Masterclass
Masterclass Training Ltd is a UK-based professional training firm delivering bespoke leadership development, business development, presentation, and coaching programmes to corporate clients globally via a network of 70+ specialist trainers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersSlough, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Masterclass does
Masterclass Training Ltd is a UK-headquartered (Richmond, London) professional training and consultancy firm specialising in bespoke leadership development, business development, presentation, management coaching, and 'power skills' programmes for corporate clients. Founded by Isobel Rimmer, the company has delivered more than 1,000 bespoke training programmes over a 30+ year operating history to a roster of global enterprise customers including BNP Paribas, DLA Piper, Merck, Citrix, Avis Budget Group, Rentokil Initial, and Dunhill. Delivery is executed through a global network of 70+ specialist trainers and facilitators via online live webinars, in-person sessions, hybrid formats, and one-to-one coaching/mentoring.
The core technology and product surface comprises five flagship training programmes — Trusted Advisor & Business Development Skills, Leadership Development (built on the Kouzes & Posner Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership and LPI 360 assessment, for which Masterclass is the UK Global Training Partner), Management Coaching & Mentoring, Presentation Skills, and Power Skills — augmented by proprietary frameworks (ABCD Tool for introductions, Trust Equation). Supporting offerings include free monthly Masterclass Minis webinars, Masterclass Discovery taster sessions, Masterclass Spotlight interactive events, public 'Present with Impact' open courses, the Masterclass Insights content blog, and two #1 Amazon bestselling books ('Natural Business Development' published 2020; 'Present with Presence' published 2025). Distribution spans the UK and continental Europe via direct enterprise sales, online Zoom/Teams delivery, and event-driven lead generation.
The business model is services-led: revenue is generated primarily through quote-based bespoke corporate training programmes with multi-year contract structures and customised payment terms (including late-payment interest at 0.5% per week and travel cost pass-throughs). Secondary revenue streams include open public courses, one-on-one coaching engagements, and one-time book sales across paperback, eBook, and audiobook formats. The company is privately held, founder-controlled by Isobel Rimmer (Founder, CEO and Lead Trainer), and bootstrapped — there is no disclosed external institutional investment, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity in the input data. Group-level relationships exist with sister entities Train Together and Chameleon School of Construction Ltd under the Masterclass Group umbrella.
Masterclass firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Masterclass
- Legal name
- Masterclass Training Ltd
- Website
- https://masterclass.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Masterclass Training Ltd is a UK-based professional training firm delivering bespoke leadership development, business development, presentation, and coaching programmes to corporate clients globally via a network of 70+ specialist trainers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Masterclass industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Corporate Training Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate Training Course Marketplaces (B2B Content Libraries) (EDAFAIAH), Delivery & Execution (Planning, Estimation, Tracking) (EDABAHAE), Foundational PM & Delivery Methods (Waterfall/Agile/Hybrid) (EDABAHAA)
Keywords
Where Masterclass is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Slough
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Masterclass business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Bespoke Training Programmes: Customised leadership and business development training programmes delivered to corporate clients. Pricing quoted per programme with terms outlined in Terms of Business.
- Open Courses and Webinars: Publicly available training courses including 'Present with Impact' open courses and free monthly Masterclass Minis webinars.
- Books and Publications: Sale of books authored by Isobel Rimmer including 'Natural Business Development' and 'Present with Presence' available as paperback, eBook, and audiobook.
- Coaching and Mentoring: One-on-one coaching and mentoring support for organisations and individuals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Corporate bespoke training programmes - quote-based pricing |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Payment terms |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Masterclass Minis - Free webinars |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Masterclass product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Masterclass Training Ltd designs and delivers bespoke corporate training programmes in leadership development, business development, presentation skills, management coaching & mentoring, and power skills, using a team of 70+ specialist trainers who deliver content in person, online via live webinars (Zoom/Teams), or in hybrid formats. Programmes are built on proprietary and licensed frameworks including the ABCD Tool, Trust Equation, and Kouzes & Posner's Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership with the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) 360 assessment. The core delivery is supplemented by free Masterclass Minis webinars, public Open Courses, and two published books authored by founder Isobel Rimmer.
Product overview
Masterclass is a UK-based training company offering a portfolio of professional development programs focused on leadership and business development. The core offering consists of five main training programs: Trusted Advisor & Business Development Skills, Leadership Development, Management Coaching & Mentoring, Presentation Skills, and Power Skills. These programs are complemented by a range of supplementary offerings including Masterclass Minis (free 30-minute webinars), Masterclass Discovery taster sessions, Masterclass Spotlights interactive sessions, and Open Courses for public enrollment. The company also publishes books by founder Isobel Rimmer, including 'Natural Business Development' and 'Present with Presence'. Masterclass Insights provides ongoing blog content supporting the training programs. All offerings can be delivered virtually via platforms like Zoom and Teams, in person, or as hybrid events, with fully customisable solutions tailored to client needs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Trusted Advisor & Business Development Skills Training Bespoke training programme developing the skills needed to become a trusted advisor and build business development capabilities, aimed at consultants, auditors, lawyers and technical specialists who must grow client relationships and revenue.
