Accelerating development with a performance culture

Client need

Ibercaja Bank, a well-established European financial institution with a strong history of serving its communities, recognized the importance of evolving its operations to meet new regulatory demands while staying true to its mission of empowering its people and supporting its customers. Balancing these priorities meant addressing the European Central Bank's (ECB) requirements for aligning asset operations with risk-adjusted return on capital (RAROC) principles—a necessary step to ensure sustainable profitability.

As a customer-focused organization, Ibercaja was committed to equipping its branch managers and client-facing professionals with the tools and knowledge to succeed in this new environment. The bank introduced a suite of resources, including a RAROC calculation tool, online learning modules, and a “pricing circuit,” to help its employees integrate RAROC into their daily decision-making processes.  

However, initial feedback revealed that some employees viewed these tools as procedural burdens rather than opportunities to drive better decisions and outcomes for the bank and its customers.

This prompted Ibercaja to take a thoughtful and strategic approach to improvement, identifying key areas to ensure that its employees not only embraced RAROC but also felt confident using it to strengthen relationships with customers. The bank focused on:

• Helping employees shift from transactional goals to sustainable, long-term profitability to benefit both the business and its customers.

• Building awareness of how effective capital allocation could enhance financial performance and customer offerings.

• Equipping branch managers and client-facing teams with the financial skills to use RAROC as a practical and empowering tool.

• Encouraging a mindset that viewed RAROC not as a compliance task but as a way to deliver better outcomes for customers and the bank.

By addressing these areas, Ibercaja sought to empower its people to deliver even greater value to customers while aligning with regulatory standards—strengthening its reputation as a thoughtful and innovative financial institution.

Solution

Ibercaja Bank partnered with BTS to create a practical, engaging training program that supported its branch managers and client-facing teams in navigating the complexities of the RAROC framework. The program was designed to help employees connect RAROC principles directly to their daily responsibilities, equipping them with the skills and confidence to make informed decisions that benefited both the bank and its customers.

Recognizing the diverse needs of its workforce, the training was tailored for two distinct groups:

• Tool Connoisseurs: Employees already familiar with RAROC and managing complex operations, who needed advanced insights to maximize the tool’s strategic value.

• Non-Tool Connoisseurs: Employees newer to RAROC, who required foundational knowledge to apply the framework effectively and with confidence.

The program was rolled out in three carefully designed phases:

1. Collaborative Design and Roadmap: BTS worked closely with Ibercaja’s leaders across finance, risk, marketing, and retail banking to identify the unique needs of each employee group. Together, they developed a clear roadmap with tailored goals, customized content, and a training plan aligned with the bank’s strategic priorities.

1. Pilot Sessions: To ensure relevance and effectiveness, the program was tested with 34 employees through pilot sessions. These sessions included interactive exercises and real-world simulations to help participants see how RAROC connected to profitability and decision-making in their roles. Participants practiced pricing decisions in realistic scenarios and provided valuable feedback to refine the final program design.

1. Full-Scale Rollout and Simulations: The final phase included hands-on "know-how" sessions to deepen employees’ financial understanding and help them confidently apply RAROC concepts. Tool Connoisseurs participated in one-day sessions focused on advanced applications, while Non-Tool Connoisseurs attended shorter sessions to build foundational skills. Both groups engaged in simulations and decision-making exercises that connected learning to action. Participants left each session with actionable plans to apply their new knowledge immediately in their roles.

By tailoring the training to Ibercaja’s specific needs and fostering collaboration across teams, BTS ensured the program resonated with employees and aligned seamlessly with the bank’s strategic goals.

Results

The training delivered measurable and lasting impact, transforming RAROC from a regulatory requirement into a strategic asset that empowered employees to make more effective decisions:

• Widespread adoption: 84% of new operations were priced using the RAROC calculator, reflecting a significant shift in behavior and mindset across the organization.

• Extensive participation: Over 1,100 employees from multiple departments completed the program, promoting collaboration and a shared understanding of profitability goals.

