Cigna: Navigating Global Pushback on Programme Governance
The Situation
At Cigna, I was brought in as an Associate Director via Deloitte to design and implement a global programme governance framework. The initiative was a multi-year, $100m+ transformation aiming to consolidate Cigna’s disparate platforms into a single digital system spanning the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
The challenge? Different regions were already working with their preferred vendors, each had bespoke reporting methods, and there was a strong sense of regional autonomy. My proposed governance model, which included a centralised structure and standardised reporting, was met with heavy resistance—particularly from senior leaders in the US and Asia-PAC, who saw it as overreach and a potential blocker to local agility.
The Task
I had to find a way to implement a governance model that provided consistency and transparency to the global leadership team—but without alienating local sponsors or derailing in-flight regional programmes. The risk wasn’t just inefficiency—it was losing buy-in altogether and ending up with another fragmented ecosystem.
The Action / Approach
First, I re-engaged each region—not to ‘sell’ governance, but to listen. I ran structured discovery sessions to understand where they saw risk, value, and friction. That helped me identify which elements were truly non-negotiable (like benefits tracking, programme interdependencies, and systems integration oversight), and which could flex.
Then, instead of pushing a single rigid framework, I designed a tiered governance model: global standards at the top, with flexible local reporting layers underneath. I also proposed a common benefit realisation map that showed how each region’s success contributed to the overall value case—this was a game-changer in aligning perspectives.
To address vendor politics, I introduced a neutral scoring system for Systems Integrator selection, with regional participation in the assessment. That helped create transparency and reduce territorial tension
The Result
The new model was adopted globally. We appointed a group-wide SI partner and launched the benefits framework that underpinned >$100m in tracked value.
More importantly, alignment improved—measured by a 22% uplift in regional stakeholder satisfaction (internal pulse survey) and faster decisions at programme board level due to shared ownership.
SO WHAT?
This taught me: governance doesn’t fail because it’s wrong—it fails when it feels imposed.
My edge in these moments? I don’t defend frameworks. I decode fears, listen beyond the resistance, and co-design structures people can get behind. That’s how I make enterprise change feel local—and land at scale.
