Client Stories

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Empowering life sciences leaders to build a winning leadership culture after a spin-off
Client need
In the dynamic world of life sciences, innovation is the key to progress. For one global leading company, the focus wasn’t just on innovating within their labs—it was about applying the same mindset to the development of their leaders. Emerging from a series of reorganizations and spin-offs, this forward-thinking company faced a new era. While their technical and functional expertise was unparalleled, they recognized an urgent need to equip mid-to-senior-level managers with the skills to lead in a way that unlocked their teams full potential. The challenge was clear: build a leadership culture that transcends silos, empowers teams, and strengthens collaboration across the business. These leaders needed to be people-first and cross-functionally focused, balancing their own functional goals with the broader success of the organization. The company set a bold goal: to transform their high-potential (Hi-Po) leadership development program into a catalyst for leaders who inspire confidence, foster engagement, and energize their teams during times of change. Their vision was ambitious:
- Create a leadership culture rooted in empowerment, where leaders multiply the intelligence and potential of their teams.
- Foster a cross-functional mindset to enhance collaboration and align with broader organizational goals.
- Equip leaders with the tools and confidence to stabilize and energize teams during times of uncertainty.
This wasn’t just about developing new skills—it was about creating a sustainable leadership culture that would support the company’s long-term ambitions.
Solution
BTS partnered with the company to bring this vision to life by embedding the BTS Multipliers framework into the clients existing leadership development journey curriculum—a transformative approach to leadership grounded in the belief that the best leaders don’t just grow themselves; they grow others. The Multipliers module integrated seamlessly into the company’s existing leadership journey, providing a practical, immersive experience that redefined how participants thought about leadership. At the heart of the Multipliers philosophy is a simple but powerful idea:
- Multipliers are leaders who amplify the intelligence, energy, and capability of their teams, inspiring people to give their best.
- In contrast, Diminishers—often unintentionally—undercut team potential by micromanaging, controlling, or failing to trust.
Through the module, participants learned how to:
- Identify their own “Accidental Diminisher” tendencies and reframe them to empower their teams.
- Foster an environment where team members felt safe, supported, and encouraged to contribute their ideas.
- Shift focus from “being the smartest in the room” to building a team of smart, engaged contributors.
The program delivered this transformation through:
- Interactive workshops: Participants engaged in simulations and real-world scenarios, applying the concepts of Multipliers and Diminishers to their daily leadership challenges.
- Peer learning opportunities: Facilitated discussions expanded networks and created spaces for shared insights and problem-solving.
- Storytelling and influence-building exercises: These moments helped participants align their leadership approach with cross-functional priorities, enhancing their ability to lead collaboratively.
The Multipliers program wasn’t just a learning event—it was a transformation in mindset, empowering leaders to drive impact across their teams and the business.
Results
The company’s commitment to bold, innovative leadership development delivered measurable results:
- Empowered leadership: Leaders embraced their roles as Multipliers, unlocking the potential of their teams and creating an environment of trust and high performance.
- Stronger collaboration: Participants developed a cross-functional mindset, breaking down silos and driving alignment across departments.
- Confidence in the future: Teams emerged more engaged and equipped to tackle challenges with clarity and energy.
By the numbers:
- 83% of participants rated the Multipliers module as effective or very effective.
- The program received an overall score of 4.2 out of 5 for its impact, with participants praising its practical and engaging design.
Participant reflections
“Learning about Multipliers and Accidental Diminishers was one of the most valuable sections of the program.”
“The Multipliers session was great—simple, memorable concepts that I could immediately apply in my role as a leader.”
“The simulation was not only fun, but it also sparked meaningful conversations and collaborative problem-solving.”
“I gained valuable insights into how I can harness the intelligence of my team and avoid unintentionally limiting their potential.”

