Building Leadership Capability Across a Growing European Manufacturing Business
Since 2013, Taylor Clarke has partnered with Coveris to strengthen leadership capability across the UK business, supporting new and emerging managers as well as established senior leaders through sustained cultural and organisational change.
Context
Coveris is a leading European packaging company, manufacturing flexible and sustainable solutions for some of the world’s most respected brands. As the business has grown and evolved through acquisition, the need to develop consistent leadership capability across sites and business units has remained a strategic priority.
Taylor Clarke first partnered with Coveris in 2013, working together to run a UK-wide culture survey followed by structured feedback, action planning and leadership interventions. Over time, this evolved into a long-term leadership development partnership focused on building strong management capability at critical transition points in the leadership pipeline.
Leadership Development Focus
Working closely with the UK HR Director and HR team, Taylor Clarke has helped design and refine leadership development programmes to meet the changing needs of the organisation and its leaders.
Two core leadership populations were identified:
New and emerging managers, typically in their first management roles
More established leaders, stepping into broader leadership and change responsibilities
The programmes were designed to support leaders to “step up” into their role, moving away from a purely operational, problem-solving mindset towards a more visible, strategic and coaching-led approach to leadership.
Approach
Leadership development was delivered through two tailored programmes, each aligned to specific transition points in the leadership pipeline.
Management Development Programme
Designed for newer managers, this programme focused on building strong foundations in self-management, people management and personal effectiveness. Participants explored how to adapt their management style, develop others, handle performance conversations and begin using coaching skills to support their teams.
Leadership Development Programme
For more experienced leaders, the focus shifted to leadership presence, engagement, change leadership and role-modelling Coveris values. Leaders were supported to increase their impact through coaching-led leadership, improved handling of complex conversations and greater clarity around their role in driving sustainable change.
Both programmes were highly interactive and practical, using real leadership challenges brought by participants, supported by guided reflection, discussion and application.
Experiential Learning and Application
A key feature of the senior leadership programme was an in-house project, delivered in small teams and sponsored by senior leaders. Participants worked on live business dilemmas, presenting their analysis and recommendations to senior stakeholders and engaging in open discussion around implementation.
This approach reinforced learning, built confidence and strengthened cross-business relationships, while delivering tangible value back into the organisation.
Evaluation and Impact
Evaluation feedback consistently highlights the value of the programmes in supporting leaders to grow into their roles and operate more effectively.
Participants report:
Increased confidence in their leadership role
Improved delegation and personal effectiveness
Greater use of coaching approaches rather than problem-solving
Stronger handling of performance and difficult conversations
Clearer focus on value-added, strategic leadership activities
At an organisational level, the programmes have contributed to:
Strong internal leadership progression into senior site and UK-level roles
Increased engagement and consistency across leadership populations
A more sustainable leadership model aligned to growth and change
Despite ongoing business turbulence and change, Coveris continues to benefit from a committed cohort of leaders who have progressed through the programmes and now operate at senior levels across the organisation.
Ongoing Partnership
Taylor Clarke continues to support Coveris as leadership needs evolve, integrating learning with digital platforms, follow-up activity and peer reflection to help leaders sustain new habits and apply learning over time.
The long-standing partnership reflects a shared commitment to developing leaders who can operate confidently at the right level, lead through change and contribute to the long-term success of the business.