Global Financial Services Company: Virtualizing VP Development

One of the world’s largest financial services firms leverages an annual program to drive enterprise-wide innovation, networking, and new product and service development. The program targets around 150 global, high-potential vice presidents across business units and brings them together for a six-month journey with the goal of creating two to three new product and service concepts to invest in developing.

Virtualizing a Global Face-to-Face Program

Historically delivered as a face-to-face experience, the program was rapidly re-designed to be a fully virtual experience in 2020. The cohort consisted of 140 high-potential VPs across the company’s core business units, spanning 31 countries and nearly every global time zone.

The VP Development Program consisted of four modules over six months: pre-work, kick off, project development and final presentations.

The program was largely delivered synchronously, sequencing and integrating sessions of faculty-led content, with sessions dedicated to project-team ideation with innovation coaches. Participants took insights from lectures and then immediately applied them in real-time to develop a project concept.

Strategic Results

Participants in the program increased understanding of digital disruption and the mega-trends shaping banking and the customer experience. Now equipped with learning and a set of tools for reframing problems and ideating solutions, participants introduced 20 innovation project concepts that could drive growth or client engagement to senior stakeholders for potential investment and development.