• Tangible outcomes: Participants drove more than 460 initiatives that enhanced cost-effectiveness, refined pricing strategies, and improved profit margins, strengthening the bank’s overall performance.

Feedback from participants underscored the program’s success:

• Both Tool Connoisseurs and Non-Tool Connoisseurs rated the program an impressive 4.6 out of 5

• Facilitators earned strong Net Promoter Scores (NPS) of 79% and 76%, indicating high satisfaction and engagement.

Beyond individual improvements, the training fostered a culture of strategic thinking and collaboration. By equipping employees with the tools to make better decisions and align their efforts with the bank’s broader priorities, Ibercaja Bank reinforced its commitment to delivering exceptional value to both its customers and its stakeholders. This focus on profitability, efficiency, and customer satisfaction positioned the bank for continued growth and long-term success.

Client need

An American biopharmaceutical company set ambitious strategic goals for 2030, including advancing innovative solutions that could transform healthcare access for patients worldwide. Historically, the company operated within a hierarchical, command-and-control culture, where perfectionism fueled high expectations but often led to volatility and siloed operations.

Over time, these dynamics eroded trust, psychological safety, and empowerment, stifling creativity and exploration. The organization struggled with indirect communication, limited constructive feedback, and avoided difficult conversations—factors that not only hampered employee agility and growth but also stifled effective leadership. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive cultural transformation to achieve its strategic goals, the company partnered with BTS to reshape its leadership approach, creating a more dynamic, inclusive, and collaborative workplace.

Solution

Together, BTS and the company co-designed a five-month immersive leadership program aimed at reaching 5,000 employees across all levels during a multi-year rollout—from senior to frontline leaders.

The program’s primary focus areas included:

• Strengthening relationships and teamwork to build a more cohesive, collaborative culture
• Fostering psychological safety to create an environment where leaders feel empowered to take risks and share ideas
• Aligning leadership behaviors with the company’s strategic vision and Leadership Accountabilities.

The collaboration began with a two and a half month development phase and a 18-month rollout phase, including a six-week pilot with four initial cohorts. This pilot phase enabled the team to refine the program based on direct participant and stakeholder feedback, ensuring maximum relevance and impact before the full-scale launch. The program was rooted in vertical development models, designed to shift participants’ mindsets by introducing new perspectives and equipping them with essential skills. The primary goal was to help participants understand the critical role of stronger people leadership in the company’s future success and how to bring that to life. These objectives were achieved by focusing on building not only skills (Capability) but also self awareness, broader perspectives, different mindsets (Capacity) and Community.

The program was delivered globally, with cohorts of 30 participants each, creating an intimate, diverse learning environment. Each cohort engaged in a multi-faceted journey that included:

• Virtual kickoff: A 60-minute session where facilitators introduced program objectives and outlined expectations. Participants were given access to a multi-modal digital platform housing a comprehensive collection of resources, from reading materials to assignments and were encouraged to consider why the program was important.
• Pre-work: Designed to lay a solid foundation, participants engaged with interactive videos, podcasts, and articles to identify personal learning gaps and explore potential challenges. This preparatory phase fostered a reflective mindset, allowing participants to enter the immersion experience ready to grow.
• Three-day in-person immersive learning: Through activities, leaders practiced critical skills such as building self-awareness, developing trust, and improving relationships and communication. The program emphasized real human connection from the very beginning, starting with introductory exercises designed to foster meaningful relationships. Participants actively worked to strengthen these connections, enhancing collaboration and community. Content was organized into deepening self-awareness – managing my state and understanding my immunity to change (Day One – ME), relational skills eg. deep listening and intimate connection; coaching and employing various communication styles (Day Two – US) and using these tools to get the work done through effective empowerment, delegation, and feedback (Day Three – IT). This structure supported a progressive deep dive into personal and professional development.. The immersive experience included journaling, small and large group activities, and peer coaching, offering a balance of external collaboration and personal reflection.
• Go-Dos: After the immersion, participants were encouraged to reflect on their experiences and practice new behaviors in their daily work.
• Pods: Following each Go-Do, leaders participated in four small group coaching sessions, known as pods, formed from their immersion table groups. These formal pods were led by an immersion facilitator or an experienced coach trained in the program’s content. The pods provided a space for participants to share successes and challenges while exploring the on-the-job application of tools and concepts. They also became a safe, supportive environment for team building and relationship development.
• Ongoing support: The program included resources for continued learning and reinforcement, such as conversation guides, refresher content, online discussion forums, and networking opportunities.

