MDA Training
MDA Training is a UK-founded, privately held experiential corporate training company that designs simulation-based leadership, commercial, and financial-services learning programmes for global enterprise clients across banking, insurance, and asset management verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersCroydon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What MDA Training does
MDA Training is a UK-headquartered experiential corporate learning company founded in 1988 by Professor Walter Reid, a founding faculty member of London Business School. The company designs and delivers simulation-based training programmes for enterprise clients globally, with core offerings spanning leadership development, commercial and financial skills, leadership assessment, early careers onboarding, and conferences/team-building events. Its content is organised around three financial-services verticals — asset management, banking, and insurance — alongside cross-industry leadership and professional skills programmes, delivered in person (physical simulations for up to 1,000 delegates), via facilitator-led digital simulations, and through self-paced single-player formats.
The underlying technology combines a 30-plus-year proprietary content library of simulations and scenarios with bespoke digital simulation development using AWS, Python, Angular, and React. Recent product evolution includes adaptive machine learning that tailors digital simulations to learner behaviour in real time, generative AI positioned as a commercial thinking partner inside simulations, and NymbusX, an AI-powered interview simulation tool. The company also operates the FMI Asset Management Pathway, an online self-paced training portal, and an ESG investing simulation suite, reflecting extension beyond traditional in-person delivery.
MDA Training generates revenue primarily through bespoke professional services engagements sold via enterprise field sales and consultative inside sales, with pricing fully custom and quote-based. A secondary licensing revenue stream comes from custom digital simulations delivered under Train-The-Trainer arrangements, enabling clients to internalise delivery. The company is privately held and founder-owned, with no disclosed external funding, and operates without intermediaries or self-service channels. Marketing is driven by thought leadership content, a podcast, and free 'Experience MDA' events that allow prospects to trial the methodology before committing to larger programmes.
MDA Training firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MDA Training
- Legal name
- MDA
- Website
- https://mdatraining.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MDA Training is a UK-founded, privately held experiential corporate training company that designs simulation-based leadership, commercial, and financial-services learning programmes for global enterprise clients across banking, insurance, and asset management verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MDA Training industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Corporate Training Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Delivery & Execution (Planning, Estimation, Tracking) (EDABAHAE), Valuation, M&A & Corporate Development (EDABAJAN)
Keywords
Where MDA Training is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Croydon
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
MDA Training business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Corporate Training Services: MDA Training generates revenue through designing and delivering bespoke experiential corporate training programmes. Revenue is derived from custom training engagements, simulation-based learning solutions, and professional development programmes tailored to organisational needs. The company serves enterprise clients globally with tailored solutions.
- Custom Simulation Licensing: The company builds and licenses custom digital simulations to clients who may take ownership for internal delivery through Train-The-Trainer sessions. This provides ongoing revenue through licensable simulation products.
- Experiential Event Services: Revenue generated from transforming conferences, away-days and team-building events into experiential learning experiences. Services range from 1-hour activities to 2-day comprehensive programmes for events of up to 1,000 delegates.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
MDA Training product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MDA Training designs and delivers experiential corporate training programs built primarily around business simulations, covering leadership development, commercial and financial skills, and industry-specific (asset management, banking, insurance) education for enterprise clients. Offerings combine facilitated workshops with custom-built digital simulations hosted on modern cloud and web technology stacks (AWS, Python, Angular, React), sold as bespoke or catalog programs to corporate buyers.
Product overview
MDA Training is an experiential corporate learning company offering a portfolio of simulation-based training solutions. The core offering includes Leadership Simulation, Leadership Skills Workshops, and Leadership Assessment programmes alongside Financial & Commercial Skills development and Business Simulations. The portfolio extends to Digital Simulations (facilitator-led and self-paced single-player formats), Custom-built Digital Simulations for bespoke organisational needs, and Conferences & Team Building experiences. Industry-specific verticals cover Asset Management Training (with FMI Asset Management Pathway online learning), Banking Simulation Training including the 'Run The Bank' simulation, Corporate & Commercial Banking Training, and Insurance Industry Training. Supporting offerings include Insight Events for early careers, Early Careers Onboarding programmes, CPD solutions, and Professional Skills Training. The company utilises AI-powered tools including NymbusX for interview simulations and adaptive learning systems in their digital simulations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Managers settled into roles approximately 30% faster with bespoke business simulation training for new managers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use MDA Training
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
MDA Training technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature5 records
MDA Training partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
MDA Training competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BTS: Swedish-origin global consultancy specialising in business simulations and experiential learning for leadership and sales force development. Directly comparable to MDA's business simulation portfolio and FS focus.
- DDI (Development Dimensions International): Global leader in leadership development and assessment. Direct competitor in experiential leadership assessment and development programs targeting enterprise FS and broader markets.
- Wilson Learning: Global corporate training provider focused on leadership, sales, and interpersonal skills development. Comparable in delivering experiential and behavioural-change programs to enterprise clients.
- Celemi: Sweden-based pioneer of business simulations and experiential learning programs. Highly comparable offering in business simulations for enterprise leadership and commercial training.
- Insights Group (Insights Discovery): Provider of experiential learning and psychometric-based development solutions. Comparable in using immersive methodologies to drive leadership and team effectiveness for global enterprises.
Broad incumbents
- GP Strategies: Global performance improvement solutions provider delivering custom training, leadership development and managed learning services. Overlaps with MDA's bespoke corporate training delivery model.
- Cegos: One of the largest global corporate training providers, offering leadership, project management and professional development programs. Comparable in serving multinational enterprise training needs.
- Skillsoft: Large enterprise digital learning platform offering leadership, business, and technology content at scale. Adjacent competitor for corporate L&D budgets, particularly for self-paced digital learning.
- Korn Ferry: Global organisational consulting firm with large leadership development and learning practice. Overlaps with MDA's leadership simulation and assessment offerings as part of a broader talent advisory portfolio.
Emerging players
- Attensi: Norwegian scale-up specialising in 3D game-based simulation training for enterprise skills development. Comparable in the simulation-based learning category but with a stronger digital/gaming-led delivery model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MDA Training social profiles
Digital presenceMDA Training financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MDA Training leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
MDA Training funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MDA Training 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 MDA Training
What does MDA Training do?
MDA Training designs and delivers experiential corporate training programs built primarily around business simulations, covering leadership development, commercial and financial skills, and industry-specific (asset management, banking, insurance) education for enterprise clients. Offerings combine facilitated workshops with custom-built digital simulations hosted on modern cloud and web technology stacks (AWS, Python, Angular, React), sold as bespoke or catalog programs to corporate buyers.
Is MDA Training a public or private company?
MDA Training is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MDA Training founded?
MDA Training was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MDA Training based?
MDA Training is headquartered in Croydon, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does MDA Training make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Corporate Training Services are the primary driver. The others are custom Simulation Licensing and experiential Event Services.
Who are MDA Training's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BTS, DDI (Development Dimensions International), Wilson Learning, Celemi and Insights Group (Insights Discovery). Broad incumbents are GP Strategies, Cegos, Skillsoft and Korn Ferry. Attensi is listed as an emerging player.
Does MDA Training have an API?
No public API is recorded for MDA Training.
What industry is MDA Training in?
MDA Training'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 EDABAHAE, Delivery & Execution (Planning, Estimation, Tracking). Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.