Launching a New UK Subsidiary at Pace: HDI
Establishing a new UK insurance subsidiary under the FSCF framework.
Client:
HDI UK & Ireland
Project:
HDI needed to establish a new UK subsidiary to meet FSCF requirements and protect its market position - standing up the legal entity, compliant systems, and end‑to‑end operations within a fixed 12‑month deadline.
Capabilities we delivered:
- Programme delivery
- Business analysis
- Data engineering & architecture
- Organisational design & governance
- Technology implementation support
- Flexible capability augmentation
Keywords:
- Subsidiary launch
- Regulatory approval
- Data architecture
- Snowflake
- DBT
- Governance
Regulatory Drivers
HDI needed to prepare and submit a comprehensive regulatory business application - a complex, time sensitive deliverable central to subsidiary approval.
A Compressed 12 Month Timeline
Following global board approval, the programme needed to deliver entity readiness and system capability within a single year.
Building a New IT Landscape
The subsidiary required a fully defined and implemented IT ecosystem, including a data warehouse, integrations, architecture, and supporting processes.
Rapid Team Mobilisation
HDI needed immediate access to multidisciplinary expertise spanning business analysis, architecture, data engineering, and programme delivery - with the ability to scale as requirements evolved.
Stellarmann deployed a flexible, outcomes focused delivery capability aligned to the programme’s regulatory deadlines and technical scope.
- Specialist Expertise, Rapidly Deployed: We supplied consultants with direct experience in subsidiary launches and regulatory programmes, enabling HDI to accelerate early-stage planning and reduce delivery risk.
- Business Analysis Across All Impacted Domains: Our team captured, structured, and prioritised requirements across underwriting, claims, finance, operations, data, and compliance, ensuring clarity and alignment before build activities commenced.
- Building the Data Landscape: We assembled and onboarded a dedicated data warehouse team, including Snowflake and DBT specialists, creating a scalable data architecture that supported regulatory and operational needs.
- Programme Delivery & Governance: We established a lean governance model and an MVP led delivery structure, ensuring consistent cadence, clear decision-making, and rapid progress against regulatory milestones.
- Flexing to Evolving Requirements: As requirements matured, our delivery model flexed to provide additional expertise in high pressure areas. This ensured continued momentum while maintaining control across workstreams.
- Integrated Delivery Approach: Our consultants embedded into HDI’s programme structure, creating alignment across technology, business functions, and regulatory teams - supporting consistent, cross functional delivery.
- Regulatory Business Application Delivered: HDI successfully completed the regulatory application to the required standard and on schedule.
- Full IT Landscape Established: A new IT environment - including data architecture, systems, and processes was delivered in time to support operational readiness.
- Subsidiary Ready to Write Business on Schedule: The programme met its core milestone: enabling HDI to begin writing business within the committed timeframe.
- Smooth Transition into BAU: Strong governance, process clarity, and aligned delivery teams enabled a controlled transition to business-as-usual operations.
Overall we’ve had fun along the programme, and it’s been very professional. I really like the ‘we’re in it together’ mindset - that’s been key. I’ve really enjoyed working with Stellarmann, and the success comes through in what we’ve achieved together.
A Partnership That Delivered Results
The launch of HDI’s new UK subsidiary demonstrates the impact of a cohesive delivery partnership. Stellarmann and HDI worked collaboratively across regulatory, technical, and operational domains, applying structured governance, specialist expertise, and adaptive resourcing to meet an immovable deadline.
This partnership led delivery model ensured stability during complex stages of the programme, supported rapid decision-making, and maintained progress despite evolving requirements. The result is a compliant, operationally ready subsidiary delivered at pace - positioning HDI strongly for future UK market growth.
