Promoting safety in transportation through cultural transformation

Client need

A leading global aluminum manufacturer faced a pivotal challenge: how to create a unified, empowered workforce in a highly decentralized organization. Each business unit operated autonomously, making it difficult to align global learning with local needs. The company recognized the need for enterprise-wide development programs that supported its business and HR strategies while preserving local flexibility.To meet this challenge, the organization launched a Corporate Learning University—a multi-year initiative to transform its approach to employee development. BTS collaborated with HR and L&D leaders to co-create a comprehensive portfolio of programs tailored to different roles and career stages across the enterprise.SolutionThe transformation began with a clear vision: align learning with strategic outcomes to unify and empower a decentralized workforce. BTS worked with the company to create an impact map linking business priorities—financial performance, safety, and employee engagement—to the behaviors and skills required at each level of the organization.The map established three key learning objectives:Foster unity and collaboration across a decentralized structure.Strengthen business acumen to improve contribution and decision-making.Build a shared leadership identity aligned with company values.Using these objectives as a foundation, BTS and the client designed programs for every stage of the employee journey.For mid-level leaders, a nine-month Leadership Development Program combined two in-depth workshops with an online learning journey:Leading Self: Introduced Liz Wiseman’s Multipliers framework, enabling leaders to expand their teams’ capacity through role-plays and practical exercises.Leading the Business: A three-day custom business simulation where participants acted as CEOs, balancing profitability, safety, and customer satisfaction across simulated fiscal years.The learning ecosystem expanded beyond mid-level management to include:Frontline leader training focused on operational excellence and people management.Executive development sessions designed for senior leaders to strengthen strategic alignment and culture building.By embedding strategy directly into every program, the company built a cohesive, enterprise-wide learning culture that reinforced leadership capability, collaboration, and business impact.ResultsThe co-created programs delivered measurable, strategic outcomes across safety, engagement, and financial performance.Key results included:Financial performance: Optimized production schedules and reduced inventory, improving cash flow.Operational efficiency: Empowered managers to focus on asset utilization and controllable budget items.Cultural transformation: Embedded the Multipliers framework to drive collaboration, daily CapEx reviews, and safety-oriented onboarding for new hires.Leadership excellence: Increased coaching and feedback frequency, improving communication and alignment across teams.These initiatives not only elevated employee engagement but also positioned the company as an industry leader in workplace culture and performance.By integrating business and HR strategy into a unified learning ecosystem, BTS helped the manufacturer achieve its vision of becoming the most exciting place to work and invest—demonstrating the power of tailored, results-driven leadership development.

Client needA global engineering organization with a 170-year legacy of innovation had long thrived by evolving—advancing technology, entering new markets, and solving complex industrial challenges at scale.As the pace of change accelerated—driven by new technologies, shifting customer expectations, and growing sustainability demands—the leadership team faced a critical realization: technical expertise and operational excellence alone were no longer enough. To succeed in a fast-moving world, the company needed a culture rooted in accountability, collaboration, and adaptability.Leaders saw the opportunity to strengthen the bridge between strategy and execution by embedding consistent leadership behaviors across 15,000 employees, four divisions, and 50+ countries. The goal was to weave these behaviors into everyday decision-making, team interactions, and change leadership—preparing the business for its next era of growth.SolutionBTS partnered with the organization to embed this cultural transformation across all levels of the business. The initiative began with a discovery process involving 20+ stakeholder interviews, dozens of employee focus groups, and analysis of culture and engagement data. This uncovered both the organization’s existing strengths and the barriers holding back consistent leadership behaviors.These insights informed a multi-phase transformation journey—starting small, then scaling intentionally. The first step was an immersive, digital-first leadership development experience for a pilot group of 100 senior leaders. Hosted on a custom learning platform, the experience balanced global consistency with local relevance and helped leaders model the culture they sought to create.Key elements included:Immersive learning modules featuring videos, real-world simulations, and interactive exercises based on the company’s business context.Instructor-led workshops emphasizing high-impact behaviors, change leadership, and collaboration—creating a clear connection between strategy and execution.Peer pods and action labs that encouraged accountability, community, and the practical application of new habits.Activation tools such as behavioral dictionaries, meeting-in-a-box resources, and ambassador toolkits to help cascade the culture shift throughout the business.To ensure momentum, selected pilot participants were trained as internal facilitators—empowering them to lead sessions, coach peers, and champion the desired culture from within.ResultsThe program gained rapid traction, sparking a shift toward shared accountability and adaptive leadership.Leaders reported:High engagement and relevance of the experience (average score: 3.63 / 4)Strong facilitation and safe spaces for reflection (3.81 / 4)Clearer understanding and application of desired leadership behaviors (3.61 / 4)Follow-up engagement surveys showed that the new leadership behaviors ranked among the top five most recognized organizational shifts, signaling early success in the transformation effort.The organization continues to invest in expanding the initiative, viewing an adaptive, behavior-led culture not as a one-time project but as an enduring capability for navigating complexity and driving long-term success.

