What WILL Academy does

WILL Academy is a French management training company founded in 2021-2022 by Pierre Fournier (École Polytechnique, ex-CPO ManoMano, ex-Founding Partner Artefact) and co-founded by Jad Hawat, headquartered in Lyon with operations across France. The company delivers a proprietary methodology called the CAS approach (Clarify-Activate-Support), which synthesizes coaching, NLP, Non-Violent Communication, Lean Management, and Liberating Structures into a condensed 10-12 session format (1H30 per session) for managers. Training is delivered in small groups via live video and supported by a broader content ecosystem: a published book (La méthode WILL), a 24-card physical game, a video series, a web application (app.will-agent.com), and a community/practice layer called Club WILL.

The business operates across multiple revenue streams: paid cohort training (INTER open sessions at €1,500-€2,500 per participant, INTRA in-house corporate training from €9,000-€10,000 HT), a monthly subscription community (Club WILL, €85-€200 HT/month with 6-month minimum), a €24.90 physical card game, a book sold via Amazon, and a €220-per-session certification program. Distribution is hybrid: direct B2B sales for INTRA deals, self-serve site registration for INTER cohorts, and a partner-led channel comprising Tech.Rocks (CTO/Tech Leaders), BPI (tech entrepreneurs), RAISE Sherpas (founders), Les Héros de la Vente (sales leaders), Enoa RH, Thiga, and JobsThatMakeSense, each offering 20% discounts or subsidies to their communities. The company holds Qualiopi certification (required for French CPF public funding) and is pursuing RNCP recognition through France Compétences for its certification track.

Cumulatively, 130+ training promotions and 650+ managers have been completed, with named enterprise and scale-up customers including PMU, Artefact, BlaBlaCar, GarantMe, Swan, Spendesk, Captain Contrat, Tabesto, and My Traffic. Reported outcomes from a January 2026 1,500-respondent impact study include 9/10 satisfaction, 93% of trained managers using 3+ tools weekly, 75%+ reporting improved serenity and performance, and 73%/78% reporting collaborators taking more initiative and proposing innovative solutions. The company employs approximately 12 people (2 salaried plus freelance contributors), is privately held and bootstrapped with no disclosed funding rounds, and plans to release a "WILL AI Agent" feature for Club WILL members in Q4 2026.

Name

WILL Academy

Legal name

WILL

Website

https://will-agent.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WILL Academy is a French management training company that delivers a proprietary CAS (Clarify-Activate-Support) methodology in 10-12 live video sessions to train managers at French enterprises and scale-ups, supported by a book, card game, app, and subscription community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Training Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Organizational Change & Transformation Coaching (EDABANAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Change Management & Transformation Leadership (EDABAAAD), Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH)

Keywords

• Managerial training
• Leadership development
• Professional coaching
• Posture transformation
• Management education

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. WILL Academy Training Programs: Core revenue stream from managerial training programs delivered in small-group live video sessions. Multiple formats: standard INTER (10 sessions), version longue SPECIALE (12 sessions for DRHs, Tech Leaders, DGs), and INTRA (in-house for single companies). Prices range from €1,500–€2,500 per participant. CPF funding available in France.
2. Club WILL Membership: Monthly subscription club for ongoing practice and community. Tiers: Manager (€85 HT/month), Leader/Manager of Managers (€125 HT/month), DG (€200 HT/month). Includes monthly practice sessions, 20% discount on training, 20% discount on individual coaching, and access to a future WILL AI Agent (Q4 2026). Minimum 6-month commitment.
3. WILL Card Game (Physical Product): Sale of a 24-card physical game for workplace application of WILL tools. Priced at €24.90 TTC per deck.
4. WILL Book: Sale of the book 'La méthode WILL' via Amazon. The book follows the story of Adèle, teaching the method through narrative combined with practical exercises. Free extract available via email capture.
5. WILL Certification: Certification program at €220 TTC per session, validating mastery of the WILL method. Jury-based assessment with 30 minutes of practical case + 15 minutes Q&A. In instruction with France Compétences for official recognition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

WILL Academy delivers managerial posture transformation training through its proprietary WILL Method (CAS framework), targeting managers, team leads, and senior leaders in French organizations. The offering combines in-person and remote workshops (INTER and INTRA formats), a certification program, a subscription community (Club WILL), and supporting physical and digital tools (book, manager's card game, video series, mobile app) to help professionals adopt empowering leadership behaviors.