Results

By April 2024, the program had reached 2,400 leaders through 94 cohorts launched globally. The program’s success is reflected in several key metrics:

• Net promoter score: 96%
• Go-Do completion rate: 98%
• Pod-coaching attendance: 90%

The program also included comprehensive pre- and post-program surveys to track leadership competency improvements. These surveys revealed a significant increase in confidence and performance across key areas, including:

• Mission and strategy alignment: +86%
• Collaboration: +77%
• Inclusion: +76%
• Engagement: +78%
• Well-being: +70%
• Overall efficiency: +57%

The success of this initiative means that the company will continue to offer the program to new and promoted people leaders. This strategic investment is helping to solidify a foundation of transformative leadership that drives the company’s goals and strengthens its competitive position.

Testimonials

“I’m really stunned at how empowered I feel to expand my leadership skills. I was truly skeptical before this.”

“This is the most impactful leadership development experience I’ve had in 15 years.”

“I was initially skeptical, having been on many training courses that achieved very little. I was pleasantly surprised at how insightful, challenging, and ultimately rewarding the sessions were.”

“This is such a shift in how we train people leaders and it’s about time we learn into this model. We are truly changing the mind to think bigger future for all.

Client need

A leading telecommunications organization in the Middle East had long partnered with BTS on strategy implementation and business acumen-building initiatives. Two years into the partnership, the organization embarked on a new strategic direction: providing digital services such as fintech, on-demand video, IoT enablement, analytics, and cybersecurity. To bring this transformation to life, the organization’s mid-level managers needed to shift existing mindsets and behaviors and develop the requisite digital knowledge.

To execute key strategic objectives outlined in the new strategy, the organization and BTS co-created a digital excellence program that combined the organization’s existing curricula on IoT with BTS’s expertise in AI- and data-driven decision-making. The organization had already embarked on two training initiatives: the knowledge transfer program, which fostered a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration by tapping into the organization’s collective intellectual capital, and the specialty development program, which sought to position employees as trusted digital advisors by cultivating specializations according to industry trends. Together, the organization and BTS incorporated both initiatives into a single, streamlined digital learning journey.  

The solution

To reach both target audiences, executives (general managers and vice presidents) and mid-level leaders (section managers and directors) attended specifically-designed versions of the digital excellence program to address each group’s specific needs.  

Busy executives experienced an abbreviated version of the journey, while mid-level leaders went through a longer program, which included an additional day of AI training and an additional two days of data-driven decision-making training. For the AI component of the program, BTS facilitators built a simulation that leveraged BTS IP on the topic. For the data-driven decision-making portion, BTS built a big data simulation with input from the organization’s senior data scientists.

The program is comprised of six modules, each of which was carefully designed to address specific technologies relevant to the organization’s growth trajectory. As a result of the experience, people would become better equipped to drive innovation, adopt emerging technologies, and lead their teams towards the organization’s strategic goals.

• Module 1, Data-driven decision-making: A two-day, BTS-led experience to help leaders understand how to frame business problems like data science problems in order to derive strategic insight from the organization’s big data.
• Module 2, Innovation leaders lab: A one-day experience equipping leaders to create an environment in which innovation can flourish.
• Module 3, Artificial Intelligence for business growth: A two-day, BTS-led experience about capitalizing on artificial intelligence to drive business growth.
• Module 4, Master classes: Two-day sessions featuring the organization’s internal experts on exploiting cyber security, 5G, and cloud technologies.  
• Module 5, Emerging technologies: A four-day, joint-facilitation effort covering IoT, smart cities, and robotics.  
• Module 6, Digital excellence symposium: A daylong set of internal expert-led knowledge sharing sessions featuring data visualization, drones, and other emerging technologies.

