Medcel
“In 2015, when I went to ‘sell’ part of the company, the consultancy was by our side taking care of management and keeping the numbers stable in my absence. SONNE is part of the great victory we achieved!”
Dr. Atílio Barbosa, Founder of Medcel
About the case
Medcel was founded in 2005 with the objective of preparing newly graduated doctors for the residency exam, which for many of them was more feared than the entrance exam itself. Its founder, Dr. Atílio Barbosa, had a clear understanding of the pains and challenges faced by young doctors and set up his prep course specifically to meet this very specific audience. It was so successful that in the first four years, the company, despite having a strong competitor, expanded its business at an annual rate of 100%. It continued to grow at double-digit rates until 2014, when its revenue declined for the first time. In 2015, with the Brazilian crisis already showing its face, Medcel employees were insecure and demotivated, betting on the company’s decline.
SONNE initially conducted an exploratory study with the internal team and clients and, employing precise analysis techniques, diagnosed that the problems were in the commercial and strategic areas. With accurate recommendations, such as adjusting the value proposition of its products and reviving its purpose, in order to seek new markets in light of it, SONNE contributed to the company’s rapid recovery.
Challenge
The main challenge was to make Medcel a knowledge management company, lift it up during a turbulent period, demonstrating the quality of its products and reorganizing its management processes, mainly facing the disappointment with revenue, which had declined for the first time in 2015.
Deliverables
Knowledge
Strategy
Management
Marketing (and Sales)
Design
Implementation (and Management)
Results
In the second half of 2015, just six months after the start of the project, Medcel presented 70% growth compared to the same period of the previous year, and never stopped growing.
“In August 2019, Medcel made its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. We are the fifth Brazilian company to do this to date. For us, founders, it was a great, unforgettable moment: the pinnacle of the entrepreneurial dream that mobilized me and my partner, Sandy, throughout our entire lives. We have a profitable, audited company capable of arousing investor interest in the stock market. SONNE’s contribution was essential to this great achievement. It was SONNE that made the Medcel brand! In 2015, when I went to ‘sell’ part of the company, the consultancy was by our side taking care of management and keeping the numbers stable in my absence. SONNE is part of the great victory we achieved!”.
Dr. Atílio Barbosa, Founder of MEDCEL.