AEA was commissioned in 2005 by Cleveland’s two opera companies, Cleveland Opera and Lyric Opera Cleveland, to facilitate the development of a business plan for a merger that would consolidate the resources and build on the strengths of both companies to create one dynamic, high quality company.   The objectives of the assignment were to create a plan for merger that considered the compatibility of the two organizations’ missions, program activities, organizational cultures and governance and management structures and was realistic with regard to organizational and financial capacity. 

The business plan that was developed addressed the above issues from a strategic, organizational, governance, leadership, programmatic, and operational perspective and included detailed, five-year operating, capital and cash flow projections. 

The merger plan was enthusiastically adopted by the Boards of both opera companies and received transition funding in excess of $1.1 million from a consortium of local foundations.

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