From compliance to confidence: Empowering Ibercaja Bank’s teams to drive smarter decisions
Client need
Ibercaja Bank, a well-established European financial institution with a strong history of serving its communities, recognized the importance of evolving its operations to meet new regulatory demands while staying true to its mission of empowering its people and supporting its customers. Balancing these priorities meant addressing the European Central Bank's (ECB) requirements for aligning asset operations with risk-adjusted return on capital (RAROC) principles—a necessary step to ensure sustainable profitability.
As a customer-focused organization, Ibercaja was committed to equipping its branch managers and client-facing professionals with the tools and knowledge to succeed in this new environment. The bank introduced a suite of resources, including a RAROC calculation tool, online learning modules, and a “pricing circuit,” to help its employees integrate RAROC into their daily decision-making processes.
However, initial feedback revealed that some employees viewed these tools as procedural burdens rather than opportunities to drive better decisions and outcomes for the bank and its customers.
This prompted Ibercaja to take a thoughtful and strategic approach to improvement, identifying key areas to ensure that its employees not only embraced RAROC but also felt confident using it to strengthen relationships with customers. The bank focused on:
- Helping employees shift from transactional goals to sustainable, long-term profitability to benefit both the business and its customers.
- Building awareness of how effective capital allocation could enhance financial performance and customer offerings.
- Equipping branch managers and client-facing teams with the financial skills to use RAROC as a practical and empowering tool.
- Encouraging a mindset that viewed RAROC not as a compliance task but as a way to deliver better outcomes for customers and the bank.
By addressing these areas, Ibercaja sought to empower its people to deliver even greater value to customers while aligning with regulatory standards—strengthening its reputation as a thoughtful and innovative financial institution.
Solution
Ibercaja Bank partnered with BTS to create a practical, engaging training program that supported its branch managers and client-facing teams in navigating the complexities of the RAROC framework. The program was designed to help employees connect RAROC principles directly to their daily responsibilities, equipping them with the skills and confidence to make informed decisions that benefited both the bank and its customers.
Recognizing the diverse needs of its workforce, the training was tailored for two distinct groups:
- Tool Connoisseurs: Employees already familiar with RAROC and managing complex operations, who needed advanced insights to maximize the tool’s strategic value.
- Non-Tool Connoisseurs: Employees newer to RAROC, who required foundational knowledge to apply the framework effectively and with confidence.
The program was rolled out in three carefully designed phases:
- Collaborative Design and Roadmap: BTS worked closely with Ibercaja’s leaders across finance, risk, marketing, and retail banking to identify the unique needs of each employee group. Together, they developed a clear roadmap with tailored goals, customized content, and a training plan aligned with the bank’s strategic priorities.
- Pilot Sessions: To ensure relevance and effectiveness, the program was tested with 34 employees through pilot sessions. These sessions included interactive exercises and real-world simulations to help participants see how RAROC connected to profitability and decision-making in their roles. Participants practiced pricing decisions in realistic scenarios and provided valuable feedback to refine the final program design.
- Full-Scale Rollout and Simulations: The final phase included hands-on "know-how" sessions to deepen employees’ financial understanding and help them confidently apply RAROC concepts. Tool Connoisseurs participated in one-day sessions focused on advanced applications, while Non-Tool Connoisseurs attended shorter sessions to build foundational skills. Both groups engaged in simulations and decision-making exercises that connected learning to action. Participants left each session with actionable plans to apply their new knowledge immediately in their roles.
By tailoring the training to Ibercaja’s specific needs and fostering collaboration across teams, BTS ensured the program resonated with employees and aligned seamlessly with the bank’s strategic goals.
Results
The training delivered measurable and lasting impact, transforming RAROC from a regulatory requirement into a strategic asset that empowered employees to make more effective decisions:
- Widespread adoption: 84% of new operations were priced using the RAROC calculator, reflecting a significant shift in behavior and mindset across the organization.
- Extensive participation: Over 1,100 employees from multiple departments completed the program, promoting collaboration and a shared understanding of profitability goals.
- Tangible outcomes: Participants drove more than 460 initiatives that enhanced cost-effectiveness, refined pricing strategies, and improved profit margins, strengthening the bank’s overall performance.
Feedback from participants underscored the program’s success:
- Both Tool Connoisseurs and Non-Tool Connoisseurs rated the program an impressive 4.6 out of 5
- Facilitators earned strong Net Promoter Scores (NPS) of 79% and 76%, indicating high satisfaction and engagement.
Beyond individual improvements, the training fostered a culture of strategic thinking and collaboration. By equipping employees with the tools to make better decisions and align their efforts with the bank’s broader priorities, Ibercaja Bank reinforced its commitment to delivering exceptional value to both its customers and its stakeholders. This focus on profitability, efficiency, and customer satisfaction positioned the bank for continued growth and long-term success.
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Accelerating market-ready innovation at Starbucks
Client need
Starbucks sought to differentiate itself in the highly competitive tea market across the Asia-Pacific region. To achieve this, Starbucks needed to foster a culture of innovation, equipping its teams with the tools and collaborative processes to create new tea concepts. Their goal was to develop innovative, market-ready ideas that could appeal to diverse customer preferences and drive brand growth. The challenge was to accelerate the ideation process while ensuring the ideas were both feasible and aligned with customer needs.
Solution
To address this, Starbucks partnered with BTS to design and deliver the 3-day Innovation Tea Summit. This immersive summit guided 28 Starbucks partners from 9 countries through a structured design-thinking process to co-create breakthrough tea concepts. The process included five key stages—defining intent, exploring needs, ideating, refining, and planning small-scale testing. The summit brought these stages to life through the following core activities:
- Customer understanding and insight gathering: Participants kicked off with a deep dive into customer behaviors, using tools like observation, interviews, and empathy exercises to uncover unmet needs. Teams created detailed customer journey maps, identifying pain points and opportunities, and refined these insights into actionable need statements.
- Ideation and creative prototyping: Armed with customer insights, participants engaged in creative ideation sessions, generating a large volume of ideas without judgment to maximize bold and unique solutions. These ideas were refined with feedback from peers, industry experts, and product designers. Prototyping activities brought the ideas to life, blending creativity with feasibility through sketches and live demonstrations by mixologists.
- Experimentation and strategic planning: Participants explored disciplined experimentation techniques to assess the feasibility and desirability of their concepts. Using collaborative brainstorming and structured feedback, they identified next steps for testing their ideas. The summit concluded with team presentations, where participants pitched their innovative concepts and discussed the roadmap for implementation.
This comprehensive process ensured that every idea was customer-centered, innovative, and ready for accelerated market testing.
Results
The summit produced transformative results for Starbucks:
- Over 120 unique ideas: Participants created a diverse set of concepts designed to differentiate Starbucks in the tea market, with many ready for testing and refinement.
- Immediate market readiness: About 70% of the ideas were deemed feasible for testing within 6-12 months, accelerating Starbucks’ innovation timeline.
- Accelerated innovation: Teams left the summit equipped with practical tools and techniques to drive innovation more effectively, enabling them to validate and develop key ideas at a faster pace.
- Sustained engagement: Starbucks committed to ongoing collaboration between R&D and regional teams, equipping participants with a clear, repeatable innovation process to continually refine ideas and develop a pipeline of innovative products.
Testimonials
“We should conduct more of these if time and resources permit as this is a great way to share ideas and explore and challenge problems in the fastest and most efficient way. Good job to the organizers!”
“I think this is a great workshop, I’ve learned a lot. Wish there will be this kind of workshop for other functions as well such as operations, marketing, and SCO.”
“I learned that we must first start with the insight and must refrain from making assumptions that are unfounded. Focus on the need of the customer, not on the product.”
The Innovation Tea Summit not only delivered a suite of exciting new tea ideas for Starbucks but also empowered participants with a repeatable innovation process. This sets the stage for sustained growth, customer-centric differentiation, and ongoing success in the competitive beverage market.
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Empowering aspiring leaders to sustain growth in cloud-based technology
Client need
A cloud-based technology leader experiencing rapid expansion and a digital transformation surge needed a fresh approach to developing future leaders. During the pandemic, the company’s workforce grew from a small founding team to tens of thousands of employees spread globally. With such rapid scale growth, the organization needed to strengthen leadership capabilities to maintain employee engagement and support sustainable performance. Sustaining engagement and long-term performance required strong leadership development to guide this fast-growing, globally dispersed workforce.
The company sought a program to offer personalized support for high-potential employees stepping into leadership roles. It needed to cater to regional learning styles while delivering a tailored experience for each participant.
Building on previous programs
An initial leadership program had laid the groundwork, but the company’s changing needs called for a strategic overhaul. Key enhancements included:
- Aligning with a new Leadership Pathway, outlining essential skills and traits.
- Reducing the program from 12 to 7 months to match promotion cycles.
- Incorporating participant feedback to refine content and format.
- Adding virtual simulations for flexible, real-world learning experiences.
- Embedding learning into daily tasks, ensuring continuous application.
Solution
The company partnered with BTS to implement a seven-month Aspiring Leader’s Program to reach over 10,000 emerging leaders in multiple cohorts. BTS developed a blended learning approach that combined traditional and digital elements for a scalable, high-impact experience:
- Assessments: 30-minute pre- and post-program assessments presented realistic leadership challenges, helping participants set personalized goals aligned with company standards.
- Small group coaching (pods): Groups of seven worked with a BTS facilitator, forming supportive relationships that continued beyond the program.
- Workshops and simulations: In three virtual workshops, pods tackled common leadership scenarios. Participants experienced the real-time impact of decisions, competing with other pods. Self-paced versions provided additional flexibility.
- Self-paced simulations: Cinematic simulations addressed critical skills in an immersive, realistic format.
- Stretch assignments: Each module included hands-on assignments with three levels of activity, allowing participants to apply skills at a pace that suited their roles.
- Alumni portal: Additional resources like articles, podcasts, and talks were accessible on the alumni portal, supporting ongoing development.
- Streamlined communications: Weekly updates on a virtual portal and internal messaging channels kept participants engaged and informed.
Results
The program drove significant progress, with over 1,000 leaders reporting notable improvements:
- 89% felt greater clarity on their personal purpose.
- 92% were more comfortable seeking diverse perspectives.
- 93% gained stronger awareness of their emotional states.
- 91% felt better equipped to handle stress.
By the time of review, participants had completed over 57,000 on-the-job actions, with 96% noting substantial progress in self-awareness and behavior shifts. The program achieved a 92% attendance rate, ensuring aspiring leaders were well-prepared to lead and guide the organization into a successful future.

