Company Overview

Huawei Technologies is a Chinese company founded in 1987 in Shenzhen by Ren Zhengfei. Today, it is a global leader in the development, production, and marketing of ICT products and solutions, operating under an employee-owned business model. The group serves the market through its Carrier, Enterprise, Consumer, and Digital Power divisions and is recognized as one of the world's largest investors in research and development, a sector that employs a significant portion of its workforce. In Italy, Huawei has been operating since 2004 through two main offices in Milan and Rome, as well as offices in other cities across the country, with a local workforce estimated between 600 and 750 people, depending on the period. The Italian structure also includes dedicated Research and Development and Innovation Centers, such as the global center for microwave technologies based in Milan. Against a backdrop already characterized by strong internal investment in training—including an e-learning platform with over 20,000 courses and initiatives provided at the European headquarters level—the need arose that led Huawei Italy to embark on the journey described in this case study together with Wibo.

The Challenge

The relationship between Huawei Italy and Wibo began in 2024 with a cross-company pilot program aimed at a select group of six managers, designed to test the methodology before a broader commitment. After observing the pilot results and gathering participant feedback throughout 2025, Huawei Italy was able to pinpoint a limitation in its training framework: despite an e-learning platform with over 20,000 courses and numerous activities provided locally and at the headquarters level, there was a lack of offerings that were truly localized and tailored to the specific needs of the Italian management team. This gap served as the concrete starting point for the collaboration launched in 2026.

The Solution

Wibo responded by building a path designed as a concrete alternative to traditional informative training: not just theoretical courses or motivational speeches, but a practical and transformative program, with tools applicable to daily work and opportunities for direct discussion with executives who have achieved specific levels of success. It is precisely this combination—the practicality of the tools and real-world interaction with key figures—that, according to Huawei, represents the distinctive element compared to what has been offered by other training providers previously tested at the company.

The Impact

The results of the program are clearly evident both from participation data and from the informal feedback collected daily by Huawei. The sessions recorded spontaneous participation rates between 70 and 80%, to the point that those unable to attend due to work commitments asked to catch up on the content. For Donatella Criscuolo, this is the most concrete proof of a program perceived as useful rather than a mandatory training obligation. The most significant feedback, however, comes from the managers themselves: several participants reported that they have already started applying the practices learned during the program within their own teams, turning session content into concrete daily leadership behaviors.

Conclusion

Huawei Italia's experience with Wibo illustrates the shift from traditional training, however solid and well-structured, to a model capable of truly influencing managerial behavior. The 2024 pilot program paved the way for a larger-scale initiative in 2026, built together based on a specific need: bridging the gap between informative training and practical application. The result, according to Huawei, was a program experienced with spontaneous participation and translated into concrete behaviors within teams, to the extent that some managers have included it in their personal development goals. A recommendation that Donatella Criscuolo extends without hesitation to other HR organizations looking for a high-value program.

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