This year's winner, Apex Group, implemented Forrester's research frameworks and models to drive functional alignment and accelerate returns from a fast-paced acquisition strategy
LONDON, Sept. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Forrester (Nasdaq: FORR) has recognised Apex Group, a global financial services provider, as the 2021 Return on Integration (ROI) Honours winner at the company's annual B2B Summit EMEA, 28–29 September. Apex Group successfully executed an aggressive mergers-and-acquisitions strategy that required driving functional alignment among marketing, sales, and product groups across more than 15 brands.
Apex Group is recognised for scaling growth and profitability by making bold decisions, aligning its revenue engine, and driving transformative initiatives using Forrester's models, frameworks, and methodologies. According to Forrester's research, organisations that successfully align product, marketing, and sales grow 19% faster and are 15% more profitable. ROI Honours are awarded to selected organisations that demonstrate significantly improved performance using this alignment strategy.
"Over the past four years, Apex Group has grown exponentially through acquisitions," said Rosie Guest, CMO at Apex Group. "To accelerate the returns from our fast-paced growth strategy, we worked closely with Forrester to develop the ideal structure of our team. Empowered by Forrester's models, frameworks, and hands-on guidance, we built personas and value propositions via our portfolio marketing function, developed lead generation and scoring criteria for our demand team, and implemented an integrated campaign framework across the marketing functions. We are very proud to receive this honour and excited to share our story at B2B Summit EMEA."
At B2B Summit EMEA, Apex Group presented its journey and shared its success story of developing and implementing a systematic approach to integrating new acquisitions quickly and effectively. The presentation illustrated how Apex Group applied Forrester's models and frameworks — including the Demand Waterfall® Messaging Nautilus®, Marketing-Plan-on-a-Page, the dashboard for CMO best practices and the B2B Marketing Ecosystem Model — to create a core "centre of excellence" for quickly assessing and aligning the capabilities of the acquired brands' marketing, sales, and product functions.
These frameworks enabled the organisation to move forward faster while supporting strategic business initiatives. In the first two years of implementation (2017–19), Apex achieved an 89% increase in marketing qualified leads. Subsequent years (2020–21) have delivered a 100% increase in the average marketing-sourced deal size and a 257% year-over-year increase in marketing-sourced closed-won revenue in 2021.
"Apex Group's success story is a great example of how marketing can, and should, adapt to support and accelerate the company's chosen growth strategy," said Meta Karagianni, VP and research director at Forrester. "This is a testament to the value of a systematic approach to integrating new acquisitions as they come on board to achieve profitability — faster. At Forrester, we are on our clients' side and by their side to help them achieve their desired outcomes. I am excited for Apex Group to share its journey, learnings, and best practices with fellow B2B Summit EMEA attendees, as I am sure it will inspire other firms to drive cross-functional alignment and accelerate growth this year and beyond."
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Registeragendaspeakers@ForresterAbout ForresterForrester (Nasdaq: FORR) is one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. We help leaders across technology, marketing, customer experience, product, and sales functions use customer obsession to accelerate growth. Through Forrester's proprietary research, consulting, and events, leaders from around the globe are empowered to be bold at work — to navigate change and put their customers at the centre of their leadership, strategy, and operations. Our unique insights are grounded in annual surveys of more than 675,000 consumers, business leaders, and technology leaders worldwide; rigorous and objective research methodologies, including Forrester Wave™ evaluations; over 52 million real-time feedback votes; and the shared wisdom of our clients. To learn more, visit Forrester.com.
About Apex GroupApex Group Ltd., established in Bermuda in 2003, is a global financial services provider. With 50 offices worldwide and 5,000 employees upon the close of announced acquisitions, Apex delivers an extensive range of services to asset managers, capital markets, private clients, and family offices. The Group has continually improved and evolved its capabilities to offer a single-source solution through establishing the broadest range of services in the industry, including fund services; digital onboarding and bank accounts; depositary, custody, and super ManCo services; business services, including HR and payroll; and a pioneering ESG Ratings & Advisory service for private companies. To learn more, visit apexgroup.com.
Media Contact: Katy Bransonkbranson@forrester.com
