The Master Trainer Institute

What The Master Trainer Institute does

The Master Trainer Institute (MTI; legal entity Master Trainer Institute Sàrl) is a Geneva-headquartered training and leadership-development consultancy founded in 1995 by John Townsend, building on his earlier independent work as 'Interaction'. The firm operates from Rue Saint-Victor in Geneva with five employees and a wider international network of contract consultants, delivering programs across English, French, and Spanish for clients worldwide in face-to-face, online, and blended formats.

MTI's product portfolio is anchored by a flagship 4.5-day Master Trainer Programme that has run for over 25 years, built on adult learning principles and accelerated learning techniques. The catalogue extends into Mastering Middle Leadership, Master Facilitator, Powerful Presentations, Communication Skills, Focus on Training, Transforming the Trainer, a Teambuilding Workshop, and the Team Effectiveness Review (TER) — a quantitative team assessment covering vision, leadership, and environment. Proprietary frameworks include the 5i High Impact Innovation process (commercialised under the Hii5i sub-brand) for moving innovation projects past common blockers. The Institute also runs one-on-one transformational coaching on a fixed-fee, multi-month basis and an Expert Advice & Help advisory service for L&D functions.

Commercially, MTI generates revenue entirely through professional-services delivery: customized in-company training, public seminars (typically at international venues), individual coaching engagements, and expert advisory retainers. Pricing is proposal-based with no publicly disclosed tiers; new business enters via free Calendly discovery chats. The consulting team is led by Managing Director Richard Bradley (joined 1999, leading since 2005) alongside Course Leader Sarah Krasker, with Bill Lowe added to the team in 2025, while founder John Townsend remains associated with the Institute's history.

Name

The Master Trainer Institute

Legal name

Master Trainer Institute Sàrl

Website

https://mastertrainer.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Master Trainer Institute is a Geneva-based training consultancy, founded 1995, that delivers train-the-trainer, middle-leadership, facilitation, and team-effectiveness programs in English, French, and Spanish for multinational organizations, HR/L&D functions, and individual executives worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Training and Leadership Development Services

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), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Train-the-Trainer & Instructor Enablement Services (BPAEANAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer) (BPACANAM), Strategy, Decision-Making & Business Acumen Coaching (EDABANAH), Performance Management & Coaching Training (EDABAIAB), Performance & Accountability Coaching (EDABANAD)

Keywords

• Train-the-trainer programs
• Leadership development training
• Facilitation skills training
• Executive coaching services
• Organizational learning consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Training Program Delivery: Revenue generated from delivering structured training programs including Master Trainer Programme, Master Facilitator, Powerful Presentations, Mastering Middle Leadership, Innovation, Teambuilding Workshop, Communication Skills, Focus on Training, and Transforming the Trainer. Programs offered in face-to-face, online, and blended formats to organizational clients globally.
2. One-on-One Transformational Coaching: Individual coaching service with a fixed fee basis, 6-month minimum duration (1 year preferably), unlimited contact between coach and coachee, and access to online training modules. Includes coaching agreement, objective-based sessions, and evaluation tools.
3. Expert Advisory Services: External expert business partnership providing advice on training design, delivery review, facilitation, presentation critique, and L&D support. Can include observation and feedback, co-delivery of workshops, and ongoing advisory support.
4. In-Company Customized Training: Tailored training solutions delivered to organizational clients, including team building workshops, facilitation of team meetings, strategy sessions, problem-solving interventions, and group workshops customized to meet specific organizational needs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Master Trainer Institute delivers professional training programs, one-on-one coaching, and expert advisory services focused on developing trainers, facilitators, middle leaders, and teams. Its flagship is the 4.5-day Master Trainer Programme, supported by a portfolio including Mastering Middle Leadership, Master Facilitator, Powerful Presentations, Innovation (Hii5i), Team Effectiveness Review, Communication Skills, Teambuilding Workshop, Focus on Training, and Transforming the Trainer, delivered face-to-face, online, or in blended formats to clients globally.

Product overview

The Master Trainer Institute offers a portfolio of flexible training programs delivered in face-to-face, online, and blended formats. The core offerings center on developing trainers and leaders: the flagship Master Trainer Programme (25+ years) trains professional trainers; Mastering Middle Leadership develops management capabilities; Master Facilitator builds facilitation skills; and Innovation (Hii5i) provides structured innovation methodology. Supporting programs include Powerful Presentations, Team Effectiveness Review, Teambuilding Workshop, Communication Skills, Focus on Training, and Transforming the Trainer. Additional services encompass Expert Advice & Help consulting, Groups and Teams Services, Individual Services, and Transformational 1 on 1 Coaching.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hii5i: High Impact Innovation - A process developed by MTI to help organizations drive innovation and problem-solving projects to results, addressing blockers that stop innovation.

