Oxford Saïd Business School

Oxford’s Saïd Business School set an ambitious target: to double revenue from Executive Education by 2028, while strengthening its position globally. 

The direction was clear. The challenge was deciding where to focus. At this scale, growth comes down to making the right calls about the portfolio - which programmes to prioritise, where demand is building and how the offer needs to evolve. 

Saïd needed a clear view of the market to guide those decisions, so they asked us to map the opportunity. 

We began by building a picture of how the current portfolio is performing, and how that compares with the wider market. 

That meant looking at where competitors are investing, how demand for leadership and skills development is shifting globally, and where Saïd is best placed to stand out. 

We focused on: 

• Where Saïd Business School wants to grow 

• Where demand is heading 

• How the current portfolio aligns with both 

From there, we went into more detail. We analysed enrolment and programme performance to see what’s working today, and reviewed competitor portfolios to understand how others are structuring and positioning their offer. 

We also looked beyond the sector. Across global markets, we explored regional demand, emerging subject areas and the broader forces shaping executive education. Alongside this, labour market data helped us identify which skills are growing in importance at senior levels, and how well current programmes reflect that. 

This gave Saïd a clearer sense of where its portfolio is strongest, where there are gaps and where demand is moving. 

From this, we outlined: 

• New programme opportunities linked to emerging needs 

• The right balance across the portfolio 

• Where investment is most likely to deliver value 

We also developed a competitor heat map and supporting analysis to inform positioning and prioritisation. 

We brought everything together into a practical framework for growth, structured around product, price, place, promotion and people. This gave teams a clear way to assess opportunities and make decisions about where to focus next.

We worked through the implications with stakeholders, helping them test priorities, build alignment and move forward with confidence.

Saïd now has a more complete view of how its Executive Education offer sits within a changing global market. That puts them in a stronger position to prioritise investment, respond to shifts in demand and continue building a portfolio that supports long-term growth.