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Client News - Telefónica, 2009 and beyond

Oxford Leadership Academy set to lead culture change in Telefónica through 2010.

Everything, including teachers, coaching, logistics and infrastructure has been exceptional

Javier Delgado, Director, Telefónica LATAM

In 2009 Oxford Leadership Academy are extending and deepening the Strategic Culture Change programme we have been delivering to global telecommunication giant Telefónica's top 1200 managers worldwide.

To stay ahead of the competition in a fast-moving technological market place, the Telefónica board have identified three aims, the fulfilment of which which are destined to maintain the company's eminent global position, and which lie at the heart of the Strategic Culture Change programme:

• The need to turn customers into fans
• The need to make Telefónica the best place to work
• The need to lead the digital future

Strategic Culture Change

To facilitate the achievement of these three key objectives Oxford Leadership Academy has been leading a strategy execution programme for senior teams across the world since 2008. In 2009 the focus of the programmes has been refined. In April Telefónica CEO Cesar Allierta and his Board were interviewed, and explained and clarified the main arms of the company strategy for employees. Videos of these interviews are now shown on each OLA-led programme, followed by intensive strategy execution workshops held over four days.

The OLA team supplemented by outside experts

The success of the latest set of Strategic Culture Change programmes at the Telefónica Corporate University has been due in large part to the work done by a number of OLA Fellows and Associate Fellows, who have led the reflective small group sessions. Without exception their engagement and sensitivity have been commended by the Telefónica delegates:

Very intense. Able to keep people's attention all the time. He knows very well how to drive people for the goal. He is a very clear and understanding person

Fabio Costa, Sales Director, Brazil

Transparency and objectivity were critical in taking us through the action plan. He is a credit to the programme

Luis Enrique Cueva Diaz, Director of Security, Peru

Calm, insightful, brilliant coach in that he knew not only when to be there, but when not to be

 Eugene Mitchell, Head of Business Partnering, Ireland

In a new departure the OLA team were joined on recent programmes by two luminaries from the business world. On 27th May Bane Knezevic, President and CEO of McDonald's Germany, introduced by O2 CEO Matthew Key, addressed not only the Strategic Culture Change programme delegates but also staff who were attending other training courses. He told his listeners how McDonald's had revitalised itself by becoming more customer-driven in times of increasing competition. The result? Regaining market share that had been lost during a period of drift and reduced focus. He also described McDonald's model for maintaining their leading global position during this time of economic crisis, and for remaining consistently modern and innovative - a master class on how to stay ahead of the game.

Luis Huete, the highly-regarded Professor of MBA studies at IESE Business School, and visiting Professor at Harvard Business School and ESMT in Berlin, amongst others, joined OLA Senior Fellow and Director of OLA Sweden, Lasse Wrennmark in co-presenting the Strategy component of the 15th June SCC programme. The business models for strategy definition and change which he presented were a well-received and thought-provoking addition to the wider programme.

Now...

As of June 2009, approximately 350 senior management members from business units all over the world have followed the bespoke Oxford Leadership Academy programme, which have been delivered by OLA CEO Brian Bacon and Lasse Wrennmark. In a separate development, and following feedback from participants who had followed the programme that it was felt to be essential that senior management share the experience in order to accelerate the process of change, the top 100 members of Telefónica's global senior management team are following a reduced version of Oxford Leadership Academy's highly influential Self-Managing Leadership® programme, in which the accent is firmly on strategy execution. Feedback has been exceptionally positive:

Extremely powerful programme. Brilliantly executed

Danuta Gray, CEO, Telefónica O2, Ireland

I have never experienced a leadership training course that made me understand the importance of knowing myself. Absolutely great experience, it was fun, personal and I met some excellent people. The course really made you think but in an organised way

Carlos Melendo, Handsets Director, Telefónica Spain

Indeed, average global feedback from executives following Oxford Leadership Academy's Strategic Culture Change exceeds 4.5 out of a possible 5.

and the future...

The remaining 850 senior managers will attend the Strategic Culture Change programme over the course of the rest of 2009, and 2010.