Client need

The snack industry is undergoing a profound shift. Changing consumer preferences, increased focus on sustainability, and the dominance of digital engagement are transforming how brands operate. For a leading multinational snack company, incremental adjustments were no longer sufficient. They needed a bold, strategic transformation in how Revenue Growth Management (RGM) was deployed across the organization to stay competitive in this evolving landscape.

The company recognized that to grow sustainably, they needed to equip their teams with the skills to drive stronger insights and greater agility. It wasn’t just about optimizing operations—it was about empowering employees to make data-driven decisions that would:

• Manage a diverse product portfolio effectively
• Expand market share while driving net revenue and profitability
• Broaden their consumer base without compromising relationships with existing consumers

This upskilling initiative would align their workforce with both immediate market shifts and long-term growth objectives.

Solution

The organization partnered with BTS to design a comprehensive program aimed at building Revenue Growth Management competencies and aligning team members with the company's new RGM strategy and execution. This long-term investment focused on equipping employees at all levels with the skills needed to navigate a complex and competitive market.

The program consisted of three levels of courses, with each level tailored to the participants’ roles within the company. These levels ranged from foundational RGM concepts to specialized, hands-on learning experiences:

Level 1 and Level 2 courses included:

• A simulated university setting that immersed participants in interactive, high-fidelity storytelling and real-world business narratives.
• Two self-paced modules where leaders engaged with real-world shopper scenarios, reinforcing their understanding of smart pricing, price pack architecture, investment optimization and budget allocation by customer.
• Practical lessons on managing product portfolios and maximizing profitability, designed to connect employees' day-to-day roles with broader organizational objectives.

Level 3 advanced certification for senior leaders involved a deeper level of mastery through a two-day simulated experience:

• Participants completed pre-work, incorporating research data and strategic insights from the first two levels.
• Teams developed fictitious business plans in a controlled, risk-free environment, allowing them to apply new skills and test strategies in real time.
• Leaders built a strategic PPA to foster long-term RGM thinking.
• A final application assessment judged by a panel of facilitators, evaluating the participants' ability to drive desired business outcomes.

The Level 1 and 2 courses were delivered virtually via Workday, enabling the project team to track key metrics and engagement in real time. The Level 3 course was delivered in person at a global summit. To ensure maximum impact, local market leaders played an active role in tailoring communication and engagement plans, targeting regional business units effectively.

Results

The impact of the Level 1 and 2 programs were immediate and measurable. Just two weeks after completing their courses, participants were tested on their learning, and nearly all of them met or exceeded the certification threshold:

• 4,000 leaders completed the entry-level training by April 2024.
• 74% of participants earned their certification with a passing score of 80% or higher.
• The program achieved a 98.5% average pass rate, with the remaining 25% representing those still in the process of completing their certification.

Participants who completed the program reported:

• Greater confidence in applying their financial skills to optimize decision-making and support the company’s growth objectives.
• Enhanced ability to contribute to both organizational success and their own professional development.

