Suzano - The Bakery

January - 2026

The World’s Largest Pulp Producer

A new R&D and Innovation operating model designed to connect strategy, culture, and execution — and accelerate an industrial giant’s entry into a consumer-driven market.

STRATEGY | R&D INNOVATION | CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION | GOVERNANCE

January - 2026

The World’s Largest Pulp Producer

A new R&D and Innovation operating model designed to connect strategy, culture, and execution — and accelerate an industrial giant’s entry into a consumer-driven market.

STRATEGY | R&D INNOVATION | CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION | GOVERNANCE

January - 2026

The World’s Largest Pulp Producer

A new R&D and Innovation operating model designed to connect strategy, culture, and execution — and accelerate an industrial giant’s entry into a consumer-driven market.

STRATEGY | R&D INNOVATION | CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION | GOVERNANCE

January - 2026

The World’s Largest Pulp Producer

A new R&D and Innovation operating model designed to connect strategy, culture, and execution — and accelerate an industrial giant’s entry into a consumer-driven market.

STRATEGY | R&D INNOVATION | CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION | GOVERNANCE

When an industrial company begins building direct relationships with consumers, innovation must be redesigned to create value beyond the factory floor.

The challenge

Globally recognised for its excellence in renewable solutions, the company made a strategic long-term decision: to expand its presence in the consumer goods market, bringing innovation closer to the needs of the end consumer. That expansion demanded a new innovation logic. Industrial excellence — built over decades through long cycles and large-scale operations — had to coexist with a second model: the pace, agility, and consumer-centricity that define the consumer goods market.

The ambition was to build an ambidextrous operation, with three fronts evolving in tandem:

Integrated strategy:

aligning market vision, brand positioning, and innovation priorities around a shared direction;

Governance and collaboration:

connecting Marketing, R&D, and Innovation through clear workflows, with well-defined roles and decision rights;

Consumer-centric culture:

embedding a way of working that starts with the consumer and drives towards high-value solutions, with speed and focus.

The goal was clear: to position innovation as the strategic engine of the company’s next chapter — operating with the precision of industry and the speed of consumption.

Integrated strategy:

aligning market vision, brand positioning, and innovation priorities around a shared direction;

Governance and collaboration:

connecting Marketing, R&D, and Innovation through clear workflows, with well-defined roles and decision rights;

Consumer-centric culture:

embedding a way of working that starts with the consumer and drives towards high-value solutions, with speed and focus.

The goal was clear: to position innovation as the strategic engine of the company’s next chapter — operating with the precision of industry and the speed of consumption.

Integrated strategy:

aligning market vision, brand positioning, and innovation priorities around a shared direction;

Governance and collaboration:

connecting Marketing, R&D, and Innovation through clear workflows, with well-defined roles and decision rights;

Consumer-centric culture:

embedding a way of working that starts with the consumer and drives towards high-value solutions, with speed and focus.

The goal was clear: to position innovation as the strategic engine of the company’s next chapter — operating with the precision of industry and the speed of consumption.

Integrated strategy:

aligning market vision, brand positioning, and innovation priorities around a shared direction;

Governance and collaboration:

connecting Marketing, R&D, and Innovation through clear workflows, with well-defined roles and decision rights;

Consumer-centric culture:

embedding a way of working that starts with the consumer and drives towards high-value solutions, with speed and focus.

The goal was clear: to position innovation as the strategic engine of the company’s next chapter — operating with the precision of industry and the speed of consumption.

Modelo contínuo e escalável:

evoluir de iniciativas dispersas para uma arquitetura única, com governança clara e métricas de impacto;

Gestão orientada a dados:

consolidar indicadores e entregas em um painel único, com leitura em tempo real para tomada de decisão;

Cultura de transformação:

engajar lideranças e times para adotar novos comportamentos, simplificar fluxos e operar com mais autonomia.

O objetivo era posicionar a eficiência operacional como alavanca estratégica da transformação — capaz de gerar ganhos sustentáveis de produtividade, governança e competitividade em toda a operação.

Gestão orientada a dados:

evoluir de iniciativas dispersas para uma arquitetura única, com governança clara e métricas de impacto;

Cultura de transformação:

consolidar indicadores e entregas em um painel único, com leitura em tempo real para tomada de decisão;

Modelo contínuo e escalável:

engajar lideranças e times para adotar novos comportamentos, simplificar fluxos e operar com mais autonomia.

O objetivo era posicionar a eficiência operacional como alavanca estratégica da transformação — capaz de gerar ganhos sustentáveis de produtividade, governança e competitividade em toda a operação.

