In turn, this would create a business and culture that was envied externally and internally as the place to work, leaving a legacy for years to come.

  • We quickly identified that the way to do this was by nurturing and developing a best in class team, who could cut through hierarchy & functions and despite geographical divisions would be united by an inspiring common purpose and strong belief they could win.

    Over the last 3 years, PigsCanFlyToo has partnered with Unilever in delivering a series of cross-functional conferences, for-purpose workshops, Executive Coaching and consultative support to help deliver this ambition.

  • Excellent SEAA Refreshment results for 2014 Global People Survey (GPS), with highest performing region in the global category and also highest performing category in the region.

    Outstanding GPS SEAA Refreshment results have been enjoyed as a result of a carefully crafted business and people engagement plan executed across and through the business. Some of the key measures that have seen significant shifts include:

    • Performance Culture +18pts

    • Leadership of Organisation +16pts

    • Employee Engagement +16pts

    • Growth Mindset +22pts

    • Bias for Action +33pts (to 69% versus Global score of 56%)

  • “Mike has played an instrumental role in partnering with me to build a people agenda to support our business ambition. Recognising that enduring success is as much about a people legacy as it is a commercial one, Mike co-created with us and oftentimes facilitated critical employee engagement sessions designed to build a shared purpose, align values, create forums for open debate and challenge and ensure continued investment in team bonds. The results speak for themselves…aside from delivering outstanding business results, we have built a culture and a team that are as passionate and committed to the business as they are to each other.”

    - Nicky Sparshott, ex Vice President Unilever Refreshment. S.E. Asia and Australasia & Global T2

HOWATSON + CO

With big ambitions and rapid growth on the horizon, Howatson+Co needed a cultural foundation to match its creative vision. PCFT helped embed Whole Brain Thinking into the agency’s DNA - building cohesion, onboarding talent, and fuelling a culture that balances data-driven strategy with creative breakthrough.

  • Chris Howatson, Founder & CEO of award winning agency Howatson+Co, started the business with the ambition of delivering world class solutions for client partners, and to be able to do so at scale, but not so large that the intimacy and potential of a tightly knit collective of talented people would be compromised. He had fast and big growth ambitions and was looking for 'cultural glue' to hold everything together.

  • Chris & Mike had previously used Whole Brain Technology (the HBDI profiling tool) as a means to provide insight and action orientation to the leadership team at a previous agency. What we recognised was that there was an opportunity to take this one step further - to use the premise of whole brain thinking & communication as a foundation element of Howatson + Co's culture. The intersection of left and right brain thinking and the fusion of the pre-frontal cortex and amygdala, seemed perfect to help underpin a proposition founded on the utilisation of data to elicit strategic insights, from which breakthrough creative solutions could be found. Since the agency was formed, all new joiners have been profiled using HBDI, with a series of workshops held in the Sydney & Melbourne offices over the last 2+ years, to help onboard the diverse mix of talented people joining the agency.

  • In 2025, Howatson + Co grew by 36% hiring 51 new people. The agency won Adnews employer of the year in 2024 and Campaign Asia AU/NZ culture of the year award in 2024. The business enjoys a 80% staff retention rate and NPS score of 70. 98% of employees feel valued for their work.

  • 'Mike and the HDBI methodology have become central to our culture and our performance. Mike has taught us to encourage individual differences and how to get the best out of each other. It is important to foster inclusion and creativity from the very beginning, so every new starter is on-boarded with Mike, while old timers can get a refresher at any time. I couldn’t recommend Mike more to any team who seeks to build trust, flow and peak performance'.

    - Chris Howatson, Founder & CEO, Howatson+Company

COOK WISH ELLISON

CWE faced an uphill battle against larger competitors when Sydney’s landmark Darling Harbour project went to tender. With unrivalled local expertise but limited scale, they needed a bold strategy to prove they could outthink the field. This is the story of how they turned risk into victory.

  • CWE is a bespoke commercial leasing agency. The 3 Principals have more than 90 years of collective experience and expertise in the Sydney market, something that no other competitor comes near to. However, their competition has something that 3 people, regardless of experience, can offer - scale. As a result, the RFP for one of Sydney's largest and most exciting developments at Darling Harbour was not sent to CWE. The team used their powers of persuasion to be added to the list of potential leasing partners. Through a mutual connection, I was introduced to Matthew, Angus and James ...and we got to work. This was the biggest pitch in $$ value they'd ever had the opportunity to win.

  • From the outset, we decided that a non-traditional approach to pitching an opportunity like this was required. We were confident that the competition would submit an expected 'plug & play' response. We were looking to be noticeably different - but in a highly relevant and compelling way. We started with building out an influence map and contact strategy, along with thinking through what our differentiated pitch winning hook and strategy might be. As is so often the case, we found that the answer revealed itself, by staring with intensity at what and how CWE went about their business, alongside the real questions the RFP was really asking. Our differentiated approach stretched all the way to the pitch meeting, which we rehearsed and honed to a point of readiness, such that Matt, Angus and James delivered the presentation of their lives, in a way they'd never done before, including no charts!

