What ACT Leaders does

ACT Leaders is a Beirut-headquartered business consulting and executive training firm founded in 2008 (originally as the American Consulting and Training Center). The company delivers professional development programs across the MENA region through seven primary service lines: public open-enrollment courses, customized in-house corporate training, executive coaching, individual training programs (ITPs), online snippets/webinars, consulting services, and assessment centers. Delivery spans virtual, face-to-face, and hybrid formats via a proprietary learning platform with mobile applications on iOS and Android, supplemented by the Meirc Talent Tool (MTT) for talent identification.

The firm operates training academies in Lebanon (HQ), UAE (Dubai), Saudi Arabia (Riyadh), and Qatar (Doha), serving a customer base spanning banking, telecommunications, energy, insurance, FMCG, pharmaceuticals, retail, and government entities. Documented clients include National Commercial Bank, Saudi Telecom (STC), Qatar Islamic Bank, Chevron, BUPA Arabia, Bank Al Jazira, Lukoil, Chalhoub Group, and multiple government ministries in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Iraq. The company claims to be 'trusted by more than 10,000 companies in 140 countries'.

ACT Leaders generates revenue through professional services fees with per-participant pricing for public courses and customized enterprise contracts for in-house programs. The firm leverages a network of 50+ contracted trainers and consultants with credentials from McKinsey, Franklin Covey, Korn Ferry, SHRM, and ICF, and maintains a flagship strategic alliance with the American University of Beirut (AUB) for certified programs. Leadership is anchored by founder Dr. Fadi Hashem (PhD, Cranfield School of Management) and partners Ibrahim Al Yafi and Hanna El-Jor. The company is privately held, bootstrapped, and rebranded from ACTC to ACT Leaders in 2022.

Name

ACT Leaders

Legal name

ACT Leaders

Website

https://actleaders.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACT Leaders is a Beirut-based executive training and consulting firm serving corporate and government clients across the MENA region with leadership development, coaching, and corporate training delivered via in-house programs, public courses, and virtual/hybrid formats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Training and Executive Education

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Leadership Development (BPACANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Leadership Potential, High-Potential & Succession Assessments (BPACAMAH), Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)

Keywords

• Corporate training services
• Executive coaching programs
• Leadership development solutions
• Professional training courses
• Management consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Beirut

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Training Courses: Open enrollment courses available to participants from any organization, conducted regularly with updated curriculum
2. In-House Corporate Training: Customized training programs delivered at client organization premises, fully customizable by number of days, language, and audience level
3. Executive Coaching: One-to-one or small group coaching sessions with certified professional coaches for career progression, leadership, strategic planning and other objectives
4. Individual Training Programs (ITPs): Concentrated one-to-one coaching sessions conducted by specialized subject matter experts, typically 1-5 days duration
5. Online Snippets: Short 1.5 hour live webinars focused on practical skills for immediate application, designed for groups of employees
6. Consulting Services: Performance-driven consulting solutions in strategy, human capital and sales delivered through consulting arm of Meirc
7. Assessment Centers: Fast-paced live assessments to evaluate leadership competencies and development requirements

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACT Leaders provides corporate training, executive coaching, assessment, consulting, and leadership development services through public courses, in-house programs, individual training programs (ITPs), and online snippets. The firm also offers assessment center services and proprietary tools such as the Meirc Talent Tool (MTT), operating primarily across the MENA region.

