Company Overview

Crédit Agricole Italia is one of the leading banking institutions operating in Italy, part of the multinational Crédit Agricole group. With approximately 12,000 employees, the company has a presence in nearly all Italian regions, with particular concentration in central and northern Italy. Crédit Agricole Italia offers a complete range of financial services including current accounts, insurance products, investment solutions, consumer loans, and mortgages. As part of one of the world's most important banking groups, the company stands out for its stability and ability to respond to the challenges of the contemporary financial sector.

The Challenge

Focus on the problem

Crédit Agricole Italia faced the need to consolidate the managerial skills of a select group of 30 senior leaders, responsible for guiding strategic teams within the organization. These managers hold positions with strong decision-making impact and required a training path that went beyond traditional banking technical training.

The main challenge consisted of providing concrete tools to:

• Effectively manage relationships with stakeholders at all levels
• Develop coaching skills to help collaborators "flourish"
• Transform strategic vision into tangible results
• Embody corporate values through example and attitude

HR Representative: We wanted to work on leadership skills: the general objective and challenge was to provide working tools on various topics to give these people a cross-functional view. Consolidating the entire skill set needed to strengthen and support managers, focusing on what we consider fundamental pillars: customer centrality, the importance of stakeholder relationships, providing coaching elements to work with team members to help them flourish, managing stakeholders, and leading change. The challenge is trying to transform vision into results.

The Solution

Focus on practical implementation

Wibo distinguished itself through an innovative approach that combined direct testimony from external top executives with immediately applicable practical tools, with two in-person sessions and one online.

The methodology included:

• External benchmarking: involvement of executives from different companies to offer complementary managerial perspectives
• Direct experience vs theory: sharing concrete situations experienced by top executives, with solution strategies already field-tested
• Disruptive approach: moving beyond the traditional lecture-based model in favor of active, engaging dialogue
• Practical simulations: exercises based on real-world scenarios, such as managing manager-employee meetings and feedback techniques
• Strategic networking: creating opportunities for dialogue and relationship-building among managers from different business areas

HR Representative: What made the difference was the connection between an external executive and our target group. At this level, it's important to benchmark and see what's being done elsewhere. The challenges a people manager faces involve human capital management, regardless of where you work. We were looking for something different that would offer a disruptive alternative to the classic classroom setting, where there's a trainer speaking and people listening. We created something different, where there's a dialogue with someone who teaches you something—not like a professor with their theory, but rather: "Look what happened, and here is how I solved it." This aspect is what made the difference, along with the focus on inspiration.

The Impact

Testimonials on program effectiveness

The program generated a high level of satisfaction among participants, with a particularly significant impact on:

• Learning from experience: managers appreciated the opportunity to learn from those who had already faced similar situations, receiving practical advice based on real-world experience
• Immediately applicable tools: the simulations, particularly the manager-employee meeting exercise, provided concrete techniques for asking effective questions and delivering constructive feedback
• Enriching the "toolbox": each participant was able to select and personalize the tools best suited to their own context and managerial style
• Internal and external networking: facilitating relationships among managers from different business areas and creating contacts with external executives

HR RepresentativeIt really comes down to personal experience. We all appreciate learning from those who have been there before, from those who have navigated a specific situation ahead of us. There is a world of difference between learning something in theory and hearing someone say, "I’ve been through this, and here is how I handled it." People were very satisfied. The goal was to provide a practical tool. For example, the simulation of a manager-employee meeting, where they were asked to provide feedback, was incredibly useful. They practiced techniques on how to ask the right questions and which ones to avoid. These are the kinds of tools everyone takes away and adds to their own professional toolkit.

Conclusion

The training project implemented by Wibo for Crédit Agricole Italia is a prime example of how methodological innovation can make a real difference in high-level management training.

The program’s standout feature was its ability to blend the concrete experience of top-tier external executives with practical tools that could be applied immediately to daily work. This approach moved beyond the limitations of traditional training, offering the 30 senior managers involved not just theory, but authentic insights from those who have already faced and overcome complex managerial challenges. The program's results confirm the value of what was achieved.

Key Metrics

1. To what extent did the program meet your expectations?Average: 8.9 / 10

2. How useful was the program for you?Average: 8.6 / 10

3. How likely are you to recommend the program to a colleague?Average score: 8.7 / 10
(arithmetic average of all scores from 0 to 10)

NPS: 60

What Participants Say

"It was important to establish communication themes across different directions, especially regarding how to think strategically about relationship management based on objectives."

"The topics covered and the personal experiences shared by the executives provided important insights that I can apply to the daily management of various stakeholders."

"I really enjoyed the external contributions; they were stimulating and engaging."

"I will immediately start practicing more active listening and work on eliminating my biases toward certain colleagues."

"I will try not to avoid difficult situations, but instead build relationships even with people I find challenging, as they have a high impact on achieving my objectives."

‍