Transforming leadership culture for enterprise alignment
Client need
To continue competing and winning in a complex industry, a multinational energy corporation recognized the need to change its ways of working. To achieve sustainable success for its Australian branch, the organization needed to shift from a project-focused operation to a unified business culture.To make this transformation a reality, the organization identified a need for aligned enterprise mindsets, enabling leaders to internalize the new strategy and develop new leadership behaviors.
Solution
In service of this need, BTS and the organization co-created an immersive, in-person simulation experience. The experience projected a customized business portrait 30 years into the future, designed to:
- Guide leaders on optimization strategies.
- Foster relationship-building.
- Encourage personal development.
- Portray realistic, on-the-job challenges while coaching solutions.
The project team developed the program over three phases to ensure maximum effect, turning themes and objectives gathered from stakeholder interviews and pilot-test feedback into tangible, experiential materials and activities including:Scenario-based roleplaying
- Cohorts compiled of leaders from diverse backgrounds and skillsets were provided with case study scenarios reflective of their real-life roles, tasked with developing effective strategies against common restraints like time, budget, client profiles, and geopolitics.
- Through this activity, players learned decision-making through collaboration and healthy competition, balancing short- and long-term goals in a simulated environment encouraging trial-and-error.
- Each simulation round was followed by debrief sessions, allowing teams to reflect on how their individual and group strategies affect business operations—a vital component for sustainable growth.
Behavioral guides
- Leaders were provided with helpful resources for navigating the company’s operation transition, promoting enterprise thinking through industry surprises like timeline alterations, decision-making under pressure, and prioritizing quality over targets.
- A Leadership Q&A event was held to address concerns, provide clarity, and reinforce the company’s vision and values to empower and engage leaders mid-journey.
Coaching sessions
- Amidst team leadership building, coaches offered individual, personalized guidance for participants following each simulation round.
- Presented opportunities for performance and lesson reflection, as well as goal-planning and application back on the job.
Results
The program’s ROI was measured by performance data, behavioral assessments, and participant feedback, with an NPS score of 80, surveyed across 500 leaders from 15 cohorts.Post-journey, participating leaders credited the simulation for:
- Strengthened decision-making skills.
- Broadened business fluency.
- Heightened knowledge and resilience of industry complexities.
- Overall enjoyment of collaborative, game-like medium.
Testimonials
“Excellent fundamentals about impact across value chain of decision making and clearer understanding of levers used by management.”“An excellent course, this really cemented in my mind the value chain and the necessity to consider all elements of this together. Shining a light on the complexity of the business and the many drivers, metrics, and desired outcomes needed to be balanced or traded-off was very enlightening.”“Great job on asking people to represent other parts of value chain. This put all of us in a more uncomfortable place and we had to rely on each other.”“Really enjoyable course that had a great balance of simulation, discussion, and humor. Sessions were well set up and managed.”“The simulation reinforces the value of cross functional collaboration, which, along with specific insights into other areas of the business, I will continue to promote within my team.”

Developing biopharma leadership to fuel innovation in disease management
Client need
An American biopharmaceutical company set ambitious strategic goals for 2030, including advancing innovative solutions that could transform healthcare access for patients worldwide. Historically, the company operated within a hierarchical, command-and-control culture, where perfectionism fueled high expectations but often led to volatility and siloed operations.
Over time, these dynamics eroded trust, psychological safety, and empowerment, stifling creativity and exploration. The organization struggled with indirect communication, limited constructive feedback, and avoided difficult conversations—factors that not only hampered employee agility and growth but also stifled effective leadership. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive cultural transformation to achieve its strategic goals, the company partnered with BTS to reshape its leadership approach, creating a more dynamic, inclusive, and collaborative workplace.
Solution
Together, BTS and the company co-designed a five-month immersive leadership program aimed at reaching 5,000 employees across all levels during a multi-year rollout—from senior to frontline leaders.
The program’s primary focus areas included:
- Strengthening relationships and teamwork to build a more cohesive, collaborative culture
- Fostering psychological safety to create an environment where leaders feel empowered to take risks and share ideas
- Aligning leadership behaviors with the company’s strategic vision and Leadership Accountabilities.
The collaboration began with a two and a half month development phase and a 18-month rollout phase, including a six-week pilot with four initial cohorts. This pilot phase enabled the team to refine the program based on direct participant and stakeholder feedback, ensuring maximum relevance and impact before the full-scale launch. The program was rooted in vertical development models, designed to shift participants’ mindsets by introducing new perspectives and equipping them with essential skills. The primary goal was to help participants understand the critical role of stronger people leadership in the company’s future success and how to bring that to life. These objectives were achieved by focusing on building not only skills (Capability) but also self awareness, broader perspectives, different mindsets (Capacity) and Community.
The program was delivered globally, with cohorts of 30 participants each, creating an intimate, diverse learning environment. Each cohort engaged in a multi-faceted journey that included:
- Virtual kickoff: A 60-minute session where facilitators introduced program objectives and outlined expectations. Participants were given access to a multi-modal digital platform housing a comprehensive collection of resources, from reading materials to assignments and were encouraged to consider why the program was important.
- Pre-work: Designed to lay a solid foundation, participants engaged with interactive videos, podcasts, and articles to identify personal learning gaps and explore potential challenges. This preparatory phase fostered a reflective mindset, allowing participants to enter the immersion experience ready to grow.
- Three-day in-person immersive learning: Through activities, leaders practiced critical skills such as building self-awareness, developing trust, and improving relationships and communication. The program emphasized real human connection from the very beginning, starting with introductory exercises designed to foster meaningful relationships. Participants actively worked to strengthen these connections, enhancing collaboration and community. Content was organized into deepening self-awareness – managing my state and understanding my immunity to change (Day One – ME), relational skills eg. deep listening and intimate connection; coaching and employing various communication styles (Day Two – US) and using these tools to get the work done through effective empowerment, delegation, and feedback (Day Three – IT). This structure supported a progressive deep dive into personal and professional development.. The immersive experience included journaling, small and large group activities, and peer coaching, offering a balance of external collaboration and personal reflection.
- Go-Dos: After the immersion, participants were encouraged to reflect on their experiences and practice new behaviors in their daily work.
- Pods: Following each Go-Do, leaders participated in four small group coaching sessions, known as pods, formed from their immersion table groups. These formal pods were led by an immersion facilitator or an experienced coach trained in the program’s content. The pods provided a space for participants to share successes and challenges while exploring the on-the-job application of tools and concepts. They also became a safe, supportive environment for team building and relationship development.
- Ongoing support: The program included resources for continued learning and reinforcement, such as conversation guides, refresher content, online discussion forums, and networking opportunities.
Results
By April 2024, the program had reached 2,400 leaders through 94 cohorts launched globally. The program’s success is reflected in several key metrics:
- Net promoter score: 96%
- Go-Do completion rate: 98%
- Pod-coaching attendance: 90%
The program also included comprehensive pre- and post-program surveys to track leadership competency improvements. These surveys revealed a significant increase in confidence and performance across key areas, including:
- Mission and strategy alignment: +86%
- Collaboration: +77%
- Inclusion: +76%
- Engagement: +78%
- Well-being: +70%
- Overall efficiency: +57%
The success of this initiative means that the company will continue to offer the program to new and promoted people leaders. This strategic investment is helping to solidify a foundation of transformative leadership that drives the company’s goals and strengthens its competitive position.
Testimonials
“I’m really stunned at how empowered I feel to expand my leadership skills. I was truly skeptical before this.”
“This is the most impactful leadership development experience I’ve had in 15 years.”
“I was initially skeptical, having been on many training courses that achieved very little. I was pleasantly surprised at how insightful, challenging, and ultimately rewarding the sessions were.”
“This is such a shift in how we train people leaders and it’s about time we learn into this model. We are truly changing the mind to think bigger future for all.

