Pros

Large North American footprint, largest consolidated funeral services Company. Location level employees take tremendous pride in their work and do great things in their communities.

Cons

Culture was not "leading edge" - heavy emphasis on board of director compensation, share prices, and profitability, which is not unreasonable, but it sometimes seemed to be at the expense of creating a cohesive corporate culture for all levels of employees. The acquisition of Alderwoods Group (Canada) Inc. was handled fairly well, but transition staff in the support centres were underused and not empowered to be positive change agents to help with the smooth transfer of employees.

Advice to Senior Management

The focus is very transactional - not strategic (at least when viewed from the bottom of the food chain). A more articulated strategic plan could help morale and employee engagement, which in turn will increase profitability.