How we did it

The Bakery worked alongside the Marketing, Innovation, and R&D leadership teams to design a new operating model, built across three integrated workstreams:

01. Strategic innovation territories

We conducted an in-depth analysis of market dynamics, emerging trends, and consumer behaviour, defining five priority territories to anchor all innovation activity: Circularity, New Technologies, Channels and Services, Experiences, and New Business Models.

02. Integrated cross-functional governance

We designed an integration framework connecting Marketing, R&D, and Innovation, with clearly defined roles, decision-making forums, and alignment criteria — ensuring strategic coherence and fluid execution across the three functions.

03. A six-pillar operating model

We consolidated the new model around six structural pillars: People and Capabilities, Governance, Culture, Processes and Workflows, Metrics, and Organisational Structure — each with practical recommendations and maturity benchmarks.

Three workstreams. One overarching goal: turning innovation into an
operating standard — with clarity, speed, and an unwavering focus on value.

Results

The new innovation architecture established a faster, more integrated, and value-driven way of thinking and executing — with gains across strategy, operations, and culture.

strategic innovation territories defined and active

structural pillars underpinning the new operating model

3 functions,
1 framework

Marketing, R&D, and Innovation united under integrated governance

↑ Competitiveness

Strengthened positioning across the consumer goods value chain

↑ Portfolio value

Expanded profitability through systematic prioritisation of high-value opportunities

↑ Internal engagement

Increased team pride, ownership, and initiative across the organisation

January - 2026

The World’s Largest Pulp Producer

STRATEGY | R&D INNOVATION | CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION | GOVERNANCE

January - 2026

The World’s Largest Pulp Producer

STRATEGY | R&D INNOVATION | CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION | GOVERNANCE

January - 2026

The World’s Largest Pulp Producer

STRATEGY | R&D INNOVATION | CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION | GOVERNANCE

January - 2026

The World’s Largest Pulp Producer

STRATEGY | R&D INNOVATION | CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION | GOVERNANCE

When an industrial company begins building direct relationships with consumers, innovation must be redesigned to create value beyond the factory floor.

The challenge

The ambition was to build an ambidextrous operation, with three fronts evolving in tandem:

Integrated strategy:

Governance and collaboration:

Consumer-centric culture:

The goal was clear: to position innovation as the strategic engine of the company’s next chapter — operating with the precision of industry and the speed of consumption.

Integrated strategy:

Governance and collaboration:

Consumer-centric culture:

The goal was clear: to position innovation as the strategic engine of the company’s next chapter — operating with the precision of industry and the speed of consumption.

Integrated strategy:

Governance and collaboration:

Consumer-centric culture:

The goal was clear: to position innovation as the strategic engine of the company’s next chapter — operating with the precision of industry and the speed of consumption.

Integrated strategy:

Governance and collaboration:

Consumer-centric culture:

The goal was clear: to position innovation as the strategic engine of the company’s next chapter — operating with the precision of industry and the speed of consumption.

Modelo contínuo e escalável:

Gestão orientada a dados:

Cultura de transformação:

O objetivo era posicionar a eficiência operacional como alavanca estratégica da transformação — capaz de gerar ganhos sustentáveis de produtividade, governança e competitividade em toda a operação.

Gestão orientada a dados:

Cultura de transformação:

Modelo contínuo e escalável:

O objetivo era posicionar a eficiência operacional como alavanca estratégica da transformação — capaz de gerar ganhos sustentáveis de produtividade, governança e competitividade em toda a operação.

How we did it

The Bakery worked alongside the Marketing, Innovation, and R&D leadership teams to design a new operating model, built across three integrated workstreams:

01.

Strategic innovation territories

02.

Integrated cross-functional governance

03.

A six-pillar operating model

Three workstreams. One overarching goal: turning innovation into an operating standard — with clarity, speed, and an unwavering focus on value.

Three workstreams. One overarching goal: turning innovation into an operating standard — with clarity, speed, and an unwavering focus on value.

Results

The new innovation architecture established a faster, more integrated, and value-driven way of thinking and executing — with gains across strategy, operations, and culture.

3 functions,1 framework

↑ Competitiveness

↑ Portfolio value

↑ Internal engagement

The project delivered gains across five critical dimensions:

• Strategic clarity, • competitive differentiation, • cultural evolution, • operational efficiency, • and replicability.

The pillars that sustain the company’s next phase of growth.

Every company innovates. Few have a model that connects it all. Shall we design yours?

Three workstreams. One overarching goal: turning innovation into an
operating standard — with clarity, speed, and an unwavering focus on value.

Three workstreams. One overarching goal: turning innovation into an
operating standard — with clarity, speed, and an unwavering focus on value.

3 functions,
1 framework

• Strategic clarity,
• competitive differentiation,
• cultural evolution,
• operational efficiency,
• and replicability.