Global Award for LBS leadership training

Liverpool Business School and Circle Health Group have collected a Global Gold Award for leadership development.

LBS, which specialises in leadership development, collaborated in a partnership with Circle, the largest private provider of hospital services in the UK.

Together they were presented this week with the Gold Award at the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) in Switzerland for the company’s senior management training which improved retention, motivation and the organisation’s learning culture.

EFMD is one of the major global accreditation bodies for business schools a major contributor to thought leadership in the field of management development 

Both organisations said they were thrilled to be recognised alongside other gold award international business schools and organisations such as Lego, Worldline (global payments) and ATOS.

Dr Anthony Sturgess, Director of Liverpool Business School’s Leadership and Organisational Development Centre, said: “We are really thrilled. This is quite an achievement to be amongst world leading business schools in corporate education and leadership development.

“Working with Circle was and remains a privilege and we are proud of the focus of our team on capturing the impact for leaders.”

Circle’s Director of Learning and the Circle Academy, Jenny McKnight praised Liverpool Business School’s “unswerving commitment to relevance, not only to Circle’s business needs, but to participants’ emotional, professional, and technical needs.”

Liverpool Business School was invited to support Circle, at the height of the pandemic when the private sector was working in partnership with the NHS to deliver treatment to thousands of patients. LBS quickly established a cohesive relationship with Circle’s L&D leadership and created a programme for 250 leaders using a blended learning approach, which created a “learning culture for everyone”.

Improvements can be seen across the Circle Health Group:

•          Reduced staff turnover by 2.6%

•          Vacancies fallen from 14% of the workforce to just 8%

•          Improved retention rates of 85% (2019: 81%)

•          125 senior leaders become coaches to other staff

Participants’ skills increased as well as leadership connections, and had a dynamic impact on leaders, teams and the organisation, driving new initiatives and helping to cascade learning. The programme also resulted in large-scale upskilling at Circle.

Dr Tim Nichol Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law said: "This is a significant tribute to the joint working commitment of both of our teams and the dedication shown to measuring and delivering impact for this important group of leaders at the highest level in Circle.”

In 2022, Circle Health Group was independently voted and named UK Private Hospital Group of the Year and one of the Top 25 Best Big Companies to Work For.

IMAGE: Professor Tim Nichol and Professor Anthony Sturgess with Dr Johan Coetsee, Head of Executive Education and Client and Project Manager Jon Britten representing the LBS team, received the award from EFMD with the Chief People Officer of Circle Health Group, David Cooper, the Director of the Circle Academy, Jenny McKnight and Dave O'Connor, Learning & Development Business Partner.