From Traditional to Digital-First: How a Health Insurer Transformed 600+ People Around Customer Missions
A case study in commercial transformation. Where marketing and service became one seamless operation
The Challenge: Ambition Meets Reality
A top-4 health insurer in the Netherlands had a clear ambition: differentiate through service excellence. Move from traditional insurer to digital-first organization. But here’s the catch: where human interaction matters, make it truly exceptional.
Bold vision. But the reality?
- Marketing worked in functional silos
- Customer service operated separately from marketing
- Teams were organized around internal processes, not customer needs
- Digital transformation was happening, but without a clear service philosophy
- 600+ people needed to work differently, together
The question wasn’t whether to transform. It was how to transform at this scale without losing momentum or people in the process.
The Starting Point: Marketing Reimagined
Phase 1: Building Around Customer Missions (100 Marketers)
We didn’t start by reorganizing boxes on an org chart. We started with a fundamental question: What are customers actually trying to achieve?
From that, we identified distinct Customer Missions – the jobs customers were hiring the insurer to do. Not product categories. Not internal departments. Customer missions.
The New Structure:
Customer Mission Teams – Multidisciplinary squads built around specific missions
- Each team received a clear Mission Canvas defining their purpose, target customers, and success metrics
- Teams included all capabilities needed to execute: marketing, content, analytics, customer insights
- Full ownership of their mission. Budget, decisions, outcomes
Building Block Teams – Horizontal support for specialized needs
- Data & Analytics
- IT & Technology
- Shared services that teams could draw upon
New Leadership Roles:
- Cluster Leads – Managing coherent sets of Customer Mission Teams
- Expert Leads – Developing expertise depth across missions (HR, training, capability building)
- Customer Mission Leads – Day-to-day ownership of individual mission teams
The Agile Operating Model
We introduced a Quarterly Business Review (QBR) cycle:
- Review results and progress
- Identify learnings
- Set priorities for the next quarter
- Cascade decisions into team backlogs
This wasn’t just governance. It was how 100 marketers stayed aligned while moving fast.
Phase 2: Bringing Service Into the Fold
Once marketing was humming, we extended the model to customer service.
Introducing Operational Circles (60+ Service Agents)
We created Operational Circles – service teams with their own mission canvasses, organized around the same overarching cluster missions as marketing teams.
Circle Structure:
- ~12 service agents per team
- 5 teams per Circle
- Dedicated support: coaching, workflow management, data analysis
- Led by a Circle Lead
- Circles integrated into Clusters alongside marketing teams
Example: The Payment Support Circle One Circle focused entirely on customers with (potential) payment problems:
- Proactive outreach before issues escalate
- Empathetic, solution-oriented support
- Coordinated with marketing messages
- Deep expertise in financial assistance options
We launched 6 Circles in total, each aligned within clusters with related customer mission teams.
Seamless Marketing + Service Integration
Now, for the first time, marketing and service teams shared:
- The same customer focus
- The same success metrics
- The same quarterly planning cycles
- The same language (Customer Missions)
A marketer designing communications for new customers worked in the same Cluster as service agents handling calls from new customers. They weren’t just “aligned”. They were one team with one mission and one leader.
The Transformation Mechanics
What Made This Work
1. Mission Canvases as North Stars Every team had a clear, written mandate. No ambiguity about purpose or scope. These canvases became the foundation for decision-making, prioritization, and conflict resolution.
2. Multidisciplinary by Design We didn’t just talk about breaking silos. We eliminated them structurally. Teams had everything they needed internally. No more waiting for “another department” to act.
3. Real Empowerment Budget, tools, authority. Teams had what they needed to execute. Not empowerment theater; real ownership.
4. Horizontal Support Done Right Building Block teams weren’t separate kingdoms. They served the Customer Mission Teams. Clear service model, clear expectations, clear capacity assignment and prioritization. No more: “our agenda is fully booked for the next three years”.
5. Leadership Roles That Made Sense
- Cluster Leads ensured cohesion across related missions
- Expert Leads maintained quality and capability depth
- Mission Leads drove daily execution
Each role had clear value. No “managers managing managers.” Leads were trained to ask the right questions and let the teams do their jobs.
6. The QBR Rhythm Quarterly cycles created natural checkpoints. Fast enough to stay agile, stable enough to see results. This became the heartbeat of the organization.
The Results: Energy, Speed, Impact
Quantitative Wins
- Service concept development time: Cut by more than half
- Digital adoption: Accelerated significantly, freeing agent capacity
- Customer satisfaction: Measurable improvement across key missions
- Team engagement: Internal surveys showed dramatic increase in energy and clarity
Qualitative Transformation
But numbers don’t capture the full story.
Energy shifted. People stopped saying “that’s not my job.” They started saying “how can we solve this?”
Customer focus became real. Not a poster on the wall but a daily operating principle. Teams could explain exactly which customers they served and what those customers needed.
Speed increased dramatically. Decisions that used to take weeks happened in days. New service concepts went from idea to pilot in a fraction of the time.
Human capacity was deployed strategically. Digital handled routine. Agents focused on customers who needed them most: those facing complexity, confusion, or hardship.
Three Lessons From This Transformation
1. Start With Customer Missions, Not Org Charts
Most transformations begin with structure. We began with purpose. Once everyone understood which customers they served and what those customers needed, the right structure became obvious. And if it needs to change, it can within the structure, without reorganizations.
2. Go Big on Empowerment, But Provide the Framework
Agile and empowerment can descend into chaos without structure. Mission Canvases, QBR cycles, and clear roles gave teams freedom within guardrails. That’s the sweet spot.
3. Bring Marketing and Service Together. Literally.
Most companies talk about aligning marketing and service. Few actually integrate them into shared teams with shared missions. When you do, magic happens. Consistency, speed, customer experience: all improve simultaneously.
Why This Matters for Your Organization
If you’re contemplating commercial transformation, this case offers a blueprint:
- Start with Customer Missions – What are customers hiring you to do?
- Build multidisciplinary teams around those missions – Give them everything they need
- Create support structures that serve, not control – Building Blocks and horizontal expertise
- Design leadership roles with clear value – Cluster Leads, Expert Leads, Mission Leads
- Establish a rhythm – QBRs create alignment without micromanagement
- Don’t separate marketing and service – Integrate them around shared customer focus
This wasn’t a quick fix. It took 18 months to fully implement across marketing and service. But the foundation was set in the first 3-4 months, and momentum built from there.
The Bottom Line
Transforming 600+ people isn’t about mandate or memo. It’s about:
- Clarity – Customer Missions everyone understands
- Structure – Teams designed to execute those missions
- Empowerment – Real ownership, not theater
- Rhythm – QBRs that keep everyone aligned
- Integration – Marketing and service as one force
When these pieces come together, transformation doesn’t feel like chaos. It feels like energy. And that’s the secret to moving markets: organizing around customers creates energy. Energy in your teams, because they see direct impact. Energy in your operations, because decisions flow faster. Energy in your market presence, because customers feel the difference.
That energy becomes unstoppable. It attracts talent. It builds momentum. It turns organizations into movements. This is what happens when you stop organizing around internal convenience and start organizing around customer missions. You don’t just transform operations. You unleash the energy that was always there, waiting to be directed at something that matters.
Considering a commercial transformation in your organization? This level of change requires experience, methodology, and the courage to challenge conventions. Let’s explore what’s possible.