- Leadership Development Training Comprehensive leadership development programmes built on Kouzes & Posner's Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership framework and the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) 360 assessment tool, delivered to managers and senior leaders.
- Management Coaching & Mentoring Training Programmes designed to help managers develop coaching and mentoring skills to foster collaboration, build trust, and maximise team potential across their organisations.
- Presentation Skills Training Training programmes covering presentation planning, preparation, delivery techniques, nerve management and presence development for speakers at all professional levels.
- Power Skills Training Training programmes focused on personal attributes including communication, resilience, emotional awareness, influence, persuasion, and strategic thinking.
- Open Courses (Present with Impact) Public training workshops such as the 'Present with Impact' 3-hour workshop, available for individual enrolment without corporate sponsorship.
- Natural Business Development (Book) #1 Amazon Bestseller providing tools and techniques to help professionals develop skills for connecting with clients, understanding customer needs, and growing revenue through collaborative relationships.
- Present with Presence (Book) Handbook for presenting with confidence and impact, providing strategies and techniques for planning, preparing and delivering memorable presentations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Every programme should pay for itself multiple times over
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Masterclass
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Masterclass technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Masterclass partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Train TogetherminorPart of the Masterclass Group, Train Together operates as part of the training group ecosystem.
- Chameleon School of Construction LtdminorPart of the Masterclass Group, Chameleon School of Construction is part of the training group network.
- Kouzes & PosnercoreGlobal Training Partner for The Leadership Challenge framework, Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, and Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) 360. First organisation to bring The Leadership Challenge to the UK over 25 years ago.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Masterclass competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Global organisational consulting firm with a large leadership development and professional training practice serving enterprise buyers — broad incumbent competing for the same L&D budget.
Regional players
- Lane4: UK performance and leadership development consultancy delivering bespoke programmes, coaching and team development — comparable UK-focused boutique model and target buyer.
- Hult Ashridge Executive Education: UK-based executive education provider offering leadership and management programmes to corporate clients — comparable UK market positioning and bespoke customisation model.
- Roffey Park: UK-based leadership and management development institute offering open programmes and customised corporate engagements — comparable UK market and professional development focus.
Direct peers
- DDI (Development Dimensions International): Global leadership development firm offering assessments, executive coaching and bespoke training programmes to enterprise clients — closely comparable to Masterclass on customer profile and service mix.
- Dale Carnegie Training: Global leadership, presentation, and soft-skills training franchise with a comparable product portfolio (Dale Carnegie Courses, leadership, sales, communication) delivered in-person and online to corporate clients.
- BTS (Business Transformation Solutions): Strategy execution and leadership development consultancy offering bespoke corporate programmes and simulations — overlaps with Masterclass's business development and leadership practice.
- Center for Creative Leadership: Research-backed leadership education provider offering open-enrolment programmes, customised enterprise engagements and 360 assessments — directly comparable on the leadership development / assessment product line.
- The Ken Blanchard Companies: Management and leadership training company built around proprietary frameworks (SLII, Situational Leadership) with licensing, certification and corporate training — analogous IP-led model to Masterclass.
- FranklinCovey: US-listed leadership and execution training firm and long-standing distribution partner for The Leadership Challenge / 7 Habits content — directly overlapping Masterclass's leadership curriculum and assessment tools.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Masterclass social profiles
Digital presenceMasterclass compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Masterclass financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Masterclass leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Masterclass funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Masterclass M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Masterclass
What does Masterclass do?
Masterclass Training Ltd designs and delivers bespoke corporate training programmes in leadership development, business development, presentation skills, management coaching & mentoring, and power skills, using a team of 70+ specialist trainers who deliver content in person, online via live webinars (Zoom/Teams), or in hybrid formats. Programmes are built on proprietary and licensed frameworks including the ABCD Tool, Trust Equation, and Kouzes & Posner's Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership with the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) 360 assessment. The core delivery is supplemented by free Masterclass Minis webinars, public Open Courses, and two published books authored by founder Isobel Rimmer.
Is Masterclass a public or private company?
Masterclass is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Masterclass founded?
Masterclass was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Masterclass based?
Masterclass is headquartered in Slough, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Masterclass make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Bespoke Training Programmes are the primary driver. The others are open Courses and Webinars, books and Publications and coaching and Mentoring.
Who are Masterclass's main competitors?
Korn Ferry is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Lane4, Hult Ashridge Executive Education and Roffey Park. Direct peers are DDI (Development Dimensions International), Dale Carnegie Training, BTS (Business Transformation Solutions), Center for Creative Leadership, The Ken Blanchard Companies and FranklinCovey.
Does Masterclass have an API?
No public API is recorded for Masterclass.
What industry is Masterclass in?
Masterclass's product category is Corporate Training Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAKAC, Corporate Learning & Training Content Development, with a secondary code of EDAFAIAH, Corporate Training Course Marketplaces (B2B Content Libraries). Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.