Building a pipeline of high-performing general managers in aviation
Client need
An aviation services provider with over 200 fixed base operations (FBOs) across five continents recognized the need for a standardized approach to hiring, training, and assessing its general managers (GMs). Facing complex market dynamics like industry consolidation and rising customer expectations, the company found that GMs were now expected to act as mini-CEOs. They needed a diverse skill set to drive revenue, manage talent, ensure safety, and maintain customer satisfaction. However, without a clear development path, it was difficult to consistently prepare GMs for this demanding role.
The solution
The organization partnered with BTS to develop a comprehensive leadership framework that defined expectations and built the necessary capabilities for GMs to thrive. This solution included:
- The playbook: A foundational guide outlining:
- GM profile: Key capabilities and behaviors for GM success.
- GM pivotal moments: 11 critical scenarios requiring strong leadership.
- GM experience map: Experiences that aspiring, new, and seasoned GMs should seek to ensure they excel in the role.
- The assessment: A multifaceted tool designed to:
- Evaluate current GMs by identifying development areas aligned with the GM profile.
- Assess aspiring GMs to define what development is needed to prepare them for the role.
- Screen external candidates to determine their readiness for GM responsibilities.
The assessment comprises several components, including:
- Moments-based assessment: A simulated environment where candidates demonstrate decision-making in job-related scenarios.
- Mindset explorer assessment: Evaluates alignment with key leadership beliefs.
- 360-survey: Provides feedback on participants’ strengths and development areas.
- Work preferences assessment and panorama assessment: Explore work style preferences, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Results
The playbook and assessment have enabled the organization to identify and elevate high-potential leaders across its global locations. Since launching the program, numerous GMs have been promoted to leadership roles such as area director. The structured evaluation has empowered participants to uncover performance gaps and develop targeted growth plans. One GM, recently promoted to area director after following a personalized development plan, shared, “You are given the tools to succeed, and your future is in your hands. The assessments and the courses offered are outstanding and can be life-changing.”
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Building a future-ready CEO bench in Oil and Gas
Client need
In the fast-paced world of oil and gas, robust executive bench strength is essential for sustained success. Anticipating a CEO transition within the next five to ten years, a leading industry player recognized an urgent need to diversify and enhance their leadership capabilities. To tackle this, they enlisted BTS to assess their executives for future key roles and equip them with the skills and insights needed to thrive in a complex market environment.
Solution
BTS designed custom, forward-looking CEO and senior leader profiles that reflected turbulent market conditions and energy transition challenges within the oil and gas industry. These profiles were deeply rooted in the client’s values to ensure the assessments were grounded in the company’s culture. The BTS team then developed a customized business and strategy simulation that was used in a "Leader Lab” to translate these profiles into an engaging learning and development experience and observable behaviors. The Leader Lab was delivered for 25 executives divided into teams of five, each with an embedded assessor. This structure allowed for a comprehensive evaluation of participants as individual leaders, team members, and strategic executives leading the enterprise.
Results
To date, BTS has assessed the top 100 executives and provided the client with a detailed heat map that highlights strengths and development areas to strengthen their succession planning. This data has also been instrumental in shaping development plans and retention strategies. Key outcomes include:
- Identification of high-potential leaders: One standout participant from the supply chain function demonstrated exceptional capabilities, leading them to step into a new global role to leverage their leadership potential.
- Targeted development for future CEOs: After the assessments, the client’s anticipated successor for the CEO role did not initially rank in the top five executives. With the help of an executive coach, this individual showed significant improvement evidenced by positive feedback from direct reports.
- Addressing leadership gaps: The assessments revealed a lack of a shared leadership language and foundational business acumen beyond functional expertise. BTS now partners with the client to address these gaps through ongoing Leader Labs, aimed at enhancing the depth and breadth of organizational leadership.
By uncovering hidden leadership potential and addressing critical gaps, the company identified high-potential leaders ready to step into key roles. As a result, the company now boasts a robust and cohesive leadership team, well-prepared for the CEO transition and future industry challenges. This investment in leadership development has poised the company for sustained success and innovation in a turbulent market.

From burnout to breakthrough: a transformation in Nursing leadership
Client need
A leading global healthcare organization faced a critical challenge post-pandemic: the well-being of their nursing staff. With burnout, early retirements, and a labor shortage threatening the quality of care, they turned to BTS for a solution. Together, we set out to strengthen nursing leadership, build resilience, and ensure sustainable, high-quality patient care in this new era.
Solution
In collaboration with BTS, the organization developed a two-month, immersive program designed to strengthen leadership capabilities and build resilience among their nursing staff. Leveraging in-depth interviews and an understanding of the organization’s unique culture, BTS created a customized simulation that mirrored the real-world challenges nurses face daily.
The program, delivered virtually over two and a half days, combined pre-work, engaging kickoff sessions, and realistic hospital scenarios. Participants from diverse teams worked through complex simulations, receiving feedback and engaging in reflective exercises. Key components, including actionable “Go-Dos” and a follow-up accountability check-in, ensured that the learning was sustained and immediately applicable to their roles.
Results
The impact was transformative. The program not only reignited engagement but also fostered a deep sense of ownership and leadership among nurses. Participants rated the experience an exceptional 4.8/5, with a net promoter score of 91%, reflecting the powerful alignment between the program and their real-world challenges.
Beyond the numbers, the program drove tangible shifts in behavior—nurses reported enhanced teamwork, stronger decision-making, and a renewed sense of purpose in their roles. Many credited the experience with helping them build the confidence and resilience needed to navigate the complexities of post-pandemic healthcare, leading to improved patient outcomes and more cohesive teams. The lasting effect? A healthcare organization better equipped to support its frontline leaders and deliver exceptional care.
Testimonials
“We were able to discuss the challenges faced in various hospitals and get ideas to solve the issues.”
“Fantastic moments and realistic dilemma options that allows us to really reflect on our choices.”
Go-Do reflections
“Practicing listening skills has helped to keep the dialogue open. Staff are more willing to bring out discussion points freely. Listening intently allows me to understand the information being presented to me, and not make a decision midway through the conversation. Staff feel that they are heard. I have learnt to refrain from the temptation of jumping to conclusions or forming opinions about what is being said. Use the coaching methodology instead of being prescriptive.”
“I managed to meet my Nurse Manager and staff on the ground daily and spend at least one to two hours with them. We had a great discussion, and I listened to the problems the Nurse Manager was facing with staffing constraints—high turnover of staff and managing junior nurses. I worked with her to manage the staffing issues, and the Nurse Manager and staff fed back to me that they appreciate my time and efforts spend with them.”

Enhancing pharmaceutical leadership performance through customized 360- and 180-multi-rater assessments
Client need
A global multinational pharmaceutical company was at a critical juncture with the appointment of a new CEO. This leadership change spurred a broader effort to reassess and redefine leadership expectations, aiming to improve operations across the organization. The company sought to evaluate its leaders against these new operational standards and identify strengths and gaps in the organization.
Solution
The company partnered with BTS to design and implement bespoke 360-assessments for 1,800 senior leaders and 180-assessments for 9,100 people managers with three or more direct reports. These assessments were strategically developed to provide insights at both an individual and global level, thereby aligning leadership performance with the newly articulated corporate goals.
Results
The initial rollout of the 360-assessment involved approximately 1,800 leaders globally, including 700 executive directors or higher. The success of this phase led to the program's institutionalization, with the CEO endorsing its annual continuation to support end-of-year performance reviews and broader leadership development.
Encouraged by the results, the company expanded the initiative to include a 180-assessment, reaching an additional 9,100 people managers. This broader assessment effort cascaded the leadership development strategy down through the managerial ranks, reinforcing the company's commitment to fostering an inclusive and effective leadership culture.
The insights gained from these assessments enabled the company to identify where development efforts should be focused, ensuring that leadership across the company is well-equipped to drive future growth and innovation.