Results

To date, the initiative has reached eight cohorts of leaders. 87.6 percent of those leaders reported that they would recommend the program to a colleague. Given the program’s success so far in transforming the traditional telecommunications organization into a digital services provider, the organization plans to run many more cohorts in the future. Overall, the experience has catalyzed the organization’s continued growth by empowering its middle management to navigate the digital landscape with confidence.

Client need

Safety in the transportation industry has often been treated as a set of rules to follow and boxes to check. But one Spanish railway organization saw an opportunity to redefine safety as something far greater, a core value embedded into the culture of their company at every level.

This bold vision demanded more than compliance. It required a cultural transformation to challenge outdated behaviors, inspire teams, and empower leaders to embrace and model a safety-first mindset. For years, the organization had been working to foster a culture that prioritized protection over profit, setting new behavioral standards across the industry.

To accelerate this shift, the organization partnered with BTS to design a leadership development program that dismantled old practices and equipped leaders with the tools, insights, and behaviors needed to bring their vision to life.

• Deconstruct existing mindsets to enable cohesive change.
• Identify barriers preventing progress.
• Equip leaders with practical behavioral knowledge and tools.

Solution

BTS partnered with the organization to design a leadership journey that would reshape not just processes but perspectives, fostering a workplace where physical and psychological safety were paramount. Over eight months, the project team conducted interviews with leaders and focus groups to uncover critical behavioral insights and tailor the program to the organization’s unique needs.

Participants explored essential themes, including:

• Embedding safety into daily decision-making.
• Cultivating greater awareness of safety risks.
• Understanding the influence of their leadership on safety outcomes.
• Leading by example to set a cultural standard.
• Building trust, commitment, and open communication within their teams.

The program unfolded in three distinct phases to drive lasting behavioral change:

1. Workshop preparation
   Participants began with a self-assessment to uncover personal “safety blind spots” and mind traps. This phase, delivered through a custom online platform, helped leaders reflect on their current practices and prepare for the transformational journey ahead.

3. Safety workshop
   The one-day, immersive workshop was designed to spark deep conversations about safety culture, challenge ingrained mindsets, and equip participants with actionable strategies for change. Leaders engaged in real-world scenarios to explore the implications of their decisions and practice new behaviors. The day concluded with collaborative debrief sessions, leaving participants with practical tools to implement their insights immediately.
4. Implementation in action
   To sustain momentum, the post-workshop phase extended over six months, offering six targeted activities. These activities reinforced key lessons, encouraged team collaboration, and provided ongoing support for integrating safety-first behaviors into daily routines.

The leadership program was delivered to 1500 participants over 66 workshops in seven locations across Spain.

Results

To measure results, the project team created a resource map evaluating progress.  

Average completion rate of Activities One–Three: 57 percent. (One: 78.21%; Two: 53. 01%; Three: 40.57%)

A post-workshop survey was sent to participants, reporting on the following metrics:

• Average satisfaction — 4.7/5.
• Trainer’s evaluation — 4.9/5.
• NPS — 82 percent.
• “Saw improvement in safety alignment” — 93 percent.
• “Integrated safety tools in daily roles” — 82 percent.
• “Identified new initiatives for improving safety” — 77 percent.
• “Mitigated team/peer mind traps” — 93 percent.
• “More aware of risk in daily roles” — 98 percent.
• “Identified a normalized risk to work on” — 92 percent.

Testimonials

• “Many of the methodologies and tools not only help to improve safety but can also be used to improve operational or organizational processes.”

• “It has put us in front of the mirror of how we are today in terms of safety culture, opening our eyes to our development areas. Very participative and practical.”

