What Forward Institute does

Forward Institute, legally constituted as the Responsible Leadership Foundation (Company No. 09367066, registered in England and Wales), is a London-based not-for-profit leadership development organisation. It designs and delivers long-cycle leadership programmes and advisory services targeting senior executives, c-suite and board-level leaders across UK enterprises, government departments, and civil society organisations. The operational model blends immersive in-person residential retreats, virtual sessions, peer coaching, and a digital community layer that supports alumni engagement beyond formal programme completion.

The product portfolio is built around three core leadership development programmes (the 14-month Forward Fellowship for ~100 senior Fellows per cohort, the Forward Exchange for emerging leaders, and Leading Through Disruption for c-suite peers), complemented by Forward Advisory transformation engagements and the Forward Movement cross-sector community. Underlying methodology is anchored in proprietary frameworks including the Four Practices Framework and the Systemcraft Model co-developed with Wasafiri. Adjacent AI-era offerings (the 9-month 'Leading responsibly in an age of AI Programme' and the AI Leadership and Culture Advisory service) extend the portfolio into responsible AI adoption advisory for People and Culture leaders.

The organisation operates on an enterprise fee-for-programme model plus advisory services revenue, with sponsorships from FTSE-scale organisations (Centrica, Tesco, Lloyds, easyJet, Uber, BP, Unilever, BAE, KPMG, BCG, Channel 4) and UK public sector bodies (Ministry of Defence, Metropolitan Police Service, British Army, NHS, Bank of England). Distribution is primarily direct field sales to senior decision-makers, supplemented by referral-driven growth through the Fellow alumni network, AI Salon events, content marketing, and Collective Change Initiatives. Geographic focus is the United Kingdom with no disclosed international expansion.

Name

Forward Institute

Legal name

Responsible Leadership Foundation

Website

https://forward.institute

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Forward Institute is a UK-based not-for-profit (Responsible Leadership Foundation) that runs the 14-month Forward Fellowship and related executive programmes for senior leaders, complemented by Forward Advisory consulting and the Forward Movement community across enterprise, government, and civil society.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Leadership Development Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

C-Suite & Senior Executive Coaching (EDABANAA), Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH), Change Management & Transformation Leadership (EDABAAAD)

Keywords

• Leadership development programmes
• Executive education services
• Organisational transformation consulting
• Responsible leadership training
• Senior leader advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Forward Fellowship Programme Fees: Revenue from leadership development programmes for senior leaders. The Fellowship programme is a 14-month journey blending in-person and virtual sessions.
2. Forward Advisory Services: Organisational transformation engagements supporting senior leaders with leadership effectiveness and high-performance cultures.
3. AI Leadership and Culture Advisory: Specialised advisory services helping People & Culture leaders shape conditions for responsible AI adoption, including offsites and leadership development.
4. Collective Change Initiatives: Cross-sector collaboration programmes bringing together leaders from multiple organisations to address shared challenges.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Forward Institute delivers cohort-based leadership development programmes (Forward Fellowship, Forward Exchange, Leading Through Disruption), bespoke organisational advisory (Forward Advisory) focused on leadership effectiveness and culture, and a cross-sector community (Forward Movement) that sustains Fellow collaboration on systemic change. Offerings are sold primarily to large enterprises, public-sector bodies, and major non-profits that nominate and fund their senior leaders to participate.

Product overview

Forward Institute is a not-for-profit leadership development organization offering a platform-plus-programmes architecture. The core offering consists of three leadership development programmes: Forward Fellowship (for senior leaders), Forward Exchange (for emerging leaders), and Leading Through Disruption (for C-suite/board leaders). These are complemented by Forward Advisory (transformation consulting services) and Forward Movement (community initiatives). Additionally, the organization has developed AI-focused advisory offerings including the 'Leading responsibly in an age of AI Programme' and AI Leadership and Culture Advisory services, reflecting the integration of artificial intelligence considerations into their leadership development portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forward Fellowship A flagship 14-month leadership development programme for senior leaders driving organisational and systemic change, blending immersive residential retreats, virtual sessions, world-class faculty, advisors, and coaches in a cross-sector community of approximately 100 Fellows per cohort.
• Forward Exchange A leadership development programme for emerging leaders seeking new perspectives and personal growth as part of organisations' leadership pipelines.
• Leading Through Disruption A leadership programme designed for c-suite and board leaders seeking the accountability and wisdom of true peers during periods of disruption.
• Forward Advisory Organisational transformation advisory services supporting senior leaders to drive the performance, effectiveness, and culture needed for organisational change.
• Forward Movement A community-based initiative transforming systems through the collective power of Fellows and network participants, including Collective Change Initiatives convening leaders from multiple organisations around shared societal challenges.
• AI Leadership and Culture Advisory Specialised advisory service helping People and Culture leaders shape conditions for responsible AI adoption, including executive alignment on AI vision, human-centred AI narratives, cultural enabler identification, and leadership offsites.
• Leading Responsibly in an Age of AI Programme A 9-month leadership journey for Chief People Officers and senior leaders with responsibility for AI transformation, exploring the cultural and behavioural dimensions of responsible AI adoption.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000 Tesco stores no longer sell single knives following Fellow-led initiative
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key, supporting and flagship.

• WasafiricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWasafiri developed the Systemcraft model through reverse engineering their extensive experience of working with organisations and communities on leading complex, systemic change. They serve as thought partners with the Forward Institute, jointly committed to helping senior leaders make good change happen.
• The Beautiful TruthkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Beautiful Truth creates immersive experiences that root leadership conversations in values and imagination. They partnered with Forward Institute to deliver immersive AI Salon experiences featuring contrasting stories from the future.
• NeyakeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeya uses technology to strengthen real-world human connection. CEO and co-founder Rob Chapman participated as a fireside chat speaker at the Forward Institute AI Salon, exploring how to lead with humanity in the age of AI.
• The BrokeragesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpert contributor to Forward Institute's Collective Change Initiative on multigenerational workforces. Aisha Lysejko, Head of Service Delivery & Employer Engagement, shared insights on career playground concepts for young people.
• Centre for Ageing BettersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpert contributor to the multigenerational workforces CCI. Luke Price, Senior Research and Policy Manager, promoted the Age-Friendly Employer Pledge with over 400 organisational commitments.
• Chefs in SchoolssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNaomi Duncan, CEO of Chefs in Schools, provided expert advice to HMPPS Fellow Gary Badley on reigniting prison farms, focusing on the full circle of educating, growing food and educating kitchen staff on nutrition.
• University of Oxford SDG Impact LabflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative between easyJet Holidays and University of Oxford creating a research lab giving graduate students opportunities to lead transformative change in service of UN SDGs. First cohort of 20 student Fellows joined in January 2022.
• Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided subject matter experts and elevated discussions from desk/worker level to the level of influence and decision-making for the British Army climate strategy initiative.
• McKinsey & CompanysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsultant connected through Forward Institute Fellow George Davies helped turn the British Army climate strategy from generalities to specifics.
• Crisis (Homelessness Charity)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Lloyds Banking Group's Housing Partnership working to create 1 million social homes. Contributed expertise on homelessness and social housing policy.
• One Parent Families ScotlandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird sector partner that helped select participants for Barclays/Scottish Government single parent support workshops in Glasgow.
• Salary FinancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganisation providing financial assistance to AB World Foods employees, enabling debt consolidation at fairer interest rates with repayment through salary payments.
• Waitrose, Saputo UK, McDonald'ssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerElizabeth Buchanan serves as NED at these organisations and provided expert advisory input to Gary Badley's prison farms initiative through her network of industry contacts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Henley Business School Executive Education: UK business school providing executive coaching, leadership development, and custom programmes for senior executives. Comparable in geography and customer base, with broader academic portfolio.
• London Business School Executive Education: Major UK business school offering executive education for senior leaders, including custom programmes and leadership programmes. Larger, broader incumbent competing for the same enterprise leadership development wallet.
• DDI (Development Dimensions International): Global leadership development firm offering leadership programmes, assessments, and transformation consulting. Comparable as a scaled, for-profit alternative to Forward Institute's leadership development services.
• Korn Ferry: Global organisational consulting firm with a significant leadership development and talent advisory practice. Competes with Forward Advisory for senior leadership transformation engagements.
• Saïd Business School (Oxford) Executive Education: Oxford's executive education arm serves senior leaders with custom and open programmes, including leadership and responsible business themes. Competes for the same UK enterprise cohort that Forward Institute targets.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Comparable through its leadership advisory, evaluation, and CEO/board development services, even though its primary business is search.

Direct peers

• Centre for Creative Leadership: Global non-profit specialising in leadership development, research, and education for senior executives. Closest international analogue to Forward Institute's mission-driven, cohort-based leadership development.
• Clore Leadership Programme: UK leadership development charity focused on senior leaders in the cultural and broader sectors, running cohort-based fellowships. Closely comparable in mission, structure, and not-for-profit delivery model.
• Windsor Leadership Trust: UK-based non-profit running residential leadership programmes for senior leaders across sectors, including C-suite and public sector. Direct analogue to Forward Institute's Fellowship model and cohort-based approach.

Emerging players

• Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL): University of Cambridge institute focused on leadership and sustainability, now a strategic partner of Forward Institute. Comparable in mission and overlap with sustainability/climate leadership themes, and a partial competitor for the same senior cohort.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/6850836
• Xx.com/forwardinst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forward Institute