Product overview

ACT Leaders (formerly American Consulting and Training Center, ACTC) is a comprehensive e-learning and professional development platform offering a portfolio of training and consulting services. The core offering consists of Public Courses, In-House Training, Assessment Centers, Executive Coaching, Individual Training Programs (ITPs), Leadership Development Programs, Consulting Services, and Online Snippets (live webinars). These products are delivered through multiple formats including Virtual Learning, Face-to-Face Learning, and Hybrid Learning options. The platform specializes in leadership, management, human resources, finance, and soft skills training, primarily serving the MENA region with clients across energy, banking, telecom, FMCG, insurance, medical, and government sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Courses Scheduled training courses covering accounting, finance, management, leadership, HR, and soft-skills topics, attended by individuals from multiple organizations. Delivered face-to-face or virtually.
• In-House Training Courses Bespoke, customized training programs delivered at a client's premises or chosen venue, tailored to the organization's specific needs, industry, and objectives.
• Executive Coaching One-on-one personalized coaching for senior leaders and executives, leveraging diagnostic tools such as the Meirc Talent Tool to support development priorities.
• Assessment Center Services End-to-end assessment centers, including design, facilitation, and reporting, that evaluate participants against pre-defined competencies for selection, promotion, or development decisions.
• Individual Training Programs (ITPs) Custom-designed multi-week training programs built around a sponsor's requirements, blending learning methods, on-the-job application, and project deliverables.
• Leadership Development Programs Structured leadership development journeys for high-potentials, middle managers, and senior executives, often delivered in partnership with clients across multiple cohorts.
• Consulting Services Specialized consulting projects for clients, leveraging firm methodologies and senior consultants across HR, leadership, and organizational development topics.
• Online Snippets Bite-sized digital learning modules covering business and leadership topics, accessible online to support continuous learning.

Quantifiable outcome

• Candidates receive Meirc Professional Certificate (MPC) upon successful completion of certified training courses
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Meirc Training & ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008ACT Leaders operates as the training and development division of Meirc Training & Consulting, leveraging Meirc's established brand, methodologies, tools and consultant network. Meirc provides the consulting arm while ACT Leaders focuses on training delivery and facilitation.
• American University of Beirut (AUB)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Strategic alliance with the American University of Beirut (156 years old) to offer clients certifications in different business fields. AUB is 156 years old institution providing academic credibility and certification programs.
• McKinsey & CompanyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Fadi Hashem, founder of ACT Leaders, is certified by McKinsey & Co to deliver their executive leadership program, enabling ACT Leaders to offer McKinsey methodologies to clients.
• Franklin CoveyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerACT Leaders is certified by Franklin Covey Co. to deliver their programs including The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity, and other leadership and productivity programs.
• International Coach Federation (ICF)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMultiple ACT Leaders coaches are ICF certified, including Ibrahim Al Yafi (PCC) and Hanna El-Jor (ACC), providing credibility and standardized coaching methodology.
• Korn FerrycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDr. Fadi Hashem is Korn Ferry 360 Certified Coach; ACT Leaders uses Korn Ferry assessment tools and methodologies for leadership development programs.
• Leaders Across Borders (LAB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Dr. Fadi Hashem, LAB is a global community in Beirut empowering men and women with leadership skills to navigate complex world challenges.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dale Carnegie Training: Long-established global corporate training franchise specializing in leadership, sales, and communication. Comparable to ACT Leaders in delivering instructor-led leadership and professional development programs to enterprise and government clients.
• BTS: Global consulting and capability-building firm combining strategy consulting with experiential leadership development. Comparable to ACT Leaders in integrating consulting advisory with leadership development engagements.
• Wilson Learning: Global provider of sales, leadership, and employee development training with established MENA presence. Comparable in delivering customized in-house leadership programs to large enterprise and government clients.
• Development Dimensions International (DDI): Global leadership and assessment specialist serving enterprise and government clients. Closely comparable to ACT Leaders in the integrated assessment-plus-training leadership development model targeting large organizations.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Premier global leadership development research and education provider. Comparable to ACT Leaders in targeting senior executive development, leadership assessments, and customized leadership programs for large organizations.
• Ken Blanchard Companies: Global leadership training and consulting firm built around Situational Leadership and related methodologies. Comparable to ACT Leaders in delivering licensed leadership content and customized development programs to enterprise clients.
• Franklin Covey: Global leadership and effectiveness training firm behind 'The 7 Habits'. ACT Leaders is a certified licensee, making Franklin Covey both a partner and the closest content/format peer in the leadership training space.

Broad incumbents

• Cegos: Large international corporate training and leadership development group with operations across multiple regions. Comparable in offering a broad portfolio of open-enrollment and customized corporate leadership programs.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with deep leadership development and assessment capabilities. ACT Leaders uses Korn Ferry 360 tools; the two compete in adjacent senior leadership and talent segments, though Korn Ferry is materially larger.
• GP Strategies: Global performance improvement and training solutions provider to large enterprise and government clients. Comparable in delivering customized corporate training programs, especially in technical and leadership domains.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/actleaders
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/act-leaders

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 ACT Leaders