Enabling a Successful Transition to a Hybrid Work Model for a Biopharma Company
Clarkston Consulting supported Apellis Pharmaceuticals with a hybrid work model transition. Read a synopsis of the project below or download the full case study.
Download the Hybrid Work Model Transition Case Study Here
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company that experienced rapid growth following the COVID-19 pandemic, had been operating in a predominantly remote environment. As the organization continued to scale, leadership recognized the need to evolve its operating model to better support cross-functional collaboration, improve employee engagement, increase innovation, and expedite decision-making. With limited opportunities to build an intentionally desired culture through in-person interactions, the company had variability in team engagement, communication, and ways of working across functions.
This shift to a more onsite, hybrid model represented a pivotal moment for Apellis. Leadership aimed to balance the need for more in-person collaboration while preserving a positive employee experience. Key challenges included aligning leadership expectations for onsite presence with employee preferences for flexibility while ensuring consistency across functions and implementing the new hybrid on an expedited timeline.
To support this transition, Apellis’s Chief People Officer engaged Clarkston Consulting to provide program management for the design and implementation of a hybrid work model. Once on board, Clarkston partnered closely with HR leadership and key stakeholders to define objectives, scope, deliverables, and success criteria for the initiative. Clarkston then developed a detailed implementation roadmap, including milestones and go-live planning.
A cross-functional leadership team—comprising Human Resources, IT, Facilities, Corporate Communications, and senior business leaders—was established to guide decision-making and ensure alignment across the organization. The effort was executed over a five-month period across three phases: design, alignment, and implementation. Through a series of workshops and working sessions, the team evaluated multiple approaches and ultimately developed a hybrid model tailored to Apellis’ culture and business needs before launching the new model.
The successful implementation of Apellis’s hybrid working model established a scalable foundation for how the organization collaborates, communicates, and operates moving forward. Through a structured, cross-functional approach and strong alignment with leadership, the initiative achieved high adoption and meaningful improvements in engagement and organizational health. By balancing flexibility with clear expectations and accountability, Apellis is well-positioned to sustain collaboration, support continued growth, and drive long-term business performance.