The advanced-level training for executive leaders is currently underway, featuring a two-day simulated experience designed to further embed Revenue Growth Management capabilities at the highest levels of the organization. Through this upskilling initiative, the company is building a more agile, financially savvy workforce ready to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing industry and sustain long-term growth.

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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Client need

A leading global media company, serving audiences in 170+ countries, had built its reputation on delivering high-quality content through a vast network of regional operations. With over 20,000 employees, its business relied on leaders at every level making fast, effective decisions in their markets while staying aligned to global strategy.

The company saw an opportunity to better support new leaders joining the organization globally and seasoned leaders seeking additional development opportunities, focusing on those responsible for bringing strategy to life every day.

To bridge that gap, the company set out to pilot a scalable leadership coaching program focused on:

• Building six leadership capabilities critical to business success
• Creating consistency across regions while respecting cultural and language nuance
• Measuring progress at individual, regional, and organizational levels
• Enabling development that lasts beyond the coaching engagement

The goal: strengthen alignment and elevate leadership impact across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia–Pacific region.

Solution

The challenge wasn’t just delivering coaching, it was creating a leadership development system that could work across continents, prove its impact, and adapt to local realities without diluting global priorities.

The company partnered with Sounding Board, a BTS company, to design a pilot that blended human expertise with scaled, tech-enabled insight to meet four imperatives:

• Activating frontline and mid-level leadership – Focused on people leaders who directly shape day-to-day execution and culture.
• Building the capabilities that matter – Six leadership behaviors rooted in the company’s unique culture, values, and strategic operating principles, ensuring development was relevant to how leaders drive success within the organization.
• Ensuring quality at scale – AI-driven matching connected each leader to a coach with relevant industry, regional, and cultural experience.
• Making growth measurable and sustainable – Biweekly coaching reinforced through a digital platform for goal tracking, reflection, and feedback, plus structured manager check-ins to keep progress aligned to business needs.

Scaled coaching gave the company a consistent platform and approach to leadership development, developing leaders in every region to the same leadership expectations and behaviors. Real-time insights surfaced trends in behavior change, engagement, and alignment early enough to adjust the program midstream. The data struck the right balance between consistency and cultural relevance, showing where local adaptations strengthened leadership and where global priorities needed to hold firm.

Results

By the end of the program, leaders across continents were working from the same playbook, speaking a shared leadership language, and working in ways that respected local context and in alignment to how they wanted leaders to show up in the organization. Managers noticed stronger alignment with their direct reports, leaders felt more confident in their roles, and the data showed tangible shifts in the behaviors tied to business success.

Impact at a glance:

• 84% completion rate demonstrated sustained engagement.
• 92% of coachees advanced their development goals, with nearly as many showing measurable improvement in targeted leadership behaviors.
• 84% of coachees and 64% of managers reported stronger alignment in how they approached priorities and collaboration.
• 76% of leaders progressed toward broader career goals, signaling a stronger leadership pipeline.
• 87% satisfaction rate with coaching, reinforced by a 95% coach match success rate.
• 30% of coachees reported increased job satisfaction—critical in a competitive talent market.

What’s next:

The company expanded coaching to 50+ additional team leaders and began planning its rollout to mid-level managers worldwide, confident they have a model that delivers measurable growth, alignment, and cultural agility at scale.

Testimonials

“I have seen [my report] take it to another, more strategic level, particularly as she engages with her senior stakeholder. She spent time reflecting on what she wanted to get out of their first meeting, how to present herself as his new partner, what kind of questions would solicit the most meaningful responses etc.” — Senior Manager

“[My report] increased her capacity to appreciate the views of others and to work to develop them. She expanded her horizons to think outside of her comfort zones and to draw out some fine work from others. She showed improved capacity to help others develop their own ideas, rather than imposing her own on them.” — Senior Manager

“[Coaching] has helped me have a better understanding of where I enjoy working and developing most so I can continue to do so.” — Coachee

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