Case Study

Challenge

Deutsche Bank is a leading global bank with a universal, customer-centric business model. With operations all around the world, it is leader in Germany, its home market. It offers products and services in investment, retail and corporate banking, as well as asset and wealth management. The challenge was to achieve excellence in customer service by providing financial training to the entire branch network. At an especially demanding time, due to the crisis and regulatory environment, it was necessary for all levels of the bank to have a solid command of the main concepts in the industry.

Solution

Deutsche Bank turned to Esade to launch a university-level training program aimed at those employees responsible for selling investment products. The program consisted of three modules: 

• The first module focused on financial knowledge and was taught by Esade professors. 
• The second module focused on the product and was developed by DB’s Investment Centre. 
• The third module was online and completed the training required for the participants to earn certificates from Esade. 

The training offered a blend of key theoretical and practical content for the bank network’s commercial activity. 

This program, which included both theoretical and practical content and was jointly designed by Esade and Deutsche Bank, transformed the bank’s approach to training. We were able to standardize the expertise of the entire sales network and certify it through a university, making us pioneers in Spain.

Núria Taulats
Head of Talent and Development, Deutsche Bank

Results

As a result of the training, DB employees became more familiar with the products they sell and the most salient aspects of the market, which they agree inspires confidence in clients. The knowledge update provided by the program improved service quality. Deutsche Bank became the first bank in Spain to certify the financial expertise of its branch network.

The best thing about this training program, which took place in the context of DB’s Sales University, was the participants’ effort and commitment to successfully completing the different stages, which covered demanding theoretical and practical content. In today’s changing environment, we need to have the best professionals. With this type of initiative, we can meet that goal.

Rafael Lora
Head of Private Client Training (PBC)

Challenge

Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company Ltd. (ECCBC) was founded in 1997 as a joint venture between Cobega and The Coca-Cola Export Co. Headquartered in Barcelona, the company operates in 13 countries in North and West Africa. The challenge was to motivate and integrate the senior management of the various subsidiaries to achieve a common vision of the company, empower them to improve their business knowledge and leadership skills, and identify areas of improvement within the company.

Solution

ECCBC and ESADE designed a two-stage program:

• The first stage took place in various countries in which ECCBC had offices and focused on marketing, sales, finance and operations strategy.
• The second stage took place in Barcelona, on the Esade campus, where the participants focused on developing their leadership skills. In this stage, the participants worked on real-life projects, which they presented to the Board of Directors on the last day of the program.
   

Results

One of the program’s most immediate results was the level of commitment participants showed to the company. They now feel that they are part of a whole, as opposed to being independent parts of something. Some of the projects have been successfully implemented at the company. The participants now feel empowered to take more decisions.
 

The Esade professors’ level of empathy with the participants was one of the things that struck me most, not only during the residential periods, but also throughout the development of the project, which mainly took place online.

Xavier Aliaga 
Director of Human Resources and International Communication, Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company Ltd.

Challenge

“It was a really motivating program, as we were able to encourage managers to find ways to contribute to the company’s growth by providing them with knowledge and leadership skills. Esade perfectly understood the need to show how the academic issues they were presenting applied in real life, in order to connect with the sales profile in the classroom.”

Solution

We developed a completely customized program for all branch managers, centred on developing leadership skills. We worked with senior management on sales policies and organizational issues and in teams, focusing on projects based on real-life opportunities.

Results

There was immediate, company-wide recognition of the branch managers’ role, resulting in an equally immediate increase in sales and branch productivity. Some of the projects the teams worked on were implemented, leading to substantial improvements in the company’s operations. Finally, the fact that all branch managers participated in the program helped to reinforce the link between the organizational culture and management.

It was a really motivating program, as we were able to encourage managers to find ways to contribute to the company’s growth by providing them with knowledge and leadership skills. Esade perfectly understood the need to show how the academic issues they were presenting applied in real life, in order to connect with the sales profile in the classroom.

Daniel Torras
Director of the "la Caixa" Executive Development Centre