Product overview

WILL offers a management training ecosystem centered on the WILL Academy program and the proprietary WILL Method. The core offering is the WILL Academy training, delivered as 10-12 weekly video sessions (1H30 each) in small groups, supplemented by a book, physical card game, video series, web app, and Club WILL community membership. The WILL Method is a synthesized approach drawing from coaching, NLP, CNV, and other disciplines, organized around the Clarify-Activate-Support (CAS) framework. A future AI Agent feature is planned for Q4 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WILL Academy: The primary training program — 10–12 sessions of 1H30 each week, covering the WILL method for managerial transformation.
• Club WILL
• Certification WILL

Products and services

• WILL Academy Training Programs (INTER) Open-enrollment group training program for individual managers and leaders covering the WILL Method (CAS framework) for posture transformation, delivered in-person or remotely with a small cohort format.
• WILL Academy INTRA (In-Company Training) Customized in-house training program delivered at the client company's premises, covering the WILL Method posture transformation framework, tailored to a specific organization or team.
• WILL Method Certification Certification program for coaches, trainers, and consultants who wish to deliver the WILL Method framework to their own clients under WILL Academy accreditation.
• Club WILL Subscription-based community platform offering ongoing content, peer exchange, and continuous learning for alumni of WILL Academy programs and certified WILL Method practitioners.
• WILL Method Book Book authored by founder Pierre Fournier presenting the WILL Method framework for managerial posture transformation, sold directly via the WILL Academy website.
• Manager's Cards (Card Game) Physical card-based learning game that operationalizes the WILL Method framework, used by managers and teams as a hands-on tool to practice posture transformation in group settings.
• WILL App Mobile application supporting learners of the WILL Method, providing on-the-go access to method content and self-practice tools for managers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of trained managers use at least 3 WILL tools weekly (study, January 2026, 1500 respondents)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BPI (Banque Publique d'Investissement)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBPI (Banque Publique d'Investissement / French Public Investment Bank) partners with WILL to offer subsidized training for tech entrepreneurs. BPI subsidizes €500 per participant, bringing the Tech Leaders program price from €2,500 to €1,500 HT. BPI promotes the program through its startup ecosystem network.
• Tech.RockscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTech.Rocks is the community of CTOs and Tech Leaders in France. Partners with WILL to offer a dedicated WILL Academy track for tech leaders (12 sessions) with 20% discount (€2,000 HT instead of €2,500 HT). Tech.Rocks promotes the program to its membership and provides a dedicated enrollment page. Training is facilitated by former tech leaders.
• RAISE SherpasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRAISE Sherpas, an entrepreneurship support organization, partners with WILL to offer WILL Academy to its leader members. RAISE subsidizes part of the training cost for its participations.
• Les Héros de la VenteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLes Héros de la Vente (sales leaders community) partners with WILL to offer a dedicated WILL Academy track for sales leaders and managers with 20% discount. Provides co-branded enrollment page and promotes to its community.
• Enoa RHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnoa RH is a recruitment and HR consulting firm that lists WILL as a partner, sharing common values around human development in the workplace.
• ThigaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThiga is a Product Management consulting firm. Listed as a WILL partner, sharing common values around human development in the workplace.
• JobsThatMakeSenseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJobsThatMakeSense is a job platform focused on positive impact roles. Listed as a WILL partner, sharing common values around human development in the workplace.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• EM Lyon Executive Education: Executive education arm of EM Lyon (will co-founder Jad Hawat's alma mater), offering management programs for regional French executives. Comparable in target audience and methodology, primarily serving the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and broader French market.

Emerging players

• 360Learning: Collaborative learning platform used by L&D teams to author and deploy training internally. Adjacent competitor as a platform for manager training content delivery, though focused on LMS infrastructure rather than proprietary methodology.
• Rise Up: European learning platform powering blended training programs for L&D teams. Comparable as an enablement layer for cohort-based training delivery, but without a proprietary management methodology.
• Central Test: French HR assessment and development firm offering psychometric tools and manager development programs. Comparable in selling structured manager development content to French DRHs, with overlapping buyer persona.

Broad incumbents

• HEC Paris Executive Education: Executive education provider at HEC Paris offering leadership and management programs for executives. Comparable buyer (senior managers, DRHs) and methodology (coaching-based development), but with brand prestige and degree-anchored credibility.
• Right Management (ManpowerGroup): Talent and career development arm of ManpowerGroup offering leadership development and coaching to enterprises. Comparable buyer (DRH) and topic (manager development), but part of a much broader HR services portfolio.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with significant executive coaching and leadership development practices. Comparable in serving senior leadership development needs, but with a much broader consulting and search portfolio.

Direct peers

• CoachHub: Enterprise digital coaching platform serving global corporations. Comparable as a coaching-led leadership development solution sold to DRHs and L&D buyers, but delivered asynchronously and at much larger scale.
• BetterUp: Global enterprise coaching and leadership development platform combining 1:1 coaching with AI-driven tools. Comparable target buyer (CHRO/L&D) and methodology overlap (coaching-driven manager transformation), but at far larger scale and with venture funding.
• Cegos: French and global leader in corporate training and management development. Directly comparable as a B2B training provider selling manager/leadership development programs to enterprises across France, with a broader portfolio of topics than WILL Academy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLh-gge99KWze4QBmV1RwhotrQqDFh1X0V
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/will-academy

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 WILL Academy