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Over the years, BTS has expanded its global footprint through thoughtful acquisitions and collaborations, bringing new creative capabilities and local expertise into the fold. From digital design studios to leadership consultancies across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, we’ve built a community that blends shared values with local perspective. That diversity has become one of our greatest strengths, shaping how we design and deliver learning that feels deeply personal everywhere we work.

Whether someone is in a leadership journey in Singapore, a coaching program in São Paulo, or a strategy workshop in Stockholm, the goal is always the same: to make the experience feel like it was made just for them.

Many of those experiences live on Momenta, BTS’s digital experience platform, powering journeys like Coaching, Multipliers, and other core programs.

As those experiences grew, so did the need for nuance. Every journey had to feel local, not just sound translated. Tone, humor, and cultural context have always been central to the BTS approach, and as demand expanded across formats and regions, our translation model was ready for its next evolution.

In early 2024, the team began exploring how AI could help. Rather than treating technology as the destination, we saw it as a catalyst, a way to rethink translation and deliver richer, more customized client experiences at scale. That curiosity sparked one of BTS’s most ambitious AI-first experiments, led by our Global Product Enablement Function team in partnership with our global network of linguists and translators.

Shifting to AI-first

The next step was finding the right place to experiment. Enter Phrase, a cloud-based translation management platform that quickly became our test lab. Phrase brings every part of the translation process into one place, from machine translation engines to human review, terminology management, and workflow tracking. It gives our linguists, designers, and project teams a shared space to collaborate, test ideas, and learn.

Over the next few months, two key discoveries reshaped how we think about translation, and ultimately, how we work.

Key discovery 1: Making AI a teammate

We began with a clear goal: make translation faster and more consistent. Using Phrase, AI handled the first drafts while our linguists refined them. Quickly, we realized there was potential for AI-value that went far beyond speed.  

With AI completing the first 80% of the work in a fraction of the time, our linguists could focus on what matters most: nuance, tone, and cultural resonance. The relationship evolved from oversight to collaboration, AI structured and scaled, humans shaped and elevated.

The result was more than efficiency. It was better work, created by people and technology learning to amplify each other.

Key discovery 2: Turning a roadblock into a redesign

Next came a design challenge. Phrase, like most translation tools, struggled with text embedded in graphics, a hallmark of many BTS learning experiences. Instead of forcing the tool to adapt, we changed how we created.

We began designing with translation in mind: simplifying visuals, reducing text, and using modular components that could flex across languages. The constraint sparked better design, easier to scale, more consistent, and more inclusive for every audience.

Key discovery 3: Integrating systems for scale

With people, AI, and design in sync, the last barrier was process. Managing translations between Phrase and Momenta still required manual effort.

To fix that, we built an API integration linking the two platforms. Now, files move automatically, progress is tracked in real time, and everything stays connected.

That integration turned our workflow into a unified ecosystem, fast, transparent, and ready to scale globally.

Business impact

Just 18 months ago, our translation reviews lived in double-column Word docs. Today, we work in a fully connected, AI-first ecosystem. Each project feeds the next, refining prompts, tone profiles, and design patterns, so our translation process keeps getting faster, smarter, and more aligned with BTS’s voice.

Speed and quality. Translation cycles that once took months now wrap up in weeks, cutting turnaround times by over 40%. Phrase’s tools and AI-powered workflows accelerate production while maintaining quality through expert-approved reuse, glossaries, and automated quality checks. Even complex formats like videos and animations are localized faster, with AI supporting linguists at every step.

Smarter workflows. The integration between Momenta and Phrase automates project transfers and tracking, saving an estimated 2.5 hours per project. Teams across language, digital, and project management now collaborate in one streamlined environment.

Human focus. Our linguists remain the engine of quality and innovation. With AI managing repetitive tasks, they focus on nuance and meaning, and go further by creating specialized GPTs, training databases, and testing translation engines to continually raise the bar.

