Dear colleagues,
January 31 marked one year since Abt Associates acquired Abt JTA and we added some Australian flavor to the One Global Abt mix. Over the course of the year we provided periodic updates on the ongoing process to align the two organizations with regards to HR, Finance, Communications, etc. This first anniversary is the appropriate time to provide you with the final update on the progress of alignment with Abt JTA. Since the acquisition, staff have worked together closely to harmonize the operations, policies, and procedures that enable close coordination and seamless collaboration between Abt JTA and Abt, and also Abt SRBI. The alignment “playbook” was organized into 6 chapters – Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Communications, Business Development, and Reputational Capital. Teams of Abt and Abt JTA staff jointly led each chapter of the playbook, so I would like to recognize and appreciate their successful efforts to achieve alignment:
· Finance: Oswaldo Holguin, Abt, and Dan Drewe, Scott Mills, Abt JTA
· Human Resources: John Ruyter, Clarissa Peterson, Abt, and Clare Woolsey, Abt JTA
· IT: Mauricio Poodts, Abt, and Andrew Wilson, Abt JTA
· Communications: Julie Sabol, Abt, and Clare Woolsey, Abt JTA
· Business Development: Pat Poulton, Abt, and Luke Elich, Abt JTA
· Rep Cap: Rena Kirsch, John Palen, Abt, and Emma Field, Luke Elich, Abt JTA
Susan Scribner led the alignment as Abt’s Director of Strategic Alignment and worked in close collaboration with Harry Wildman, Abt JTA’s Alignment Manager.
The attached presentation, which was shared with Abt’s Board of Directors in January, summarizes the accomplishments of alignment. We see the alignment process as successfully concluded and have moved to the next stage of the acquisition, which is to increase the focus on defining and capturing leverage opportunities between Abt JTA and Abt, and also between Abt JTA and Abt SRBI. During the past year, we have collaborated on bids to AusAID, USAID, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, WHO and the Rockefeller Foundation. We have been shortlisted and received positive feedback on many of these bids, but have not yet scored a major win. The collaboration has been a learning process and we are confident that we will be implementing together in the near future.
If you have ideas for leverage opportunities or questions about the acquisition or alignment, please contact me, Jane Thomason, or Susan Scribner. And please join me in thanking everyone who has been part of the collaboration and is contributing to making Abt JTA an integral part of the One Global Abt family.
Regards,
Jay
Jay L. Knott | Executive Vice President, Chief Business Officer | Abt Associates
O: 301-347-5896| F: 301-828-9739 | www.abtassociates.com
Note: this email was sent BCC: All Staff Abt, All Abt JTA, All Abt SRBI