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INDUSTRY: Learning and Development Sector
EMPLOYEE NUMBERS: 17 (supported by a network of 120+ associate business coaches worldwide)
ACCREDITATION(S): Investors in Diversity Silver Award
The FREDIE framework gave us a clear structure to unify and strengthen our ED&I efforts. It helped us measure progress and identify key areas for improvement.
OTD is a Birmingham-based training and coaching business founded in 2007. We deliver leadership and personal development programmes across a range of sectors, including life sciences, through a network of internationally operating associate business coaches.
Our programmes – such as Power Presenter!, Carpe Diem Coaching™, and Resilience – are designed for both large corporates and high-growth SMEs, with many holding City & Guilds Assured status. We also support our local community through partnerships with four regional charities in the West Midlands.
OTD has been part of the Investors in People programme for several years, using it to benchmark performance and identify areas for improvement.
We wanted to follow a similar pathway in the ED&I space, bringing together several existing activities within the business. We were particularly interested in applying the FREDIE framework used by Investors in Diversity to provide structure to our ED&I work.
This process has offered us more than just recognition, it has provided invaluable insights, sparking important conversations and laying the groundwork for ongoing progress. Although we are proud to have secured IiD Silver,
we see this as very much the start of our journey.
Lian Bemrose, culture and compliance manager, OTD
OTD is committed to embedding ED&I at all levels of the business. We developed and launched a bespoke Inclusive Facilitation training programme for our coaching community, and secured City & Guilds Assured status for our ED&I Foundations programme.
This training builds understanding of ED&I and supports its promotion in the workplace and beyond. We sponsor the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Black Business Collective, where our co-founder sits on the committee, and are members of Race Equality Matters, a UK-based initiative tackling race inequality.
As a global coaching and training business, we aim to inspire and be inspired by everyone. Our diverse customer base demands a training approach that connects with people from all walks of life. To do that, inclusivity isn’t optional, it’s essential.
Internally, our focus has been on providing practical tools and resources to create lasting change. So far, we have:
● Trained nearly 100 core team members and associate coaches in inclusive practices
● Created safe spaces for open discussions, fostering personal and professional growth
● Achieved an average programme rating of 9.4 out of 10 from delegates
Feedback from our Investors in Diversity journey is shaping a clear, measurable action plan, with the FREDIE framework guiding both our ED&I strategy and wider business decisions.
All OTD team members have now completed ED&I leadership training led by IiD, reflecting our belief that inclusion is everyone’s responsibility.
We’re also launching an EDIB (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging) Working Party to: