Building a global network of facilitators for Generali
The Challenge
Ninety Innovation was approached by a well-established European insurance giant with a significant global footprint. Generali had launched an Innovation Fund in 2019, running on a quarterly basis, allowing employees from over 50 countries to submit innovative ideas. If an idea passed the initial screening, the employee had the opportunity to pitch it to an Innovation Board for potential investment.
However, they faced a challenge: business units across different regions had varying levels of innovation expertise. This disparity led to an imbalance in idea submissions, with some business units submitting fewer ideas and having a lower likelihood of receiving investment. Additionally, there was a need to ensure that all submitted ideas were properly de-risked and backed by a solid business case.
As Head of Training at Ninety Innovation, I was tasked with designing a global training program to enhance innovation and facilitation skills. The goal was to upskill a community of Innovation Champions who could support their business units in ideation, idea coaching, and workshop facilitation, ultimately improving the quality and quantity of applications to the Innovation Fund.
To achieve this, I developed the target persona for the program, designed the training curriculum, and have since facilitated over 20 cohorts.
The Approach
I created a 5-day virtual training program called Innovation Champions, which continues to run six times per year. Each cohort brings together 10 individuals from across the company’s global network.
The program is a practical, interactive immersion into the innovation mindset, methodology, and facilitation skills. The first three days focus on the innovation process—moving from problem identification, through ideation, to idea de-risking, and finally to pilot and scale. Day four centers on the crucial role of the facilitator, teaching participants how to guide group ideation, manage stakeholder conflicts, and design effective innovation workshops. On the final day, participants are formally inducted into the role of Innovation Champion and learn how to integrate these skills into their daily responsibilities.
The Results
42% of Innovation Fund applications are now submitted by Innovation Champions.
71% of ideas and projects involve program graduates.
Over 250 Innovation Champions have been trained.
NPS score of 86.
“The training gave me the tools and methodology to facilitate innovation, but more importantly, it gave me the mindset to be an Innovation Champion.”
“If there was a list of must-attend trainings in Generali, the Innovation Champions would be at the very top of it.”