We are proud to share that the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) has been honoured with the award for Best Leadership Development Strategy at The Talent Labs Awards 2026. This recognition, presented at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London, celebrates the transformative nine-month partnership between CIM and Esendia.

A partnership built on results
This award is a testament to the dedication of the CIM Executive and Senior Management Team who fully committed to this programme. Moving away from standard, off-the-shelf solutions, we worked with Esendia to focus on rigorous diagnostics to design a bespoke development path tailored to our specific organisational needs. The impact of this approach has been instant. Through a focus on coaching and team effectiveness, we have seen tangible shifts in our leadership culture:

• 100% of participants reported improved self-awareness.
• 90% demonstrated stronger personal ownership of organisational change.
• 80% reported greater trust and psychological safety within their teams.

Investing in our future
For CIM, this work is about more than just metrics; it is about empowering our people to lead with purpose and agility in an increasingly complex marketing landscape.

Discussing the award, Sarah Lee-Boone, Director of Membership, People and Workplace, CIM, said: "Receiving this award is a fantastic validation of our commitment to nurturing talent within CIM. It is vital that we mirror the excellence we advocate for in the wider marketing profession – with our internal staff. This programme has not only strengthened our leadership capabilities but has embedded a culture of CPD, trust and shared ownership that is essential for our staff to thrive, innovate, and continue delivering exceptional value to our members."

Ines Wichert, MD Esendia said: "The best leadership development starts not with content, but with clarity. CIM came to us willing to look honestly at where their leadership culture was, not just where they wanted it to be. That courage shaped everything that followed: the diagnostics, the coaching, the honest exploration of trust, collaboration and accountability. When people genuinely understand themselves and each other, development stops being a programme and starts being a shift in how they lead."

Looking ahead
This recognition from The Talent Labs is a highlight of our ongoing journey to refine our internal leadership strategies. While we are thrilled with these results, we see this award as only the beginning. As we continue to navigate the future of work and marketing, we remain dedicated to evolving our leadership practices to ensure that CIM remains a resilient, forward-thinking and supportive workplace for all our colleagues.

Thank you to The Talent Labs for recognising this work, and a heartfelt thank you to the Executive and Senior Management Team for their trust, hard work, and commitment to leading in these challenging times.