Products and services

• Master Trainer Programme Flagship 4.5-day train-the-trainer program designed for professional trainers to design and deliver interactive, learner-led courses grounded in adult learning principles and accelerated learning techniques. The program has run for over 25 years and is at least 50% participant-led.
• Mastering Middle Leadership Leadership development program for middle leaders and managers covering delegation, problem solving, conflict resolution, persuasion, and change management, designed to upskill the management layer of organizations.
• Master Facilitator Professional facilitation skills program that teaches participants to guide groups through learning, strategic planning, problem-solving, conflict management, and consensus-building processes.
• Powerful Presentations Business presentation skills workshop that helps participants structure presentations, identify key messages, and deliver impactful presentations to audiences.
• Innovation - Hii5i (High Impact Innovation) Structured innovation process program developed by MTI to help organizations overcome innovation blockers, develop ideas effectively, and drive innovation projects to completion.
• Team Effectiveness Review (TER) Quantitative team assessment tool examining three critical areas — team vision and delivery, leadership effectiveness, and environmental factors — designed to improve team output and performance.
• Teambuilding Workshop Highly interactive workshop using simulations to highlight the seven factors of successful teams, customized to organizational needs with feedback discussions and reflections.
• Communication Skills Training program covering interpersonal communication skills, delivered in multiple languages to multinational corporations and international organizations.
• Focus on Training Strategic training workshop targeting newly-appointed Training Managers and those wanting to position training for maximum organizational impact.
• Transforming the Trainer 3-day workshop designed for part-time, subject matter expert trainers, part of the original program lineup developed in 1996.
• Transformational 1 on 1 Coaching Individual transformational coaching with a fixed 6-month minimum timeline (1 year preferably), unlimited contact between coach and coachee, access to online training modules, and fixed fee basis.
• Expert Advice & Help External expert business partnership offering review of training course design and delivery, facilitation sessions, presentations, individual coaching, observation and feedback, and ongoing support for internal trainers.
• Groups and Teams Services Customized solutions for team performance including teambuilding workshops, facilitation of team meetings (planning, innovation, strategy, problem solving), and group intervention design.
• Individual Services Personalized development services for executives, managers, and employees including coaching, one-on-one training, facilitation, and public courses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Gallup research cited: Training managers to be effective coaches can boost manager performance by 20 to 28%
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Wilson Learning: Global training and development company focused on sales, leadership, and interpersonal skills — comparable to MTI's training design, communication, and leadership development programs.
• Dale Carnegie Training: Globally recognized training company offering leadership, communication, and train-the-trainer-style programs for individuals and enterprises — directly overlapping MTI's Master Trainer Programme, Communication Skills, and leadership offerings.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Research-driven leadership development provider offering programs for managers, teams, and organizations — directly comparable to MTI's Mastering Middle Leadership, facilitation, and team-effectiveness offerings.
• International Institute for Learning (IIL): Project management, leadership, and business skills training provider with global delivery — comparable to MTI in offering instructor-led professional development and certification-adjacent training to enterprise clients.
• The Ken Blanchard Companies: Leadership and management training company built around proprietary models (e.g., Situational Leadership) — comparable to MTI in using named, proprietary frameworks for leadership and trainer development.
• DDI (Development Dimensions International): Global leadership and talent development firm specializing in frontline and middle-manager training, with assessment and facilitation products analogous to MTI's middle-leadership and TER offerings.
• BTS Group: Business simulation and experiential learning provider serving leadership, sales, and strategy development — overlapping MTI's facilitation, teambuilding, and innovation workshop formats.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Major organizational consulting firm offering executive coaching, leadership development, and team effectiveness at enterprise scale — adjacent incumbent competing for the same leadership-development budgets as MTI.
• FranklinCovey: Large-scale leadership and organizational performance firm offering curated content (e.g., 'The 7 Habits') plus training and coaching — overlapping MTI's leadership and team-effectiveness programs but operating at much greater scale and brand reach.
• Skillsoft: Large-scale digital learning and leadership content provider — competing for the same enterprise training budgets as MTI but via a fundamentally different, technology-led delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-master-trainer-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 The Master Trainer Institute