Published: December 15, 2016

An exciting new partnership between City of London-based training agency Fieri Leadership and Pilgrims Academy uses the agency’s military experience and principles to develop leadership in every type of organisation, from commerce to sports.

Fieri Leadership and Development is made up of former army officers, police, athletes and paralympians, who work with organisations in all sectors to build leadership skills amongst key staff. The company has partnered with Pilgrims Academy to deliver a range of new training programmes using the realistic scenarios and state-of-the-art facilities offered by the centre.

“Everything we do is designed around our clients, who range from professional service businesses, to travel, manufacturing and construction companies,” says Martin Hewitt, Managing Partner of Fieri and a Sandhurst-trained former officer in the Parachute Regiment. “We’ve also worked with the Premier League, the Football Association and the Rugby Players Association. We look at the culture of the organisation, the challenges they face and prepare their leaders of the future.”

“As part of our training programme, we take clients offsite for immersive, scenario-based sessions,” says Hewitt. “Often, humanitarian relief situations or military-esque scenarios bring out strengths and weaknesses in people. We analyse and review performances with psychiatrists, then put clients under more intensive pressure to see them develop and work together more efficiently.

“I want to support Pilgrims existing client base with leadership training,” says Hewitt. “Junior leaders often find it challenging to quickly step up into leadership roles when they haven’t had the opportunity to learn the skills they need. The academy is a great facility to harness the ability of our many team members who gained high performing experience in the military and bring those junior leaders on.”

Hewitt saw his own military career cut short after he was shot in the arm while serving in Afghanistan. Many of his team have incurred disabilities during active service and the agency supports the Adaptive Grand Slam Disabled Climbs to the world’s highest peaks, which raises money for a number of disabled charities, helping former service men and women. Pilgrims Chief Operating Officer, David Freear, now plans to accompany Hewitt on the group’s next climb to Aconcagua in the South American Andes.