Case Study

GB Auto

Services provided: Operating Model, Purpose Engineering, Corporate and Business Strategy, Corporate Governance, Process (Re)engineering, Institutional Diagnosis and Industry Analysis, PMO Setup and Execution Support, Restructuring and Organizational Development, Change Enablement

Strengthening GB Auto’s institutional foundation following its IPO

The Challenge

Following its IPO, GB Auto, a subsidiary of GB Corp, faced the opportunity, and necessity, of strengthening its institutional foundations to support public-market expectations. As one of the leading automotive assemblers and distributors in the Middle East and North Africa, operating across multiple business lines and transport-related sectors, sustaining growth required greater clarity of purpose, sharper strategic focus, and more formalized governance, organizational, and operating structures. Preparing for the next phase of development meant moving toward a more institutionalized operating model capable of supporting scale, transparency, and long-term value creation.

The Transformation

GB Auto engaged CDS to support a comprehensive institutionalization program aimed at clarifying strategic direction and strengthening governance and organizational effectiveness following its IPO.

The transformation focused on:

  • Institutional diagnosis: Comprehensive assessment of the company’s governance, management, organization, and operating practices to identify priority areas for institutional strengthening.

  • Corporate purpose and strategy: Definition of a clear corporate purpose, including vision, mission, values, slogan, and objectives, supported by corporate and business strategies aligned with growth ambitions.

  • Executive governance: Formalization of executive and Board-level governance mechanisms to strengthen oversight, performance monitoring, and strategic control.

  • Organizational and operating model design: Design of an organizational model and business systems that support the company’s strategy and operational complexity across its various business lines.

Building the Foundations

To ensure the transformation could be executed and sustained at scale, CDS supported GB Auto in establishing the core organizational, operational, and management foundations required for institutional maturity.

This included:

  • Enterprise-wide business systems design: Design and documentation of approximately 300 processes, including associated policies, procedures, and standard forms, covering 10 corporate functions and 9 business units.

  • Performance management framework: Definition of KPIs to support performance monitoring, management reporting, and effective control across corporate functions and business units.

  • Organizational structure and role clarity: Design of the organizational structure across departments, supported by detailed job descriptions for each function and business unit to clarify roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines.

  • Institutionalization roadmap: Development of a structured roadmap covering all initiatives required to implement the target governance, organizational, and operating model, including sequencing and execution governance.

  • Implementation support: Hands-on support during the initial six-month implementation phase to facilitate adoption, address execution challenges, and ensure effective transition from design to operation.

The Outcome

The engagement strengthened GB Auto’s institutional readiness following its IPO. The company consolidated its position as a market leader, sharpened its strategic focus, and improved resource allocation and organizational discipline. Governance mechanisms were formalized, enhancing Board oversight and executive control. A more effective organizational and operating model enabled streamlined operations, stronger controls, cost efficiencies, and higher productivity, while supporting a cultural shift toward greater customer focus. Today, GB Auto operates as a publicly listed company, with the institutional foundations established through the engagement supporting its transition to, and operation within, a public-market environment.

Continuity of the relationship: 16 years of collaboration

CDS’s relationship with GB Corp Holding spans multiple phases of the Group’s institutional development and extends across its automotive arm (GB Auto), as well as the subsidiaries of its financial services arm, GB Capital:

  • GB Auto (2008–2014): Support GB Auto [AF1] [ST2] across multiple engagements combining strategic and institutional development. In 2013 and 2014, as GB Auto scaled significantly[AF3] [ST4] , CDS was re-engaged to enable the transition to a more advanced institutional model capable of supporting continued growth.

  • GB Lease (2012): Delivery of a full institutionalization program for GB Lease, a subsidiary of GB Capital[AF5] [ST6] , the financial arm of GB Corp, focusing on governance, organization, and operating systems.

  • Mashroey (2013): Delivery of a full institutionalization program for Mashroey, previously a subsidiary of GB Capital and currently part of MNT-Halan, to support scale-up and operational readiness.

 

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