By leveraging Intrepid’s platform, Grant Thornton transformed its Manager Development Program (MDP), driving measurable business impact. Participants achieved 6% higher utilization, generated $805,000 in additional sales per learner, and led $789,000 more in higher-value client engagements. Intrepid’s centralized platform streamlined the year-long learning journey, reduced administrative overhead, and supported the firm’s digital badging program to drive engagement. This scalable approach now sets a benchmark for leadership development that strengthens leadership capability while directly improving business performance.
Challenge
Grant Thornton, a global professional services firm, sought a cohesive, skills-focused leadership development program to build client-centric managers capable of delivering personalized experiences to clients. Previous programs were a series of disconnected sessions, lacking the structured focus to truly build skills, peer connections, and a network of support.
To address this, a centralized platform was needed to enable the year-long learning journey and power cohort-level activities with feedback and coaching so managers could advance together. The platform also promoted engagement (initially hovering at 50%) by allowing for better progress tracking to increase both learner participation and senior leader support.
To address this, a centralized platform was needed to enable the year-long learning journey and power cohort-level activities with feedback and coaching so managers could advance together. The platform also promoted engagement (initially hovering at 50%) by allowing for better progress tracking to increase both learner participation and senior leader support.
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Higher-Value Engagements
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Revenue
Solution
In partnership with Intrepid, Grant Thornton revamped its Manager Development Program (MDP) with targeted enhancements:
- Centralized Platform & Badging: The Intrepid platform allowed for a single digital hub that makes it easy for participants to find and track materials, especially asynchronous activities and on-the-job experiences in order to earn a program digital badge.
- Career-Aligned Learning Journeys: Program structure aligned with career milestones, guiding participants from new manager to experienced manager and ultimately to senior manager or director.
- Peer Collaboration & Continuous Feedback: Cohort-based activities and discussion board assignments created frequent feedback loops that fostered a collaborative learning environment, enhancing engagement and accountability.
- Optimized Schedule: Spaced learning journey with live sessions in fall and self-study in the spring aligned with business cycles to maintain steady participation and engagement.
- Interactive Coaching: Self-study modules paired with role-play during live, virtual sessions built essential coaching and feedback skills that increase coaching effectiveness and employee satisfaction.
"Creating a true learning experience across an entire year—especially for hundreds of managers—requires intentional design and the right tools. With Intrepid’s platform, we transformed our Manager Development Program into a seamless, engaging journey, where participants could access everything they needed in one place, driving both accountability and real impact."
Amy Happ - Director of Leadership Development & Learning Innovation, Learning & Effectiveness, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC
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Increase in
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Utilization
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Increase in Sales
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Per Learner
Results
The enhanced Manager Development Program delivered measurable business impact:
These results demonstrate the program’s direct impact on performance, profitability, and leadership effectiveness.
- 18% Increase in Revenue: Program participants managed 18% more revenue year over year.
- 6% Increase in Utilization: Participants averaged 2.4 additional billable hours per week—equivalent to nearly three extra billable weeks annually.
- $790k Higher-Value Engagements (per learner): Managers led significantly more strategic, higher-value client work across the year.
- $805k Increase in Sales (per learner): Participants generated substantial revenue gains, including $527,000 in new business and $278,000 from expanded existing client engagements.
These results demonstrate the program’s direct impact on performance, profitability, and leadership effectiveness.