School for CEOs
School for CEOs is a Edinburgh-based boutique executive development firm that prepares senior leaders for CEO, MD, and Board roles through fee-based programmes, 1:1 coaching, and inclusive leadership interventions delivered by a 90-plus senior leader Faculty under a proprietary Dimensions Framework.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersEdinburgh, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What School for CEOs does
School for CEOs is a boutique executive development organisation headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, founded in 2011 by David Sole OBE and Patrick Macdonald FRSE. The firm specialises in preparing senior business leaders for CEO, Managing Director, and Board-level roles through a portfolio that includes the flagship two-day residential programme The Vital Few, the Runway leadership programme, leadership workshops, 1:1 executive coaching, team development, psychological profiling, and a dedicated inclusive leadership practice (Reverse Mentoring, Inclusive Leadership 360°, and Inclusive Leaders Workshops). All interventions are structured around the proprietary Dimensions Framework (Managing Up, Down, Out, In, Across) and delivered by a Faculty of over 90 practising CEOs, NEDs, and Chairs who share direct senior-leadership experience.
The business operates a hybrid go-to-market: direct enterprise sales for tailored in-house programmes alongside self-serve open programme registration via the company website, supported by content marketing through a podcast, insights library, webinars, and private executive dinners. Revenue streams comprise fee-based leadership programmes (one-time licence pricing with deposit/balance invoicing for Vital Few and full payment on application for Runway), standalone 1:1 coaching engagements, Dimensions Accreditation fees from certifying third-party coaches, and bespoke in-house contracts. The named client base spans 35+ enterprise organisations across financial services, insurance, banking, energy, engineering, hospitality, retail, and public sector, with hundreds of alumni since inception.
In May 2026, executive search firm Carlyle acquired a majority stake in School for CEOs to accelerate growth via complementary client offerings; the business continues to trade under its own name, with David Sole OBE remaining as Managing Partner following co-founder Patrick Macdonald's departure. The firm is not a technology company — its core technology is classified as not applicable — and has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, patents, or proprietary software platform beyond the Dimensions Framework and assessment instruments.
School for CEOs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- School for CEOs
- Legal name
- School for CEOs Limited
- Website
- https://schoolforceos.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- School for CEOs is a Edinburgh-based boutique executive development firm that prepares senior leaders for CEO, MD, and Board roles through fee-based programmes, 1:1 coaching, and inclusive leadership interventions delivered by a 90-plus senior leader Faculty under a proprietary Dimensions Framework.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
School for CEOs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Leadership Development
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Team & Group Executive Coaching (Leadership Teams) (EDABANAF), Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree) (EDAHAHAN)
Keywords
Where School for CEOs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edinburgh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
School for CEOs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Leadership Programmes: Revenue from fee-based leadership programmes including The Vital Few (two-day residential) and Runway. Fees are invoiced according to programme-specific terms (deposit + balance for Vital Few; full payment on application for Runway).
- 1:1 Coaching for Leaders: One-to-one executive coaching services billed separately from programmes. Includes single session follow-up coaching/mentoring as appropriate.
- Certification for Executive Coaches: Dimensions Accreditation programme for certifying executive coaches.
- In-house / Tailored Programmes: Consolidated in-house leadership programmes for larger organisations, delivered on a bespoke basis.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | The Vital Few — Two-day residential programme |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Runway — Non-residential programme |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Cancellation charges (Vital Few) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Cancellation charges (Runway) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
School for CEOs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
School for CEOs is a boutique executive development organisation that prepares business leaders for senior and CEO-level roles. It delivers fee-based leadership programmes (e.g., The Vital Few, Runway), 1:1 executive coaching, team development, executive assessment (psychological profiling), inclusive leadership interventions (Reverse Mentoring, Inclusive Leadership 360°), and a Dimensions Accreditation programme for certifying external executive coaches. All interventions are built on a proprietary Dimensions Framework covering five leadership dimensions.
Product overview
School for CEOs is a boutique executive development organization offering a portfolio of leadership programmes and interventions. The core offerings include The Vital Few (a flagship two-day residential programme for new CEOs/MDs) and Runway (leadership development programme), supported by the Dimensions Framework—a proprietary model covering five leadership dimensions (Managing Up, Down, Out, In, and Across). The company provides supplementary services including 1:1 Executive Coaching, Team Development, Inclusive Leadership offerings (Inclusive Leadership 360°, Reverse Mentoring, Inclusive Leaders Workshops), Executive Assessment (Psychological Profiling), and Dimensions Accreditation for external coaches. The programmes are designed to help leaders transition into senior roles, develop inclusive leadership capabilities, and prepare for CEO and Board positions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Vital Few A flagship two-day residential leadership programme designed to expose new CEOs and Managing Directors to the demands and potential derailers of top roles, with scheduled London cohorts (e.g., 07-08 Oct 2026, 17-18 Mar 2027, 06-07 Oct 2027). Fee includes tuition, materials, meals, overnight accommodation and a single follow-up coaching session.
- Runway A non-residential leadership development programme designed to prepare leaders for senior executive roles as part of the Alchemy Suite. Invoiced in full upon application; tuition, materials and meals included, but no accommodation.
