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prepare to lead an organisation, and the system around it.
Future CEOs are often exceptional leaders in their own field. But the CEO role is not a larger version of functional leadership. It demands whole‑organisation perspective, board‑level judgement, and the ability to lead through others under pressure, scrutiny, and uncertainty.
ETF Leading Forward: Executive Development for future CEOs is an immersive nine‑month journey for senior leaders preparing to step confidently into CEO, Principal or Accounting Officer roles. Participants must have a named sponsor within their organisation with a desire to progress into a CEO role within the next 1-4 years.
Grounded in real sector challenges and designed and led by expert Executive development professionals and coaches. Supported by current CEOs who will join to add their perspectives and provocations it builds the judgement, resilience and strategic capability needed to lead organisations through complexity and change.
successful senior leadership is just the start, preparation is key
Future CEOs know the sector well, but the role demands more than expertise and technical authority. Develop the ability to ask better questions, weigh evidence, exercise judgement and confidently own high-stakes decisions.
Competing pressures come at once. Be able to balance personal resilience, organisational direction, community influence and long-term strategy. Build the capability to navigate these pressures with clarity and composure.
Strengthen strategic thinking, governance understanding and the ability to lead through others because strong performance is not the same as readiness for whole-organisation perspective and boardroom confidence.
Develop the mindset, resilience and strategic ability needed to lead organisations through complexity and change. Because CEO confidence and judgement shapes organisational strength, learner outcomes and community impact.
Strengthen readiness for executive leadership
One program to prepare for the CEO Transition
Be assured that very element reflects the realities, pressures and expectations of executive leadership in the FE and skills sector.
Build a whole-organisation, board-level perspective
Move beyond functional leadership to develop strategic judgement, governance understanding, political awareness and the ability to lead through others under scrutiny and uncertainty.
Develop executive judgement with real dilemmas
Participants learn through residential simulations, real CEO dilemmas, boardroom scenarios and live sector challenges to gain authentic experience that traditional leadership programmes cannot replicate.
Benefit from authentic sector insight
Delivered by experienced CEOs, Chairs, board members and sector leaders, gain insight and knowledge from grounded, real‑world understanding of the expectations, scrutiny and complexity of executive leadership.
Deepen resilience and executive prescence
Amplify personal leadership, composure and confidence so that participants, as future CEOs, can lead organisations through uncertainty, challenge and public accountability.
Build a trusted CEO-level peer network
Make lasting connections with fellow senior leaders and experienced CEOs, building a powerful professional network that supports ongoing learning, collaboration and career progression.
Investment with immediate impact
Accelerated individual readiness
Equip senior leaders with CEO‑level strategic capability, executive presence and high‑stakes decision‑making confidence: increasing their impact today while preparing them for whole‑organisation responsibility tomorrow.
Stronger organisational leadership
Develop future CEOs with the judgement and whole-organisation perspective to lead through complexity and change.
Greater system-wide capability
Prepare future CEOs who can navigate political pressures, shape partnerships and contribute to stronger, more responsive institutions and communities.
Programme structure
This programme is a high quality, blended development journey delivered as combination of immersive residentials, coaching, full and small group online sessions. Specific dates for each programme element can be seen on the booking page.
120-minute online session
Designed to introduce the programme, key note speaker, sector strengths and challenges session, making connections and programme logistics.
Two-day immersive residential
Following the online launch session, participants will come together an an immersive residential experience, exploring the topics around leading the organisation including:
- The identify shift: looking at the move from senior leader to CEO
- Your first 100 days: the priorities, pitfalls, and radical candour from FE leaders
- Understanding vision, culture and strategic direction
- Look inside the boardroom: the dynamics, governance and real life simulation
- CEO judgement in action: working on challenges keeping CEOs awake at night
Two facilitated 90-minute online session
Taking place between the first and second residential, these sessions will be held in small groups for in-depth conversations.
Two-day immersive residential
With a focus on the theme of 'Leading Transformation' this residential will explore:
- Sustainable leadership and personal resilience
- Leading major organisational change
- Strategic decisions on investment, people, partnerships and capacity
- Inclusion and community impact: curated with lived‑experience voices
- Communication for leaders: influencing, media handling, townhall messaging
120-minute whole group online session
Taking place after the second residential, this whole group online session is held virtually and gives a moment to celebrate, reflect on the experience together and plan the next steps.
Two further 90-minute online sessions
These sessions will be held in small groups for in-depth conversations and peer-directed discussions to embed learning and strengthen accountability.
Your investment includes
- A high-quality development journey
- Two two-night immersive residentials - including accommodation and meals
- Four expert led online development sessions
- Two group coaching sessions
- Connection with former CEO’s and Principals
- Long term peer networks
- Practical leadership toolkit
Why ETF?
As the professional body for the FE and skills sector, ETF brings deep sector expertise, credibility and insight shaped by supporting more than 40,000 professionals each year. Our leadership development is built on evidence, lived experience and the ETF Professional Standards, giving future leaders the clarity, confidence and capability to thrive.
This programme goes beyond traditional leadership training. It draws on ETF’s proven track record of supporting the development of over 250 CEOs and Principals and 280 aspiring CEOs, combining rigorous thinking with authentic executive challenges that cannot be replicated through generic programmes. Participants strengthen strategic judgement, build influential peer networks and develop the confidence to lead with credibility and purpose.
With ETF, you’re investing not just in a programme, but in the future strength, resilience and leadership capability of your organisation, and the wider FE and skills system.