Turning potential into progression.

Progress Together’s research shows that talented employees from lower socio-economic backgrounds continue to progress more slowly into senior leadership than their peers. Not because capability is lacking, but because progression is shaped by visibility, sponsorship and access to opportunity as much as by performance.

The result? Talent stalls. Leadership pipelines narrow. Organisations miss out on future leaders. The Accelerated Progress Programme (APP) has been created to change that.

APP is a first-of-its-kind, cross-firm progression programme designed specifically for UK financial services. It brings together participants, sponsors and mentors from across the sector to strengthen leadership pipelines and unlock high-potential talent.

This is not another leadership programme. APP is a sector-wide intervention designed to strengthen the conditions that drive progression.

Supported by Nationwide and powered by Progress Together.

Three pillars. One progression ecosystem.

Most programmes focus on participants. APP works on three interconnected levels at once because progression is not an individual outcome. It is a system outcome.

Who is this for?

  • Middle managers or emerging leaders from lower socio-economic backgrounds who are ready to progress
  • Senior leaders who want to strengthen their sponsorship practice and play an active role in developing diverse leadership talent
  • Mentors who can provide structured challenge, reflection and support
  • Member firms committed to strengthening progression into senior leadership

Develop the capability, confidence, visibility and strategic awareness needed to step into senior leadership.

What participants get:

  • Leadership readiness for senior roles
  • Cross-firm networks and relationships
  • Greater visibility and influence
  • Exposure to senior leaders across financial services
  • Monthly virtual cohort workshops covering leadership identity, strategic influence, sponsorship, visibility, networks, progression readiness and applied leadership practice.

Strengthen sponsorship as a leadership practice

Most leadership programmes treat sponsorship as a relationship. APP treats sponsorship as a progression mechanism.

Research consistently shows that progression is shaped by more than capability alone. Visibility, advocacy, access to influential networks, stretch assignments and leadership exposure all influence who progresses into senior roles.

APP helps sponsors become more intentional in how they create opportunities, advocate for talent and recognise the factors that shape progression. It also helps organisations strengthen the systems, behaviours and leadership practices that support sustainable and competitive pipeline development.

Sponsors explore:

  • The difference between sponsorship and mentoring
  • How visibility, advocacy and opportunity influence progression
  • The role of networks, work allocation and leadership exposure
  • Recognising and challenging informal sponsorship patterns
  • Identifying and championing emerging talent
  • Creating more intentional and equitable sponsorship practices
  • Strengthening leadership pipelines within their organisation
  • Supporting progression as a shared organisational responsibility

This is not about assigning a sponsor. It is about strengthening how progression happens.

Provide challenge, perspective and practical guidance.

Mentors support participants throughout the programme while gaining exposure to different organisational contexts and leadership experiences from across the sector.

Mentors contribute through:

  • Six structured mentoring conversations, scheduled directly between mentor and participant.
  • Development-focused challenge and support
  • Cross-firm insight and perspective
  • Supporting progression planning and leadership growth
  • Helping participants translate learning into action

What makes APP unique?

Cross-firm by design

Participants, mentors and sponsors learn alongside peers from across UK financial services.

Focused on progression, not attendance

Designed to influence real progression outcomes, not simply learning outcomes.

Built around sponsorship

Developing both individual capability and the mechanisms that influence advancement.

Grounded in diagnostics

Each cohort begins with discovery work across participants, mentors and sponsors.

Expert-led and evidence-based

Delivered by partners with deep expertise in sponsorship, leadership and organisational change.

Backed by sector insight

Powered by Progress Together’s unique understanding of progression across UK financial services.

Programme structure

Accelerated Progress Programme (APP) is a 12-month progression journey, not a series of standalone workshops. The programme runs from November 2026 to November 2027 and combines participant development, sponsorship, mentoring, applied project work and cross-firm learning.

September – October 2026

Pre-programme

Discovery and diagnostics across participants, sponsors and mentors.

This stage establishes each participant’s starting point, progression goals, confidence, visibility, sponsorship access and development needs. It also prepares sponsors and mentors for their roles and creates a shared understanding of the programme purpose, expectations and commitment.

November 2026

Month 1

Two-day in-person launch event.

The launch brings the cohort together, introduces the progression challenge, forms cross-firm relationships and begins the applied project work. Sponsors join Launch Day 1 to meet their participant groups and understand their role in supporting visibility, challenge and sector-level project work.

January – October 2027

Months 2–11

Monthly structured rhythm

Participants take part in a structured monthly rhythm of:

  • Monthly virtual cohort workshops
  • Alternating project sessions and group coaching
  • Structured mentoring conversations
  • Sponsor-supported cross-firm projects
  • Applied learning focused on visibility, sponsorship, strategic influence and progression readiness

The monthly workshops focus on the leadership capabilities and progression conditions that matter most for senior advancement, including leadership identity, confidence, stakeholder influence, cultural capital, sponsorship, strategic visibility, networks, decision-making and leadership accountability.

November 2027

Month 12

Two-day in-person close event.

The programme concludes with final project presentations, sponsor feedback, progression planning and reflection on participant, firm and sector-level learning. Sponsors join Close Day 2 for the Dragon’s Den-style showcase and final project feedback.

Programme at a glance

Cohort

An initial cohort of around 30 participants from across Progress Together member firms.

Participant commitment

Approximately 3-5 hours per month outside the two in-person events. This includes monthly workshops, project sessions, coaching, mentoring and applied project work.

Sponsor commitment

Light-touch but strategically important: approximately two in-person days plus around nine hours across the year. Sponsors attend Launch Day 1, Close Day 2, induction, six project sessions, one masterclass contribution and an optional Illume check-in.

Mentor commitment

Approximately seven hours across the year, including induction and six structured mentoring conversations.

Line manager engagement

Three structured touchpoints throughout the programme, helping line managers support participant development, reinforce learning and maintain progression momentum, culminating in an invitation to the graduation event.

Duration

12 months, from November 2026 to November 2027.

Investment

£3,000 per participant, excluding VAT.

Travel and accommodation for in-person events are covered by participating firms.

APP supports firms to move beyond individual development and address the conditions that shape progression.

Participating firms gain:

  • A stronger progression pipeline for talented colleagues from lower socio-economic backgrounds
  • Participants with increased confidence, visibility, strategic awareness and progression readiness
  • Sponsors who are better equipped to advocate intentionally and create access to opportunity
  • Mentors with clearer tools to support progression-focused conversations
  • Cross-firm insight into progression barriers and enablers across financial services
  • Applied project outputs focused on live sector challenges
  • Anonymised diagnostic and evaluation insight to support internal learning
  • A practical contribution to sector-wide progress on socio-economic diversity in senior leadership

APP begins with baseline diagnostics and concludes with endline evaluation.

The diagnostic process will explore participants’ confidence, visibility, leadership readiness, access to sponsorship, networks, progression goals and perceived barriers. Sponsors and mentors will also complete light-touch diagnostics to support role clarity and programme quality.

Impact will be assessed through a combination of baseline and endline data, engagement tracking, participant feedback, sponsor and mentor insight, project outputs and progression indicators. Firm-level reporting will be anonymised and aggregated, helping organisations understand what is shifting and where further action may be needed.

Powered by Progress Together

Supported by Nationwide

Delivered by Illume Executive Consulting

Register Your Interest for APP