  • When we first met Mike, we were immediately taken by the connection he was able to make with the 3 of us - not the easiest thing to do! From the outset, he challenged us to think differently about how to approach this RFP / pitch, but always in a way that made sense. He was clearly really invested in us - we liked his competitive DNA. We didn't always agree, but this was never an issue - it helped us all to get things right, every step of the way. At one point in the process, a key stakeholder asked us 'Are you working with someone? We can see you're doing this differently'! And he was right - we were.

    We've stayed close to this day. He's become a friend and trusted confidante.

    I have no hesitation in recommending Mike, if you've got an important pitch that you believe will benefit from taking a different approach to whatever you've done before. Chances are, you'll win!

    - Matthew Ellison, Co-Founder & Principal, CWE

  • “Mike played an instrumental role in partnering with me to build a people agenda to support our business ambition. Recognising that enduring success is as much about a people legacy as it is a commercial one, Mike co-created with us and oftentimes facilitated critical employee engagement sessions designed to build a shared purpose, align values, create forums for open debate and challenge and ensure continued investment in team bonds. The results speak for themselves…aside from delivering outstanding business results, we built a culture and a team that were as passionate and committed to the business as they were to each other.”

    - Nicky Sparshott - Global Transformation Officer

NSW GOV / HERITAGE STONEWORKS

Heritage Stoneworks (HSW), part of the NSW Government, faced cultural challenges highlighted in staff surveys and workplace tensions. With real growth potential on the line, leadership sought to unite project managers and stonemasons around shared purpose, clarity, and a stronger team identity.

  • The Director of Heritage Stoneworks (HSW), in partnership with the HR team, recognised the need to address areas identified in staff surveys that required improvement, particularly those highlighting dissatisfaction among employees. As in any business, there were also behavioural challenges from certain individuals, which created friction and disruption across the division.

    The potential for growth at HSW was real and present - it was a question of creating the right climate for these opportunities to be harnessed and enjoyed. The Director was committed to building a stronger sense of team, in particular, bringing the project managers and stonemasons closer together, aligned behind a shared sense of purpose.

  • HSW engaged Mike throughout FY24 and into FY25. While the need to improve culture and organisational identity was evident, it was equally important to focus on strengthening the management team. Over this period, he worked closely with the entire team on several key initiatives, including:

    • Running cross-functional workshops to create an HSW Team Trademark

    • Running 'leader within' workshops for the whole team

    • Working alongside the Leadership Team, using Squadify to measure and track the team's performance, with on-going action orientation informed by the data

    • One-on-one Executive Coaching with the senior leaders

  • The recent NSW Govt. culture survey results (PMES) have seen significant year-on-year improvements. HSW's commercial results have never been better, and the project pipeline suggests FY26 performance will realise record levels.

  • “Mike’s approach, highlighted by cross-functional workshops to define our ‘Trademark’, Executive Coaching, and leadership development, helped re-invigorate our team. His work brought clarity, cohesion and renewed energy to our leadership group. This translated into almost immediate improvements in our staff survey results and allowed us to realign our business with a clearer sense of direction and purpose.

    Throughout this journey, Mike became a trusted and valued partner - quietly influential, but always present to re-ignite momentum when enthusiasm dipped. His deep commitment to understanding our business, while offering fresh perspectives during times of challenge, made a lasting impact. I highly recommend Mike Read and Pigs Can Fly Too to any organisation aspiring to become a high-performance team”.

    - Michael Cortis, Director, Heritage Stoneworks (Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure)

MARC EDWARD AGENCY (MEA)

After several solid years, the agency was ready to break through its growth ceiling. With a refreshed leadership team and ambitious new targets, PCFT was engaged to ignite potential and catalyse performance across the business.

  •  The CEO sought a transformative year. While the agency had performed well over the past three years, growth had plateaued.

    With a new leadership team onboard, it was the ideal moment to invest in both individual development and collective alignment, ensuring the team was equipped to unlock their next stage of growth.

  • PCFT designed a high-performance programme combining group workshops and one-to-one executive coaching tailored to individual growth edges. The agency’s key managers also participated in targeted leadership development sessions.

    All coaching and development activity was informed and guided by Squadify - an agile, data-led team diagnostic that provided a shared view of where to focus for maximum impact.

  • The agency posted its highest-ever annualised revenue and operating margin. Just as importantly, the cultural uplift was palpable - enhanced team cohesion, sharpened leadership, and a renewed, energised approach to collaboration and delivery.

  • “I highly recommend the cultural engineering and high-performance coaching work that Mike does, as well as the Squadify tool he uses - a quick, easy, cost-effective, yet thorough diagnostic to help measure and track a team’s progress over time. I couldn’t be happier with the results, and my team too.”

    – Agency CEO

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