Building organization-wide revenue growth management capabilities
Client need
A multinational beverage corporation embarked on an ambitious strategy to drive revenue and brand growth by fostering cross-functional Revenue Growth Management (RGM) collaboration at scale. Traditionally, revenue and brand growth strategies were crafted by experts within individual functions. This shift to shared responsibility demanded a transformative change in leaders' mindsets, knowledge, and behaviors. By embracing this collaborative approach, the organization aimed to significantly enhance global efficiency, effectiveness, and value creation. To achieve this, the corporation partnered with BTS to design a comprehensive RGM development program tailored for global and regional leaders across functions. This program was designed to deepen these leaders' understanding of the global revenue growth strategy, strengthen their acumen for integrating consumer/shopper and customer insights across RGM levers, and empower them to identify and seize profitable growth opportunities.
Solution
The resulting program was customized to align with the organization's RGM framework, fostering consistency and cohesion while simultaneously building RGM capabilities. The initiative was launched both in-person and virtually, reaching 679 leaders and RGM practitioners across 24 countries. Participants were organized into cross-functional teams, immersing them in collaboration, skill-building, practice, and discussion through a tailored business simulation. The objectives of the program include:
- Developing a common understanding of the revenue growth framework and recognizing the significant contributions of each function.
- Achieving sustainable revenue growth through holistic decision-making and the establishment of a robust governance model.
- Identifying profitable growth opportunities in the face of evolving market conditions.
- Comparing and contrasting strategies to better discern where and how to invest for long-term growth.
- Sharing and experimenting with best practices across regions.
To achieve these objectives, leaders and key account managers were asked to:
- Prepare for the experience by engaging with RGM modules and a simulation case study.
- Engage in team competition within a dynamic and fictional, yet realistic market – setting strategies and making hundreds of decisions to achieve the highest revenue growth and profitability across three simulated years.
- Participate in facilitated debrief sessions, where they share and receive feedback and coaching, identify key learnings, and discuss how to integrate these insights into their roles.
- Absorb new concepts, knowledge, and perspectives through knowledge-sharing and best practice sessions.
- Translate their learnings into reality by committing to concrete on-the-job actions during an application session.
Though the simulation aspect was largely consistent worldwide, learning paths varied in purpose, level, and sophistication based on the local needs of each region, which accounted for differences in customary channel partners, trade spend, and more.
Results
Global roll-out is still underway. However, evaluation of the program’s effectiveness to this point demonstrates that:
- 92% of participants rated the program Good or Very Good.
- 65% of participants agreed that they better understood the organization’s RGM framework.
- 78% of participants reported that the program improved their RGM knowledge.
- 85% of participants stated that they would recommend the program to a colleague.
Six months after the first initiative, three-fourths of the top leaders who participated agreed that they had achieved business results made possible by the program.
Testimonials
“Now, when colleagues from channel development are asking for initiatives, they are not only looking for volume and value share, but consider impact in terms of revenue, shopper, and consumer lens.” – German participant
“Impressed by the professionalism of the session and how close to reality the simulation was.” – Flemish/Luxembourgian participant
“Superb course, brilliantly facilitated. Really enjoyed the mix of experience, capability, and the roles — so much value to be had running this as a system and with representatives from teams that aren’t always close to the commercial agenda or the strategy.” – British participant
"Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to stop and think and look at strategies.” – Spanish participant

AI-driven communication solutions: Strategic transformation in agrichemicals
Introduction
Imagine a personalized, AI-based companion that allows you to rehearse your strategy presentation in a secure environment before sharing it with your teams and colleagues. What if this tool could also provide you with instant, customized feedback and actionable advice to enhance your authentic communication?
Client challenge
A leading global agrichemical company faced a strategic pivot, grappling with the dual challenges of adopting new technology and enhancing internal alignment. The updated strategy focused on leveraging innovative technologies and a commitment to sustainable value to navigate shifting market dynamics. A critical component of this strategy was ensuring that leaders across the organization could effectively communicate this vision, transforming the strategy into a dynamic, guiding principle driving the company toward its ambitious goals.
Strategic goals
- Enhance strategy communication coherence
- Advance crop protection innovation
- Promote global agricultural sustainability
Solution
The initiative began with the creation of an AI-based companion app, designed to support leaders in articulating their strategic vision. This app, available on smartphones, enables leaders to express their strategy stories through video, voice, or text. Upon submission, the app delivers immediate, personalized feedback highlighting strengths and identifying improvement areas. This interactive feedback allows leaders to fine-tune their messages, enhancing clarity and effectiveness. With these insights, leaders are prepared to confidently share their polished strategy narratives, fostering a unified vision and driving cultural transformation.
AI strategy companion journey
- Learn the basics: Understand the core principles of strategic communication.
- Record your strategy narrative: Capture your strategy story in your own words.
- Receive immediate, AI-generated structured feedback: Obtain tailored feedback from the AI companion, focusing on strengths and areas for improvement.
- Refine and rehearse your messages: Use the feedback to enhance your communication, ensuring clarity and impact.
- Confidently share the strategy with teams and peers: Present your refined strategy with confidence, driving alignment and engagement.
Results
The project culminated in significant achievements that highlighted both strategic and cultural advancements:
- Enhanced leadership alignment: The top 100 leaders achieved unprecedented alignment with the revised strategy, ensuring a cohesive and purpose-driven advance.
- Demystification of AI: By integrating AI technology into their daily workflow, leaders gained practical experience, understanding its benefits and applications.
- Promotion of individual development: The initiative sparked personal growth among leaders of varying experience levels and backgrounds. Tailored feedback and the opportunity to refine their strategic communications empowered them to enhance their leadership skills significantly.
By leveraging BTS’s innovative solutions and AI technology, the company was able to navigate its strategic pivot successfully, ensuring that its leaders were not only aligned with the new direction but also empowered to communicate it effectively.

Aligning 900+ commercial leaders and sellers around a customer-centric strategy
Client challenge
A multinational medical device company aiming for rapid growth adopted a new customer-centric strategy, placing patients at the heart of its sales operations. This shift sparked a strong demand from front-line staff for clear guidance on how to integrate customer-centric practices into their daily activities.
To ensure effective alignment, the company engaged BTS to facilitate the rollout of this strategic shift during their upcoming National Sales Meeting. The objective was to realign the commercial team’s behaviors to support the new patient-focused vision. BTS responded by developing a comprehensive engagement solution, including a simulation specifically designed to involve key stakeholders such as Healthcare Professionals (HCPs).
BTS solution
Creating a playbook: "What great looks like"
BTS worked closely with the client to pinpoint key moments in the customer journey that were crucial for fostering customer-centricity across all commercial functions. This involved evaluating both frontline interactions and the collaboration among internal teams. These pivotal moments formed the basis for a tailored playbook aimed at addressing specific organizational challenges and enhancing customer focus throughout the company.
Preparing managers for their role in the change
To align and equip managers for effectively coaching the new vision, BTS organized pre-session meetings. These sessions prepared frontline managers not only for on-the-job coaching but also to serve as crucial table coaches during the National Sales Meeting.
Activating a customer-centric change with employees
At the National Sales Meeting, BTS introduced a customized, moments-based simulation that replicated key situations from the new customer journey playbook. Over 900 participants engaged in this four-hour immersive experience, which highlighted specific moments from the playbook. The simulation challenged participants to practice new customer-centric behaviors through real-life scenarios, followed by a debriefing of each moment, sharing of success stories, and discussion of real-world challenges. At the session's conclusion, participants received a copy of the playbook to apply these insights in their daily work.
Results
Feedback from the rollout indicated that employees were fully engaged with the new strategy, actively participating in their learning and adapting their behaviors at crucial moments. The combination of the simulation and the introduction of the playbook played a key role in advancing the company's customer-centric vision.
The US Commercial Team reported significant gains in understanding their role in customer-centricity, with a 14% increase in clarity by the end of the session. Prior feedback had highlighted a demand for clearer guidance on customer-centric behaviors, which this session effectively addressed:
- The number of participants who reported an excellent understanding of what it takes to be more customer-centric more than doubled, marking a 138% increase.
- Those reporting partial, very little, or no clarity decreased by more than half, showing a 66% decrease.
Additionally, the leader of the sales organization observed a notable increase in the inclusion of customer stories during meetings and planning sessions, which has driven more customer-focused actions across the organization. With these positive outcomes, BTS continues to support the company in scaling customer-centric initiatives and behavioral transformations.

