Keeping the Business Running Through a $2.2B Integration

Overview

How Embark helped a global manufacturer replace its entire finance team without missing a close cycle

When a global manufacturer and supplier of chemicals, polymers, and building products completed an acquisition, the pressure on its finance organization was immediate. The acquired company had a decentralized accounting function with teams spread across the United States. The plan was to consolidate everything to a single headquarters, which meant nearly the entire acquired finance team would need to be replaced.

The challenge wasn't the reorganization itself. It was doing it without disrupting a single close cycle, audit, or financial reporting deadline along the way.

That's what Embark was brought in to solve.

What Embark delivered

Embark deployed more than 20 consultants across 30+ roles in cost accounting, financial accounting, FP&A, and controllership, and kept every critical finance function running throughout the transition.

• No disruption to month-end and quarter-end close, audit timelines, or day-to-day financial operations during the integration
• Complete backfill of 30+ roles across multiple departments, enabling a full finance team restructure without impacting the business
• Comprehensive process documentation and SOPs developed from scratch, giving incoming permanent hires a foundation to build on
• SOX compliance maintained throughout by providing reviews and approvals across all divisions
• Process improvements identified and implemented across accounting functions, delivering value well beyond the original scope
• Structured hiring support, onboarding, and knowledge transfer for every incoming permanent hire, with a clean handoff every time

The challenge

An entire finance team turning over at once

After the acquisition, the acquired legacy finance team members were asked to relocate to the client’s headquarters.  Of roughly 30 people, one chose to relocate. The company needed to replace nearly every finance and accounting role, including cost accountants, financial accountants, FP&A analysts, and more, while keeping operations fully intact.

Most organizations struggle when a single person leaves unexpectedly. Replacing a whole department simultaneously is an entirely different problem.

Operating through uncertainty

The long-term plan was clear, but the short-term timeline wasn't. The client didn't know how quickly employees would exit, how long hiring would take, or what the transition would actually look like in practice. Consultants needed to be in place before any announcements were made, ready to step into roles immediately and adapt as things unfolded.

Month-end close, budgeting, forecasting, and audit prep couldn't wait. None of this could pause while the organization found its footing.

A new industry with its own complexity

The acquired business operated in manufacturing, a world with its own accounting demands around inventory, cost accounting, and seasonal forecasting. Consultants came in and had to get up to speed.

On top of that, the acquired company's systems needed to be integrated into the client's ERP environment, adding another layer to an already demanding engagement.

How Embark helped

Embark worked across two primary business divisions, filling virtually every accounting and finance role below the division controller level. This included cost accounting, financial accounting, FP&A, and controllership, giving the client coverage across the full range of its finance function.

Consultants were embedded before the organizational changes were announced, giving each person time to shadow the departing employee and fully absorb their responsibilities. When people left, the work continued uninterrupted.

Core responsibilities included:

• Managing month-end and quarter-end close processes
• Supporting budgeting, forecasting, and quarterly incentive plan tracking
• Facilitating audit preparation and providing ongoing audit support
• Intercompany accounting and general ledger management
• Operational and divisional reporting, including custom plant-level dashboards

Beyond the day-to-day work, Embark consultants built out SOPs and process documentation that hadn't existed before. That institutional knowledge was handed off to incoming permanent hires rather than walking out the door.

Consultants also led onboarding and training for each new full-time employee. In several cases, there was a deliberate overlap period with the original employee, the Embark consultant, and the new hire all present at once to make sure nothing was lost in the transition.

The results

The transition played out over six to twelve months. Most permanent hires were in place within six months for some divisions; others took longer as the right candidates were identified. Throughout that entire period, the client's financial operations ran without disruption.

Close cycles completed on time. Audits were prepared and supported. FP&A and reporting kept running. And when permanent employees arrived, they stepped into roles with clear documentation, trained colleagues, and functioning systems already in place.

Conclusion

Still Here, By Choice

The original ask was straightforward: fill roles and keep the business running while the client rebuilt its team. What Embark delivered went further. Tighter processes, better documentation, and a transition that gave the incoming finance organization a real foundation rather than a mess to clean up.

Years later, Embark consultants remain embedded in the client's organization. Not because the transition never ended, but because the value continued to grow.