Our Story
Our Story
Openside Group is the leading provider of executive development, training, coaching and advisory, to professional services firms.
Our specialist programmes cover market leading techniques in the application of analytical problem solving, critical thinking, leadership, personal development, executive presence, and storytelling. We can point to a 30-year history of working with some of the world’s leading brands to enhance their capability, achievement of excellence and business success across consulting, advisory, supply chain sales and business development. Our proprietary frameworks and practitioner-led rather than theory-based approach, ensures that techniques learned on our programmes can be adopted easily into business as usual and quickly become part of the organisation’s DNA and ways of working.
Our Heritage
Many of the world’s leading professional services firms in consulting, law, accounting and financial services continue to work with us.
Openside itself emerged out of Booz Allen Hamilton. Our clients include strategy firms, Big Four accounting and advisory firms, the top five leading law firms, as well as international organisations. Technology, Telecoms, FMCG, manufacturing and pharmaceutical professionals have all have benefited from learning and adopting the best practices, skills and behaviours gained through attendance on our programmes.
We have worked in more than thirty countries across six continents, delivering development programmes, mentoring and coaching for new recruits, managers, senior executives and Partners.
Our Timeline
Over thirty years of supporting consulting excellence and enabling career pathways for professional services firms and in-house teams.
1987-1990
Independent training and development firm spun-out of Booz Allen Hamilton to help with IBM’s move into consulting.
Mix of open courses and in-house workshops on the consulting process for IBM.
More than 2,400 IBM consultants trained in the UK, Malaysia, South Africa, Germany, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Korea, Scandinavia, Taiwan, Saudi UAE, Hong Kong, France, Singapore, US, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina.
Key clients also acquired in Banking, Accounting, Electronics and Insurance.
1991-2000
Open courses and in-house training. New courses introduced for Engagement Leadership, Leading Project Teams, Managing the Consulting Engagement, Selling Professional Services, Interviewing and Data Collection, Structured Communication and Storytelling.
William Johnson became Managing Director.
Original research published: The Way Forward – a two-year international study bringing the best of external consultant practice to the unique world of internal consultants.
Major clients acquired in FMCG and Management and IT Consulting.
2001-2010
A reduction in open courses and a move towards client-specific training.
Research-based programmes created for internal consulting teams – providing a pragmatic approach for managers and practitioners in addressing corporate contracts, client-consultant relationships and the consulting cycle.
Bespoke client programmes designed around Managing Client Interactions, General Manager Mindset, Partner Business Development, Negotiation skills and behaviours, Associate Career Planning and R&D Strategic and Influencing Skills.
Client base broadened to include Automotive, BPO, Energy, Healthcare, Technology.
2011-2020
Focus on professional services and advisory skills development for internal teams. New programmes designed for consultative business development, building your business, expanding client opportunities, written communications, managing effective interactions.
Joined Management Consultancies Association, advising on its Consulting Excellence curriculum and aligning Openside curriculum with the Chartered Management Consultancy award (ChMC). Transformed 30-years’ worth of professional services development materials for on-line delivery.
Developed ‘Vienna’ software to assess the impact of learning post-programme.
Expanded into Executive Education, Pharma, Government Services, Shipping, Telecoms, Chemical Manufacturing.
2021-
New clients won in Cyber Security Recruitment, Executive Search, Property Management and Economic Consulting. Extending industry penetration for our analytical and critical thinking skills programmes and development of in-house consulting teams.
Developed the first in a series of e-Learning modules for Analytical Problem Solving, as part of a blended tutor-led and online approach to consulting skills learning and development.