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A BTS next gen innovation story

When BTS invented business simulations in the 1980s, leadership development was mostly theoretical – case studies, lectures, and frameworks about what good decisions looked like. Simulations changed that. They let leaders learn by doing, stepping into a realistic version of their business to test strategy, make decisions, and see the impact before the stakes were real.

Since then, simulations have evolved from spreadsheets to digital platforms to immersive virtual experiences that capture the complexity of leading in today’s world. Now, large language models and agentic AI are opening a new frontier, one where simulations evolve as fast as the world they reflect and experiential learning scales with the pace of change.

Creating space for exploration

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Test quickly, abandon what doesn’t work, and share what you learn.
– Jessica Skon, CEO, BTS

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A handful of simulation experts were pulled out of their day-to-day work and given the freedom to set their own direction. They had the authority to shape the roadmap and the protection to explore bold ideas without fear of critique. The brief was simple: go figure out what’s possible.

They had cover to fail fast, freedom to explore, and permission to get a little messy. Early wins were interesting but small. AI could draft faster, automate a few things – helpful, sure. Transformative? Not yet.

The breakthrough came when we stopped trying to bolt AI on to what we already did. We rebuilt our simulation platforms, our processes, and tools from the ground up around AI. Suddenly it wasn’t just about micro-gains & efficiencies, the canvas of possibility was much larger.

From experimentation to acceleration

So, we tested. Some tools showed promise, others, not so much. Every experiment taught us something. Each “failure” made us sharper about where AI could actually help, and where it would just get in the way.

What began as small experiments turned into a new way of working, a process and platform working as one.

AI now accelerates the first 80% of the work, the structure, synthesis, and early drafts, freeing BTS consultants to focus on the high-impact moments that drive behavior change: dilemmas, trade-offs, and conversations that build conviction.

Our new AI simulation platform and AI-First development process operationalizes that process:

• Enabling live co-creation and branching edits with clients
• Applying light guardrails for quality and security
• Integrating with enterprise systems for compliance and control

AI accelerates, people transform. That combination is what makes BTS… BTS.

Clients feel the impact in four ways

1. Fast spin-ups for focused needs
   For targeted challenges like coaching a customer conversation, debriefing a safety incident, aligning a sales team, we can now stand up bespoke simulations in days, not weeks. Teams co-create live; scenarios adjust in the room; relevance is immediate.
2. Enterprise simulations for strategy alignment
   For multi-round, high-fidelity simulations, AI accelerates the structure without compromising quality. BTS experts still craft the dilemmas and trade-offs that drive conviction.
3. A broader platform portfolio
   Beyond enterprise simulations, we now support conversational practice, skill drills, workflow redesign, and company or market modeling, helping clients choose the right tool for each need.
4. On-demand, without the risk
   Clients can use our AI platform for self-authored micro-sims, where speed and iteration matter most. Our toolchain scaffolds the flow, enforces guardrails, and keeps quality high.

The best model is flexible: enable where DIY shines, co-build for complex challenges, and experts lead end-to-end when outcomes matter most.

What clients are already seeing

• Weeks to hours: Work that once took six weeks was delivered as a high-fidelity experience in just 13 hours, specific enough to engage a CEO on first pass.
• Lean, agile teams: Projects that required seven consultants now take two, with no loss in quality or impact.
• Live collaboration: Simulations are built with clients, not for them, adjusted in real time during design and delivery.

The result: faster delivery, deeper relevance, and experiences that scale across an enterprise without losing the human touch.

The bigger picture

BTS simulations have always given leaders a safe place to wrestle with real dilemmas. AI hasn’t changed that, it’s expanded the canvas. By rebuilding how we design and deliver simulations, we’ve removed the trade-off between speed and substance.

Focused needs can now be met in days. Complex transformations can move at the pace of business. Clients can engage however they choose, DIY, co-create, or end-to-end, with BTS expertise guiding every step.

We’re still early in this chapter, just like our clients. But the direction is clear: faster, smarter, more scalable experiential learning, anchored in human judgment, strategic alignment, and the craft that defines BTS.

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