- Leadership Series / Workshops Workshops offering practical learning experiences on senior leadership themes, available as part of the firm's leadership programmes portfolio.
- 1:1 Coaching for Leaders Individual executive coaching services billed separately from programmes, supporting senior leaders' development and transition into new roles, with optional single-session follow-up coaching or mentoring.
- Team Development Programmes designed to build stronger, more cohesive executive teams for organisations; delivered as part of the leadership coaching services offering.
- Dimensions Accreditation (Certification for Executive Coaches) A certification programme that enables experienced executive coaches to deliver coaching using the School for CEOs Dimensions Framework.
- Inclusive Leadership 360° A 360-degree assessment tool for evaluating inclusive leadership capabilities, used with leaders and their teams to identify strengths and development areas.
- Reverse Mentoring A facilitated programme that pairs senior leaders with mentees from underrepresented groups to foster inclusion and diverse perspectives; operated by School for CEOs since the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
- Inclusive Leaders Workshops Workshops designed to develop inclusive leadership behaviours and practices, forming part of the firm's inclusive leadership offering.
- Psychological Profiling An executive assessment service using psychological profiling to identify leadership strengths and development areas for senior leaders and succession candidates.
- In-house / Tailored Programmes Consolidated, bespoke leadership programmes delivered for larger organisations, covering CEO development, leadership succession, team development and inclusive leadership on a tailored basis.
Quantifiable outcome
- Hundreds of alumni from CEO development programmes
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use School for CEOs
Customer profileNamed customers35 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
School for CEOs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
School for CEOs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
School for CEOs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): Global peer community and learning organisation for CEOs. Comparable on buyer persona (chief executives) and development offering (peer learning forums, leadership resources), although structured as a membership community rather than paid cohort programmes.
- Vistage: Global peer advisory and executive coaching organisation for SME CEOs and senior leaders. Comparable on the buyer (CEO/senior executive) and core service (peer-group development plus 1:1 coaching), though delivered via ongoing advisory groups rather than short residential programmes.
Broad incumbents
- IMD Business School: Switzerland-based business school with a strong focus on executive education, CEO programmes and leadership development. Competes for the same senior-executive buyer segment with both open programmes and tailored in-house engagements.
- INSEAD Executive Education: Global business school with one of the largest open-enrolment and custom executive education operations. Comparable as a large incumbent competing for the same enterprise leadership development budgets, though at much broader scale and global footprint.
- London Business School Executive Education: Large UK-based business school with a substantial executive education portfolio including open programmes, custom in-house programmes and executive coaching. Overlaps with School for CEOs on senior leader development buyers in the UK and London delivery format.
- Hult Ashridge Executive Education: UK-based executive education provider (formerly Ashridge/Hult) offering open programmes, custom leadership development and executive coaching. Overlaps with School for CEOs on UK enterprise leadership development buyers and methodology-led delivery.
- Said Business School Executive Education (Oxford): Oxford's business school executive education unit delivering open and custom programmes for senior executives. Competes for similar enterprise leadership development budgets in the UK market.
Direct peers
- Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching: Boutique executive coaching brand built around a proprietary leadership methodology and a global network of certified coaches. Directly comparable as a premium, methodology-anchored CEO/executive coaching franchise.
- Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Global leadership development provider focused on executive and senior leader coaching, feedback-rich programmes, and 360° assessments. Highly comparable as a specialised leadership development firm serving the same senior executive buyer with similar practitioner-led delivery.
- Roffey Park Institute: UK-based leadership and organisation development provider offering open and tailored executive programmes, coaching and team development. Closely comparable boutique competitor serving UK-based senior leaders with a similar practitioner-led model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
School for CEOs social profiles
Digital presenceSchool for CEOs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
School for CEOs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
School for CEOs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
School for CEOs 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 School for CEOs
What does School for CEOs do?
School for CEOs is a boutique executive development organisation that prepares business leaders for senior and CEO-level roles. It delivers fee-based leadership programmes (e.g., The Vital Few, Runway), 1:1 executive coaching, team development, executive assessment (psychological profiling), inclusive leadership interventions (Reverse Mentoring, Inclusive Leadership 360°), and a Dimensions Accreditation programme for certifying external executive coaches. All interventions are built on a proprietary Dimensions Framework covering five leadership dimensions.
Is School for CEOs a public or private company?
School for CEOs is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was School for CEOs founded?
School for CEOs was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is School for CEOs based?
School for CEOs is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does School for CEOs make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Leadership Programmes are the primary driver. The others are 1:1 Coaching for Leaders, certification for Executive Coaches and in-house / Tailored Programmes.
Who are School for CEOs's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are YPO (Young Presidents' Organization) and Vistage. Broad incumbents are IMD Business School, INSEAD Executive Education, London Business School Executive Education, Hult Ashridge Executive Education and Said Business School Executive Education (Oxford). Direct peers are Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching, Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) and Roffey Park Institute.
Does School for CEOs have an API?
No public API is recorded for School for CEOs.
What industry is School for CEOs in?
School for CEOs's product category is Executive Leadership Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABAAAA, Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development, with a secondary code of EDABANAF, Team & Group Executive Coaching (Leadership Teams). Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.