Maximizing M&A value creation through culture transformation
Client need
A leading global energy infrastructure provider recently acquired a key competitor, a strategic move to boost its energy solutions portfolio, expand its footprint in vital regions, and tap into new avenues of growth in the energy transition sector. The acquisition not only broadened the company's product offerings but also positioned it to capitalize on recurring revenue streams from new innovations.
Recognizing the critical role of organizational culture in successful integration, the company partnered with BTS during the crucial "first 100 days" period. This approach would proactively address the culture challenges associated with integration, and leverage culture as a catalyst for integration rather than an inhibitor. Specifically, the initiative focused on identifying and addressing potential challenges in combining the two organization’s ways of working. By proactively managing these cultural nuances, the company sought to ensure seamless integration.

Mastering strategic transformation through a retail rebrand
Client need
A leading fashion retail company found itself at a crossroads post-spin-off from its larger parent company. With a new CEO at the helm, the executive team was determined to usher the company to a better, stronger future. In recent years, the company’s brand perception has taken a hit and loss favorability in the marketplace. With the momentum of a new CEO and strategy, the company turned to BTS to help address culture challenges and chart a path forward.
The client need:
- Evolved corporate values: The organization needed to redefine their values and codify their new aspirational culture.
- Executive alignment: The newly appointed executive team needed to align on the company's direction and values.
- Brand perception: The company was challenged with shifting the public perception of the brand, thus requiring a strategic approach to rebuild trust with the market.
Solution
At the beginning of the engagement, BTS assembled the executive team to participate in a series of alignment sessions designed to create an aligned vision about shaping the future culture, values, and ways of working across company. The goal of these sessions was to foster a shared vision amongst the leadership team on what needed to shift culturally to transform the company and regain the hearts and minds of the market.
Elements of the executive team alignment journey:
- Culture assessment: An assessment designed to collect data on the existing culture to give the team an honest and real perspective on how the current culture is experienced across the organization.
- Values re-articulation: A series of executive alignment sessions and focus groups conducted to shape the company's values and ensure they reflected the desired culture.
- Leadership commitments: A set of leadership commitments, or expectations, aligned with the organization’s values to drive behavioral change at all levels of the organization—making the values practical and tangible.
- Playbook creation: Crafting playbooks for both leaders and individual contributors that outline the critical moments and behaviors necessary for cultural transformation.
- Engagement of the organization: To shift way of working and create the conditions for the values to stick, a series of digital engagement experiences was designed for leaders to cascade and engage their teams’ in the new values.
As a result, the organization would achieve a more cohesive and streamlined organizational dynamic, successfully reduce ambiguity, and cultivate a shared understanding.
Results
At the end of this journey, the organization was proud to have achieved the following:
- Enhanced leadership alignment: The executive team was aligned on the new values and commitments, fostering a unified vision for the company.
- Cultural embedding: The new values were integrated into talent processes and business operations, creating a consistent cultural foundation.
- Positive perception shift: The organization experienced a positive shift in brand perception, with the executive team receiving overwhelming support from the board.
- Simplified performance management: The values were seamlessly integrated into performance management, influencing talent acquisition and selection processes.
While the full impact of the culture transformation is still unfolding, early employee feedback is strong. The new values have already started shaping daily activities, emphasizing a sense of purpose, collaboration, and accountability throughout the organization.
The new CEO and the board of directors also expressed immense satisfaction with the transformation, noting that the new values perfectly captured the essence of the company's new vision and charted a clear and concise direction for the future.

Wildlife Conservation Society Leader Development Journey
*Photo credit: Julie Larsen Maher*Facing rising threats to wild species and habitats, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) experienced a surge of support for and investment in its people and mission. To equip its more than 4,000 scientists and staff based in over 50 countries for the unique challenges that WCS leaders face in the field, WCS sought to develop its talent. Thus, WCS selected BTS to create an engaging learning journey, both customized to fit its leaders’ specific needs and aligned to the organization's mission to “save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education and inspiring people to value nature.”The resulting learning journey, Amplify, helped scientists and conservationists scale their leadership impact. Through the six-month leadership journey, WCS identified two primary learning objectives: 1) leaders were clear about what is expected of them and how to lead in specific leadership moments, 2) leaders developed more effective mindsets, skills and behaviors described by the WCS’s new Leadership Principles.To develop WCS’s Leadership Principles, BTS conducted interviews across the organization to ensure that the language and context of the principles were customized to the unique experiences of WCS’s leaders. This research resulted in seven Leadership Principles, including Collaborate with Curiosity, Connect with Purpose and Foster inclusion, which serve as the red thread connecting every aspect of the learning journey.The goal of Amplify was to ignite a shift towards more people-focused leadership, transforming the way they inspired, motivated, supported, and enabled their people to achieve an even greater impact in saving wildlife and wild places. The program combines in-person workshops with virtual small-group discussions to create greater levels of self-awareness, intentionality, peer accountability, and support. Throughout the journey, participants wrestle with realistic leadership scenarios that have practical application.Amplify is viewed by WCS Executive Leadership as an important enabler to scale the capacity of hundreds of WCS leaders around the world as they continue to strengthen their impact to educate and save critical wildlife species and habitats under threat by climate change, poaching, rural and urban development and even war. The initial cohorts of Amplify focused on regional, country and park directors of large conservation programs that protect endangered species and habitats. Moving forward, BTS will support the delivery of Amplify to additional senior leadership audiences throughout WCS.BTS was able to offer WCS as a mission-driven not-for-profit (NFP), the option of coaching pods via BTS Spark, our social impact arm, that provides leadership coaching to the education and NFP sectors at NFP pricing. This hybrid BTS & BTS Spark style contract can be a model moving forward to support NFPs and maximize our impact.Looking ahead into 2024 and beyond, BTS is committed to extending the reach of Amplify to encompass a broader spectrum of senior leadership within WCS. The effectiveness of this endeavor will be measured, in part, by the level of engagement reported by participants and employees, alongside assessments of enhanced leadership capabilities across the organization.

