Oxford Leading Professional Service Firms Programme

Drive your firm and your career to the next level with the skills to achieve winning performance, growth, and innovation.

This programme is designed specifically for individuals working in senior management roles and leading teams within professional service firms, including those in industries such as finance, consulting, IT, law, engineering, advertising, or insurance.

Duration

6 weeks entirely online,
excluding orientation

Effort

Self-paced weekly modules,
7–10 hours per week

Learning Format

Learn alongside a global cohort
of like-minded professionals

Other Detail

Choose from flexible payment options

On completion of this programme, you’ll walk away with:

1

A strategic action plan for innovating and elevating your firm’s service offering, to create a distinct competitive advantage to stand out in your industry.

2

The strategic capabilities to help you respond to the challenges facing professional service firms (PSFs) and take your organisation to the next level.

3

Leadership techniques and frameworks that will improve your people management practices, and guide you towards managing teams effectively.

4

Insights from renowned business outsourcing practitioners, industry experts, and academics, and access to a global network of fellow PSF professionals and leaders.

David Holland, Leader of Customer Experience, Gulf Business Machines image

“The Oxford Leading Professional Services Firms Programme has been a journey of learning that has provided deep insights into building and sustaining competitive advantage. A fantastic programme.
[I would] recommend it to all professional services leaders.”

David Holland, Leader of Customer Experience, Gulf Business Machines
Accreditation Logo

This Oxford Leading Professional Service Firms Programme is certified by the United Kingdom CPD Certification Service, and may be applicable to individuals who are members of, or are associated with, UK-based professional bodies. The programme has an estimated 60 hours of learning.

Note: should you wish to claim CPD activity, the onus is on you. Oxford Saïd and GetSmarter accept no responsibility, and cannot be held responsible, for the claiming or validation of hours or points.

Programme curriculum

Module 1
From expert to orchestrator: Redefine your contribution to competitive advantage

Explore what makes your firm stand out and realise the foundations of your leadership.

Module 2
Excellence with relevance: Deliver client-centric services through bundling

Explore strategies for delivering an outstanding client service experience.

Module 3
Becoming known: Grow your reputation through compelling communication

Discover techniques to enhance your visibility and broaden your reputational footprint.

Module 4
Beyond the trusted partner: Grow strategic relationships through partnering

Explore strategies to maintain a broad network of relationships and grow your influence.

Module 5
Ahead of the curve: Future proof your capabilities through collaborative learning

Gain insight into how to stay ahead of the curve through collaborative learning.

Module 6
The big win: Leading transformational innovation in your firm

Explore how to build momentum for transformational innovation and growth.

Please note that module titles and their contents are subject to change during programme development.

This programme is for you if you are:

 

  • A senior manager, consultant, or an experienced professional working within business outsourcing services, eager to take your organisation to the next level

  • A current or aspiring firm partner with technical expertise looking to develop your leadership skills

  • A business or firm leader eager to gain strategic capabilities to respond to industry challenges, prepare for the future, and remain relevant in an evolving marketplace

Programme Director

Michael Smets

Professor of Management, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

For almost 20 years, Michael has been studying, developing, and advising many of the world’s leading professional service firms and their leaders. He has worked with globally recognised firms such as Freshfields, EY, Arcadis, BearingPoint, and Lloyd’s of London as well as industry bodies such as the Financial Conduct Authority and the International Bar Association.

Michael is globally recognised for his pioneering work, contributing to institutional theory, practice theory, and the field of knowledge for professional service firms (PSFs). At Oxford Saïd, he is part of the teaching faculty for executive education and diploma programmes, and is a lead contributor to the Professional Service Firms research group. Michael looks closely at the management of global law, consulting, and reinsurance firms. As one of the first to integrate theories that connect individual, organisational, and institutional dynamics within PSFs, Michael also explores how the most critical pressures can be addressed. His work has featured in Harvard Business Review, the Financial Times, Forbes, Bloomberg, and The Economist.

“In a world where professional work is being automated, technical expertise is taken for granted. Yet, despite the technology hype, professional work remains profoundly human. Serving clients and leading professionals is based on character as much as competence, empathy as much as experience, if not more.”

– Michael Smets, Programme Director

An online education that sets you apart

This Oxford Leading Professional Service Firms Programme is delivered in collaboration with online education provider GetSmarter, part of edX. Join a growing community of global professionals, and benefit from the opportunity to:

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Experience a flexible but structured approach to online education as you plan your learning around your life to meet weekly milestones.

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Enjoy a personalised, people-mediated online learning experience created to make you feel supported at every step.

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Earn a certificate of attendance recognising your online programme from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

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