From Consulting Firm to Decentralized Network: How Metafinanz Rebuilt Itself from the Inside Out
Metafinanz is a German consulting firm based in Munich and part of the Allianz Group. With around 900 employees and over three decades of experience, the company primarily serves Allianz but also works with external clients. Until 2017, itoperated like many large organisations: structured around centralised business lines, supported by classic hierarchies, and overseen by middle managers. Despite regular internal restructures, real decision-making remained concentrated at the top. As one leader recalled, they had "become good at change processes that changed nothing."
This blog post is part of 80+ case studies of progressive organizations we created for the ZeroDX awards 2025. These organizations embody the principles of RenDanHeYi in their work structures:
Zero Distance to customer: Decision what to build is based on insights from the marketplace
Autonomy: Small teams with full decision-making autonomy enable speed in execution
Shared Rewards: Everyone in the micro-enterprise participates in its financial success.
By 2016, the pressure for real transformation had become unavoidable. Market dynamics were shifting. International competitors were entering the German consulting space with faster, more agile approaches. Internally, project offers took too long to prepare, and staff lacked the authority to act. Recruiting was difficult and costly. Employees were growing frustrated with bureaucratic bottlenecks, while leaders themselves questioned the effectiveness of their roles.It was within this context that CEO Rainer Göttmann initiated a radical redesign.
In January 2017, at the company’s annual kickoff, Rainer delivered an emotional speech. He described a vision of a company free from hierarchical control, operating as a decentralised network of autonomous teams. At the time, therewas no implementation plan, only intent. Four months later, on May 1st, Metafinanz launched what would become one of the most ambitious organisational transformations in Germany’s consulting sector.
The first major step was the removal of middle management. Business line structures were dissolved, and with them, the roles of 74 senior and middle managers. Most stayed in the company but had to reinvent their contributions. NewBusiness Areas were established, initially 39, now 80, each operating like a small enterprise. Teams of 5 to 15 people took on full responsibility for their clients, finances, staffing, and strategic direction. If a team failed to becomeprofitable within a three-year window, it was closed. Employees from disbanded teams were supported in finding new roles internally.
Each team defines its own purpose and business plan. All have access to real-time financial dashboards and areexpected to understand key indicators such as revenue, margin, customer satisfaction, and internal engagement. Teams operate with wide autonomy, deciding whom to hire, which clients to serve, and what services to offer. They even negotiate contracts directly with customers, a task that previously required multiple layers of approval. "Now theydecide in one hour what used to take three weeks," one employee explained.
To support these teams, Metafinanz created five internal service units called "shops," covering areas such as HR, IT,and legal. Unlike traditional support departments, shops must operate on a fixed internal budget funded by a 10% tax on business unit revenue. Their services are optional, and if a team finds abetter option elsewhere, they are free to go outside. This internal market creates constant pressure for shops to improve.
The governance system evolved in parallel. Every team meets annually with a board member and a staff representative to review performance and alignment. Transparent reporting was introduced in the first year, enablingall employees to view their team's financial performance at any time. A lean central structure provides necessary compliance and legal functions, but day-to-day decisions are made at the edge.
Metafinanz also overhauled its compensation model. It eliminated individual performance bonuses tied to hierarchical rank and replaced them with a company-wide profit-sharing scheme. Everyone now receives the same percentage of their base salary, linked to the organisation’s overall results. In 2023, this collective payout reached €11 million. Salary increases are proposed within teams through a process involving a compensation lead, a staff development advisor,and an internal benchmark based on market data. "You’re responsible for your own salary," one employee put it, summing up the cultural shift.
These structural and financial changes reflect several core principles of the RenDanHeYi (RDHY) model. P&L ownership is embedded in every Business Area, reinforcing the idea that each team must act as a self-sufficient unit accountable for value creation. Decentralisation is visible not only in delivery but also in internal services and talent decisions, aligning with RDHY’s emphasis on zero-distance to users and full entrepreneurial autonomy. Transparency, both financial and procedural, allows for distributed governance and informed decision-making.
The internal service shops mirror RDHY's concept of platform organisations, supporting front-line units without imposing control. And instead of controlling every decision, leaders focus on providing the frame in which entrepreneurial teams can thrive: an approach directly aligned with the transformation from command-and-control to enablement that lies at the heart of RDHY.
The shift was not without friction. Former managers found themselves without a clear role. Some struggled to return to client-facing work after years in leadership. Others chose to leave. "For three months, my calendar was empty," Rainer admitted. "I had nothing to do. I was in a personal crisis." To support adaptation, Metafinanz launched a weeklyopen Q&A with the CEO and training sessions focused on decision-making, conflict resolution, and business planning.
Over time, the transformation reshaped Metafinanz’s identity. Teams began offering entirely new services, including AI-driven consulting and organisational development. Employees could create new teams by assembling five colleagues, drafting a business case, and gaining alignment with leadership. Between five and eight new teams form each year,while others close based on performance. "We don’t close people, we close business cases," one person shared.
In 2025, Metafinanz acquired a 100-person company in Vienna and began integrating it into the same decentralised model. The process revealed valuable insights. While new teams were formed quickly, many employees initially hesitated to step into autonomous roles. Rather than seeing this as a setback, Metafinanz viewed it as an opportunityto support learning and cultural growth. “They’re not used to deciding,” one colleague noted, “but that’s exactly where the work begins.” Just as in Munich, former managers were invited to reimagine their roles, and employees were encouraged to explore new levels of initiative. The experience deepened Metafinanz’s confidence in its model. As one team member put it, “We built our system from scratch. Now we’re learning how to pass it on.”
Eight years into its reinvention, Metafinanz continues to adapt its operating system. While still part of Allianz, the company has developed a distinctive way of working that favours entrepreneurial teams, internal market dynamics, and shared financial accountability. The introduction of AI-enabled services and platform-based support roles reflectsits forward-looking mindset. What began as a response to market stagnation has grown into a dynamic system of shared ownership, where evolution is not managed from the top but driven by the teams themselves. At Metafinanz, the journey has not only changed how work gets done: it has redefined who leads, how value is created, and where initiative begins.
