Marylou Garcia’s Story of Turning Insight Into $2M in Client Savings

Marylou Garcia’s Story of Turning Insight Into $2M in Client Savings

Key highlights

• $2M in total savings delivered across six of eight categories reviewed
• 8 categories assessed, with 2 confirming no savings opportunities
• 5 out of 6 savings categories retained incumbent suppliers, maintaining existing relationships

Marylou Garcia is a senior consultant at ERA Group, where she has spent 20 years working at the intersection of finance, stakeholder management, and cost optimisation. With a background in hospitality and a CFO mindset, she brings a strongly analytical, bottom-line focus to every client engagement.

For Marylou, the key differentiator at ERA Group is the people. She emphasises the importance of working with highly experienced professionals who are able to navigate complex stakeholder environments, particularly where finance objectives must be balanced with operational needs across the business.

As she puts it, “the value is in our people—they know how to manage different stakeholders with different interests from the finance department’s goal of cost optimisation.”

One recent engagement involved a large financial institution facing pressure on revenues due to rising interest rates. In response, the CFO mandated a 5% cost reduction across the organisation. Rather than approaching this as a traditional cost-cutting exercise, Marylou and her team were brought in to support discussions across the business and help frame the initiative in a more constructive way.

They worked closely with department heads, meeting stakeholders individually to address concerns and ensure alignment. The focus was on clarifying that the programme was not about reducing service levels, but about improving cost efficiency while maintaining quality.

As she explains, “when we come in, we know there will be opportunities, but we don’t know exactly where they will be.”

The team reviewed eight cost categories in total. In two of them, no savings were identified—an outcome that helped validate the strength of existing supplier relationships. Across the remaining six categories, however, they delivered approximately $2 million in aggregated savings.

Importantly, most of these improvements were achieved without changing suppliers. In five of the six categories, the client remained with their incumbent providers, focusing instead on improving terms and optimising arrangements. Only one category required a supplier change, which alone delivered around 40% savings.

The success of the project reinforced the importance of strong sponsorship from within the client organisation, particularly from the finance function. The finance team played a central role in aligning stakeholders and maintaining momentum throughout the initiative.

Reflecting on the engagement, Marylou highlights the strength of the partnership: “it’s a very cooperative and collaborative environment, and we’re very happy with the relationship—it’s been one of my best clients.”

Her story demonstrates how structured analysis, careful stakeholder engagement, and a collaborative approach can deliver significant savings while preserving—and often strengthening—existing client relationships.

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