Accelerating strategic vision through leadership culture
Client need
A telecommunications company was undergoing a transformation; they were shifting from a traditional Telco (Telecommunications Operator) to a TechCo (Technology Company) Platform business. The organization recognized that human-centric leadership would be critical for achieving and maintaining this future state.
Previously, the company had excelled in efficient execution, but also struggled with employee engagement and waning buy-in. To foster a higher level of employee engagement and leadership maturity, which would positively contribute to the company's long-term success, the organization decided to create an executive development journey. As part of the solution, the organization partnered with BTS. Together, the organization and BTS elected to leverage insights from Liz Wiseman’s Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, the best-selling book that helps leaders tap into their teams’ native genius to produce better business outcomes, in the solution. Leveraging this approach would help them implement the new human-centric leadership framework across the organization.
The Solution
The executive leadership development journey included the following:
- A launch call to communicate the purpose of the journey, build excitement, and set expectations.
- A tailored 360-assessment for executives and other senior leaders to increase self-awareness.
- A one-day in-person workshop, which included a powerful Multipliers simulation designed to shape leaders' mindsets and drive impactful behaviors and action planning.
- Actionable tools and Go-Dos, which are commitments to take action back on the job, to apply the insights gained.
- “Pod” or small group coaching sessions to ensure accountability and develop a plan for the future.
Unlike many traditional development programs, a relatively large portion of the workshop, approximately 30 percent, was spent on individual action planning through coaching, as well as collective team action planning through a facilitated working session. This allowed the CEOs to more effectively take ownership of sustaining the learnings from the program. Leaders actively put insights into practice on the job, cultivating new leadership habits over time.
Results
As a result, the program captured these key metrics:
- Leaders rated the effectiveness of the mindset shift was rated between 98 and 99 percent
- Leaders committed to a total of 560 Go-Do actions
- Based on the organizations’ annual culture audit, after the program, the organization’s score in Leadership increased by 3 points
- Qualitatively, 11 out of 12 CEOs who participated in the program reported a significant increase in alignment and engagement. Their average rating was a 4.0+ out of 5 level shift
To date, 250 leaders have been through the program

Leadership alignment across high potential Directors, VPs and SVPs
Client need
A leading financial services company identified leadership alignment as a key strategic goal. They aimed to widen their leaders’ perspectives of the business and their strategic decisions. Additionally, the organization wanted to address critical leadership skills gaps, enhance trust and empowerment levels, and cultivate a talent development mindset.
The solution
The organization partnered with BTS to design and deliver a customized learning journey for their SVP and high potential Director and VP populations. The solutions, depending on leader level, were between eight and 12 weeks long, and included:
- An Enterprise simulation in which participants compete in teams to build a strategy and run the bank using the strategy over a three-year simulated timeline.
- A moments-based leadership simulation based on Liz Wiseman's Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, which helps leaders tap into their teams’ natural genius to produce better business outcomes.
- A series of small group coaching sessions that:
- Create shared learning and act as follow-up for leaders’ commitments to operate as Multiplier Leaders.
- Challenge participants to recognize the “signals” they send that may make it harder for other leaders to operate as Multipliers.
- Go deeper on adjacent topics like trust and driving a culture of Multipliers.
Results
The results of the organization’s engagement survey showed that participant’s teams rated their leaders more favorably in the following areas:
- 11 percent improvement in the "opportunity to learn."
- 10 percent improvement in the "safe to speak up" factor.
- 9 percent boost in "effective collaboration."
- 6 percent increase in the overall employee engagement index.
Furthermore, most of the leaders’ managers (81 percent) rated their employees' performance improvement as a result of the learning journey as “high” or “very high.” Due to the program’s success, the organization decided to expand the use of Multipliers, incorporating it more deeply into the organization.
Participant quotes
“Having the team debate the issue, trying to see both sides, discussing, then all agreeing to a solution led to higher collaboration, more buy-in, and better execution.”
“I have noticed progress in the way that the team presents issues to me now. It is no longer just a presentation of facts and then a pause while they wait for me to suggest a solution. They come in prepared with their own views and we talk though each item.”

Building an inclusive Multiplier culture
Client need
A technology and manufacturing company of specialty glass and technologies recognized a need to build the leader mindsets and capabilities that would support their leaders in shifting from a ‘command and control’ structure to ‘doing more with less’ across levels of the organization. To build and expand leadership mindsets in a virtual environment, the company partnered with BTS to create an interactive program to equip leaders with the necessary skills to grow across cultural and organizational boundaries.
The Solution
To help leaders better engage their diverse teams, they participated in the BTS Multipliers Simulation, which is based on Liz Wiseman's book, Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter.The Senior Leader Journey includes the following:
- A kickoff call, followed by a 360 Assessment, Hogan assessment, and virtual individual assessment (VIA).
- A 1:1 Coaching Journey consisting of four sessions between the leader and a coach to debrief their assessment results and align on an action plan to support their priorities and leadership development.
- A Multipliers simulation Experience to explore key moments and their tradeoffs and the accidental diminishers tendencies that can unintentionally diminish others
- A Business Simulation Capstone featuring a 3-round business and strategy simulation demanding an enterprise-wide consideration of tradeoffs and priorities, an exploration of shareholder value, deep-dive on empowering as a Multiplier and a Leader Lab for greater awareness of how to lead and engage teams.
The Manager Journey contains the following:
- Four half-days dedicated to exploring Multiplier moments.
- These moments are supported by targeted know-how and application.
Results
The program helped leaders:
- Build self-awareness about their leadership mindsets and the impact they have on their team.
- Learn to "multiply" the talent and intelligence of others, applying specific mindsets and behaviors to bring out twice the intelligence of their teams.
- Avoid "Accidental Diminishers," which are actions and words that, despite the best of intentions, lessen their team's contributions.
- Reach their own "a-ha" moments by working through challenging scenarios, participating in rich virtual discussions, and reflecting on their own interactions in a risk-free environment.
- Recognize and thank people for how they contribute to the team with their Natural Genius.
Participant quotes
“The multiplier mindset is powerful. I experimented recently on a critical resource re-allocation request to execute a resource move from project A to project B. […] It turned out that my team was able to provide great suggestions for an optimal alternative solution with no impact to project A while making project B customer happy.”
“I'm asking more questions in meetings to unlock the team's ideas/insights...I'm focused more on active listening and empowering the team to execute our plan.”

Building and supporting highly effective teams in a matrixed environment
Client need
A leading pharmaceutical company tasked its executives with creating a sense of shared vision within the organization while inspiring individuals to think outside the box. Due to the organization’s matrixed environment, executives often worked with team members from different functions outside their direct supervision. As a result, the executives struggled to encourage team members to achieve shared goals or contribute beyond their functional expertise. Recognizing this challenge, the organization identified the need to evaluate its top executives. The organization partnered with BTS to create and conduct a comprehensive assessment for a select group of top-level executives to improve how they empowered their teams.
The solution
Over the course of five months, BTS worked with the company to develop a group of enterprise-focused leaders. The journey was data-driven; every objective was developed in alignment with the organization’s Success Profile, or competency model, which outlined the capabilities and supporting behaviors key for success in role. The journey employed diverse learning modalities, which balanced individualized objectives with group learning experiences. Executives also had opportunities to enhance their peer networks at every step of the journey. Insights from Liz Wiseman’s Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, were a critical part of the journey. Wiseman’s approach helps leaders tap into their teams’ native genius to produce better business outcomes. Leveraging this approach, leaders were able to develop the critical leadership skills needed to empower their teams in the context of real-life business challenges. Specifically, participants:
- Developed a Multiplier mindset to get the most intelligent contribution from their colleagues, their teams, and their cross-functional partners.
- Identified their own multiplier and accidental diminisher behaviors (which are actions and words that, despite the best of intentions, lessen the team’s contributions) and how to avoid potential diminisher moments.
- Learned to cultivate a Multipliers culture, which enabled sustained growth for all leaders in the organization.
Participant quotes
“The self-reflection and Multipliers tools have been invaluable to me and my team. I’ve realized I can change my style and use these tools. I don't always have to rely on my instinct - because if I did, I will only be a multiplier a fraction of time…”
“The Multipliers Experiments have helped me step away from a defensive position and turn what would have been venting sessions into productive conversations where the whole team is focused on next steps.” “I now know when to give my direct reports the room to share their thoughts and how to make the space for them to say what THEY want to achieve. I’ve seen my direct reports smile and light up when I ask more questions.”

