We created a blended learning programme to give consultancy partners the skills necessary to support clients with AI innovation.

• The participants were firm partners – highly skilled and time poor – and 83.33% rated the programme as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.

• They reported significant improvements in their knowledge, especially their ability to articulate AI’s business value and apply it to client scenarios.

• The programme won a Learning Excellence Award in April 2026.

The challenge

AI-driven business transformation has become incredibly prevalent across all industries. It’s vital for consultancy firms to be ready to advise on best practice, effective tools and potential pitfalls.

This firm identified that their partners and senior leaders had mixed levels of understanding about AI. They were specifically looking for a research-based course to bring these colleagues up to speed with current trends and responsible usages.

The firm wanted their partners to explore the topic in depth, learn about how AI challenges were being addressed globally, and get practical, tailored insights they could use right away.

The challenge here was going to be fitting this into partners’ busy schedules – providing valuable learning which didn’t cost too much valuable time.

The approach

After a scoping session with the client, one of our expert learning designers teamed up with a University of Cambridge AI specialist and developed a bespoke plan, centred on our online Generative AI in Business course.

Joining an open cohort for our existing course would give the partners the chance to learn and network with professionals from a range of different sectors. Offering insights into the challenges faced by different industries in a way that a closed programme never could.

The programme would be topped and tailed with two bespoke face-to-face workshops to give learners an engaging and uniquely Cambridge experience as well as tailored insights for their firm. These were structured like away days – giving the participants time to discuss real ideas and initiatives they could take forward.

These workshops were designed to embed the learning – including a special Dragon’s Den style session at the end, where learners could design and pitch initiatives to industry experts and firm leadership, based on the knowledge they’d gained.

Blending face-to-face workshops and online learning meant partners could fit this programme around their busy schedules and work at their own pace, while also coming together to share insights and learn from each other.

The partners would explore foundations of GenAI, machine learning and large language models, before delving into important considerations such as ethics, risk management and responsible AI. Sessions on agentic AI and future casting would also give them critical insights into new and emerging developments.

The programme

Thirty partners and senior leaders took part in the programme. The first workshop gave learners an introduction to the topic, and they were encouraged to think about real business challenges to help ensure immediate relevance and application.

This would also help prepare them for the ‘Dragon’s Den’ session in the final workshop. Professor Per Ola Kristensson, Professor of Interactive Systems Engineering at the University of Cambridge spoke about cutting-edge developments in AI research and business applications.

There were group discussions, interactive demos, and engaging activities like comparing two videos of a course lead, one genuine and one AI generated, to showcase both the possibilities and pitfalls of GenAI.

In the online Generative AI in Business course, partners explored the topic individually as well as taking part in discussions with peers from a range of industries and exploring AI usages and case studies from across the globe. Weekly live sessions were led by industry experts, and the partners got the chance to work on their own projects, which were reviewed by a specialist tutor.

The final face-to-face workshop looked to the future of AI, as well as how partners could start applying their knowledge. It included sessions on agentic AI, an industry panel discussion and opportunities for networking and peer learning.

The workshop ended with the ‘Dragon’s Den’ session where the learners pitched practical and innovative ideas that could be applied in their firm following the course.

The impact

The feedback from participants and stakeholders at the firm was overwhelmingly positive, with 83.33% rating the course ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.

Learners reported significant improvements in their knowledge, especially their ability to articulate AI’s business value and apply it to client scenarios. They’d also found opportunities for immediate application in ongoing client conversations and internal projects.

Firm leadership described the programme as ‘unlike anything we’ve seen on the market’ – they were pleased that the blended learning approach provided dedicated time for the partners to engage deeply with AI. They also praised the workshops and expert-led sessions, and how they provided an authentic University of Cambridge experience.

The programme inspired learners to continue learning about AI, and they felt a strong sense of urgency about embedding it in their work. They found the practical sides of the course, including the technical demonstrations and real-world case studies, particularly impactful.

This collaboration has since won a 2026 Learning Excellence Award in the Financial and Professional Services category , and due its success, the firm are considering scaling it to other parts of the business.

Want to refresh your team’s AI skills in the next 12 months? Book a free one-hour scoping call(Opens in a new window) with our Business Development Manager Arwa Due-Gundersen to talk through your goals and get a tailored learning programme.