Let's Talk Talent

Bupa Talent Accelerator Programme 

Following a global talent review, healthcare and wellbeing company Bupa identified a critical opportunity within its leadership pipeline. While the capability was there, progression into executive roles was not fully reflective of the diversity within its wider workforce. 

Instead of moving on and up, talent data and succession discussions found that many potential future leaders were facing barriers that slowed their progression. There was limited visibility within senior decision-making networks, reduced access to sponsorship and advocacy, lower confidence in navigating complex leadership pathways and fewer opportunities to strategically position their leadership capability. 

In response, Bupa partnered with external agency Let’s Talk Talent to design a programme grounded in coaching psychology, career strategy and behavioural insight. Praised by the judges as “a great piece of work that has achieved really good outcomes”, the six-month development programme was built around three interconnected pillars. 

The ‘career ownership’ pillar saw each participant receive five coaching sessions with an executive career coach, focused on strengthening leadership identity, clarifying ambition, overcoming career blockers and preparing participants to confidently pursue senior opportunities. For the ‘capability development’ pillar, participants attended three targeted workshops focused on leadership confidence, personal brand and strategic networking. And for the ‘strategic connectivity’ pillar, participants engaged in peer learning circles that created safe spaces for reflection, peer coaching and cross-functional collaboration. 

The benefits have been felt at both an individual level – with participants’ self-reported confidence in applying learning rated at 9.8 out of 10 – and an organisational level. Three quarters of participants expressed intent to apply for new roles within six months, retention across cohorts one and two currently stands at 100 per cent and, by the end of 2026, the programme will have supported 74 “high-potential leaders”, creating a scalable leadership pipeline. 

The way the programme “connects emerging talent with senior leaders, fostering visibility, sponsorship and a mentoring culture that strengthens succession planning in practice, not just on paper”, was praised by the judges as particularly compelling, as “this creates mutual value: leaders gain first-hand insight into talent capability, while employees experience clearer career pathways, stronger belonging and increased engagement”.