Partner centred conversations at top insurance company
Client need
This life insurance company was experiencing significant headwinds with a declining Advisor Market, high turnover of partners to new entrant competitors, and complex new technology solutions causing disruption. The requirement was to improve the capability of the team, so they can provide a best-in-industry experience for their Partners. Their Partners are the Financial Planners, Licensees and Financial Planning teams that provide Life Insurance products to their customers.
"I honestly wish that more carriers were able to do what you have done with our practice. You have demonstrated that you know who we are, what we are about, what our plan is moving forward and most importantly that you are invested in us."
The solution
The program was implemented over a 6-month period. After extensive consultation with the business and customisation of content BTS delivered the following:
- Alignment and Mindset Simulation – BTS co-facilitated with the General Manager / key sponsor a session that helped employees align to the strategy and understand how their role contributed to this. They then experienced an immersive simulation to focus on growth mindset shifts required to be successful in current environment. BTS used its proprietary platform called Pulse to deliver a highly experiential virtual experience.
- Core program – the core program branded ‘Partner Centred Conversations’ was implemented to provide a core meeting structure and approach when engaging with Advisors. This consisted of 4 x half day sessions
- Leader program – leaders of the various divisions attended a workshop to coach to the ‘Partner Centred Conversations’ framework.
- Acceleration Series Modules – Short virtual development sprints designed to go add additional tools specific to the audience requirements.
- Coaching PODs and Go-Do’s – reinforcement activities were interspersed throughout the program providing opportunities for practice, on the job allocation and peer-to-peer learning.
Results
The organisation have seen significant behavioural shifts and changes to the approach in how they engage with the Advisors.
- 92% 6 months after the program quotes for their products have doubled compared to the previous year.
- 6 months after the program the number of active advisers has increased by 40% compared tothe previous year.

Building customer-engagement skills for commercial and product-management teams
Client need
A global software company based in Europe wanted to engage their resellers more effectively. They would need to rally the whole organization and business partners to focus and deliver on their individual and global targets. In order to do so, the organization asked that BTS design a two-day development program to help align and upskill the organization’s commercial and product management teams.
The solution
The resulting program met participants where they were, engaged them with purpose, and had a thoughtful plan for follow-ups to reinforce the key messages and alignment created during the event.To start, the organization partnered with BTS to conduct an initial assessment that highlighted a third-quarter sales slowdown. This meant that the fourth quarter would be critical in order to meet annual sales objectives.BTS also identified that the company's sales mindsets and methodologies were primarily transactional, and that people needed to gain certain skills through training to engage with potential customers more effectively.
In addition, the COVID crisis limited the face-to-face interactions among the sales and product teams, making it more challenging to maintain focus and alignment.BTS helped the organization develop a straightforward five-step sales process; a clear purpose; and an understanding of how to build the ownership, accountability, and commitment needed to improve the organization’s sales culture. In addition, BTS helped the organization sell and market more effectively by retooling their value proposition.To enforce the idea that teams should experience the new mindsets, behaviors, and skills in a safe environment before applying them in the real world, the two-day learning event included sales simulations, role-playing exercises, teamwork challenges, and handling objections.
The simulation focused on running a reseller’s business and experiencing the overall sales process. The teamwork aspect of the simulation blended strategic messages, product information and demos, and sales experience around real-life examples. Another critical component of the simulation communicated ways that storytelling builds and conveys impactful messages along a red thread.
Results
The training program and new sales process were both resounding successes. The program turned passive participants into active builders of the software company’s future, leveraging digital solutions that allowed them to experiment with the expected mindset shifts. As a result, participants from the sales team reported feeling more confident and better equipped to engage with potential customers.
The organization saw a significant increase in the number of leads generated, as well as in the conversion rate from lead to customer. The organization successfully met their sales targets and closed out the year with a strong Q4. Based on these results, the organization decided to pursue more quarterly sprints the following year that would focus on each step of the sales cycle.

Coaching for accelerated growth and performance at top 4 bank
Client need
A leading Australian financial institution recognised the critical role of coaching in driving customer service excellence, employee engagement, strategic priorities and adaptability. Despite prior investments, a gap existed between coaching theory and its practical application among some leaders; hindering the organisation’s ability to navigate rapid changes effectively. Leaders perceived coaching as an additional task rather than an integrated behaviour, leading to inconsistency and uncertain outcomes. The organisation needed a solution that would bridge this 'knowing/doing gap', foster a coaching culture, and align coaching practices with its strategic priorities.
The solution
To address these challenges, the organisation partnered with BTS to design a blended learning program aimed to shift leaders' mindsets and equip them with practical coaching skills that could seamlessly integrate into their daily work. The solution consisted of a mix of virtual workshops, gamified simulations, peer pods, eLearning, and reinforcement activities. The content was tailored to specific business units, ensuring relevance to leaders' roles and challenges. The program's design principles focused on embedding learning into the workflow, creating a safe learning environment, and measuring mindset shifts.
Results
The blended learning program delivered transformative outcomes for the organisation. Leaders experienced significant mindset shifts, transitioning from perceiving coaching as an added task to seamlessly integrating it into their roles. Engagement and Net Promoter Scores (NPS) were high, with participants embracing the interactive format and practical applications, resulting in a reported program NPS score of 9.0/10. The organisation also noted an increase in engagement over the course of the program for both participants and their frontline banking teams (7% improvement), leading to: improved satisfaction; enhanced learning opportunities; and better alignment with strategic objectives, business goals, customer values and change initiatives (15% improvement in respondents feeling supported in efforts to adapt to change) *. Overall, the program catalysed a cultural transformation across the organisation’s different divisions, fostering a shared coaching mindset, and positioning the organisation for sustained growth, adaptability, and customer-centric excellence.
*Results as reported from the bi-annual Employee Engagement Survey

Accelerating development and succession planning through a virtual assessment
BTS partnered with a multinational bio-pharmaceutical company to create a scalable and accessible virtual version of its in-person assessment center administered to talent with the potential to ascend to critical, senior leadership roles. Central to the design was giving high-potential talent the opportunity to experience a “day-in-the-life” of a senior leader at the company.
To deliver on that, BTS worked closely with the company to develop a multi-component Virtual Individual Assessment (VIA) experience that included a business case pre-read, written business challenges, role-play exercises, and a debrief interview. Since 2019, around 30 unique VIA experiences for critical roles that span all functions of their business have been developed.
The partnership has proven very successful, providing data on high-potential talent’s current performance in the capabilities critical to success in those senior leadership roles. The assessments also provided insights on targeted talent planning and development initiatives to close the capability gaps at both group and individual levels. In 2022 alone, 500 participants worldwide engaged in one of these experiences, resulting in a 41% promotion rate, compared to a 14% promotion rate for non-participants.