Case study
Building the Operating Model for Innovation at Scale
Fortune 50 Technology Incubator · Portfolio Operations & Shared Services
A portfolio of emerging technology ventures needed the freedom to operate like startups while meeting the governance requirements of a Fortune 50 enterprise.
Clark Global Advisory's principal redesigned the operating model and shared-services infrastructure supporting multiple portfolio companies, approximately 500 associates and a $XXXM operating budget — creating fit-for-purpose systems to incubate, scale and integrate emerging businesses.
Operating Model Design · Business Operations · Shared Services · Venture Scaling · Portfolio Operations
The challenge
A Fortune 50 retailer's technology incubator was managing a growing portfolio of emerging ventures at different stages of development and maturity.
The ventures needed the speed and autonomy of startups while operating within the financial, legal, technology, talent and governance requirements of one of the world's largest enterprises.
As the portfolio grew, traditional corporate processes increasingly created friction. The organization needed an operating model that could support experimentation and rapid development while introducing the discipline required to scale successful ventures and ultimately integrate them into the enterprise.
The strategy-to-execution model
- 01
Incubate
- 02
Develop
- 03
Scale and Integrate
The approach
Operating Model Transformation
Redesigned how the incubator and its ventures operated, establishing venture lifecycle frameworks, organizational maturity models, onboarding and graduation processes, decision rights and operational playbooks across critical business functions.
Shared Services Design
Built and managed an integrated shared-services model spanning Finance, Procurement, HR & Talent, Marketing, Communications, Legal, Technology and Real Estate — adapting enterprise capabilities to the needs and maturity of early-stage ventures.
Venture Scaling & Integration
Developed mechanisms to prepare ventures for enterprise scale and led the graduation and integration of four portfolio companies into the broader organization, coordinating across business, technology and corporate functions.
Procurement Transformation
Diagnosed an enterprise procurement environment that had become incompatible with startup speed, mapping the end-to-end contracting journey across multiple systems, stakeholders and governance requirements. Redesigned the process and introduced fit-for-purpose technology and controls that preserved enterprise oversight while reducing operational friction across the vendor portfolio — ultimately reducing resolution times by 85%.
Brand & Stakeholder Strategy
Repositioned the incubator internally and externally, developing an integrated stakeholder and communications strategy to strengthen executive sponsorship, address internal misconceptions, elevate the organization's position within the innovation ecosystem and create greater connectivity across the venture portfolio. Built the audience, channel, content, governance and implementation architecture required to translate the strategy into sustained execution.
The impact
- The new model created a more scalable operating environment for innovation — preserving venture agility while introducing the structure required for growth and enterprise integration.
- Supported an innovation portfolio through coordinated operational infrastructure.
- Created fit-for-purpose governance rather than forcing early-stage ventures into processes designed for mature businesses.
- Improved operational speed, including an 85% reduction in procurement resolution times across the vendor portfolio.
- Established repeatable venture lifecycle mechanisms spanning incubation, development, scaling and graduation.
- Successfully transitioned four ventures from the incubator into the broader enterprise.
- Strengthened organizational alignment and positioning through a coordinated stakeholder, brand and communications strategy.
- Demonstrated that operational discipline and innovation do not have to be opposing forces. The right operating model can enable both.
The takeaway
Growth creates complexity. The answer isn't more process — it's the right process.
Clark Global Advisory helps organizations build fit-for-purpose operating models, governance and business infrastructure that enable them to scale without sacrificing the speed, innovation and entrepreneurial energy that created growth in the first place.
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