- 05.05.2025
Anna’s overview and reflections of the training program
Four of us from BearingPoint Finland had the opportunity to join BearingPoint’s Oxford Academy 2024 (BE.Oxford). This training program is based on Oxford Business School’s MBA curriculum and it is tailored specifically for BearingPoint's Senior Consultants as they move towards management roles. One of BearingPoint’s core values is that "We empower people to succeed". Supporting our consultants’ growth and development is one of the activities that demonstrates this value. Depending on career level and orientation, different kinds of development opportunities are offered to BearingPoint employees. These range from more extensive training programs to shorter training sessions and internal knowledge sharing.
BE.Oxford started in March 2024 and in April we had 2,5 days training onsite in Oxford. Prior to this, we participated in online sessions and completed our personality assessment. One of the main program objectives is to enhance self-awareness. We got to choose ourselves a coach who to work with through the program. Our first coaching session focused on analyzing the personality assessment results. This was the first time I had a coach for other purposes than sports and I found it really rewarding. My coach was always asking the right questions and offering a fresh perspective.
In total, we were 160 people in the program from all the BearingPoint countries. Our days in Oxford were full of interesting lessons and getting to know your colleagues from other countries. The lessons were focused on preparing us for management and leadership. We learned for example how to have more challenging conversations and got to practice with some real-life examples. One of the highlights of these onsite days was our dinner at Balliol College. It is one of the oldest colleges in Oxford (founded 1263), so its atmosphere is hard to beat.
After the lovely days in Oxford, our program continued with Pioneer Project phase where we learned what it takes to develop an idea and pitch that. Our colleague Aki has shared some insights of this phase in here.
Pioneer Project phase was completed before the summer holidays. When we returned to work, our program continued with personalized self-study and virtual live sessions. There were in total eight modules that we could choose from. These sessions taught us more advanced skills e.g. in time management, delegations, negotiations and taking business decisions.
In March 2025 it was time to travel back to Oxford and complete the program. It was lot of fun seeing everyone again but also a bit bitter-sweet as we knew it was the end of the program. We arrived on Sunday to Oxford and got to join a walking tour called “Uncomfortable Oxford”. On Monday and Tuesday we learned about company culture, storytelling and psychological safety to give some examples. Here are the reflections of this phase from our colleague Pilvi.
Kastor’s highlights and learnings from the training program
The whole BE.Oxford Academy was an important learning journey and a valuable professional development for me. The entire program came together beautifully during the final two-day residential session in Oxford, where I had the chance to both deepen my understanding of leadership concepts and reflect on how these apply to my day-to-day work and client engagements. The sessions touched on themes such as leading through culture, psychological safety, performance dynamics, storytelling, and even embracing failure as a learning opportunity.
One of the highlights for me was the “Influential Leadership” session led by Sasha Behar. Drawing lessons from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, we analysed how characters like Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, and Mark Antony led and influenced others—for better or worse. This Mythodrama format brought the theory to life in a creative and memorable way. We even got to step into their shoes and test our own influencing skills by forming alliances and shaping group actions—a great exercise in experiential learning.
Looking back at the full Oxford Academy journey, I feel privileged to have had this opportunity. BearingPoint’s investment in our development is truly inspiring, and this experience has not only expanded my leadership toolkit but also strengthened my motivation to grow into a future management role.
I am especially looking forward to applying these learnings in real project settings—whether it is using storytelling in client pitches, fostering psychological safety within my teams, or navigating complex group dynamics with greater confidence. I have even suggested a few changes to our practice based on the learnings, and it is exciting to see those ideas starting to gain momentum.
Authors:
Anna Leiramo
Business Advisor
BearingPoint Finland
Kastor Brunila
Senior Business Consultant
BearingPoint Finland