10th February 2026
During our recent visit to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we met with local female entrepreneurs, clients and local partners to introduce our practical approach to leading complex transitions. What quickly became clear in boardrooms across the Kingdom is that organisations are not looking for another abstract change model; they need locally-led, structured, hands-on support that addresses both organisational priorities and personal leadership shifts. This a precicely what SOE can provide, a hands-on approach tailored to you.
2nd-3rd February 2026
We were delighted to support the Forces Transition Group (FTG) live event in Cheltenham, bringing together Service Leavers and their families, all motivated to take ownership of their next chapter. We also met Foxy of ‘SAS Who Dares Wins’ fame and won best pitch for ALFA, which was a bonus!
7th January 2026
On Weds 07th Jan, Shell met with fellow founders at the Institute of Directors, to discuss new partnerships and service offerings to bring the Strategic Orbits Exercise® into service of enterprise clients, C-suites and Boards; as a proven method to increase resilience, reduce organisational risk and optimise revenue.
5th January 2026
On Mon 5th Jan our 2026 began by introducing the Strategic Orbits Exercise® to our current Action Learning Facilitator cohort. Through live tabletop exercises situated in real business contexts and challenges, these leaders from consultancy, operations and entrepreneurial scale-up backgrounds were empowered to ‘see the unseen’. One participant reflected “You know it’s been thought-provoking, when nearly 24 hours after it is consuming all your thinking! Great session”.
11th December 2025
Last Thursday, members of our network gathered at the RSA, John Adam Street, London, for our Winter Network Drinks; an evening focused on action learning, collaborative thinking, and practical problem solving.
Set against the historic backdrop of the RSA, the event brought together professionals from across sectors to share challenges, exchange insights, and explore how action learning can be used to tackle real-world problems. Rather than formal presentations, the evening centred on conversation: small groups discussed live issues from their own organisations, testing ideas and reflecting together in the spirit of action learning.
5th December 2025
We are pleased to announce our registration for Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC), and signature of the Armed Forces Covenant, enabling us to support career pivots and transitions for Service Leavers, Reservists, and Veterans through the Forces Transition Group.
This registration marks an important step in widening access to structured learning and development for those moving from military to civilian careers. Through the ELC scheme, eligible individuals can use their credits to invest in learning that builds confidence, strengthens problem-solving capability, and supports successful transitions into new professional environments.
Working in partnership with the Forces Transition Group, our offer is designed to recognise the depth of experience that service personnel bring, while helping translate military skills into civilian leadership, management, and organisational contexts.
1st-2nd December 2025
This week’s peer-review visit to Oslo on 1st-2nd December delivered an inspiring and energising exchange of ideas with trusted colleagues, creating a genuine meeting of minds that sharpened strategy and strengthened alignment. Shell is grateful for the collaboration and momentum, and we are excited for what we build together next.
19th November 2025
On November 19th, Shell had the privilege of supporting the Forces Transition Partnership’s Service Leaver Transition Event at the fantastic Wetherby Racecourse. The day was a powerful reminder that transitions, while often challenging, are also moments of growth, resilience, and reinvention.
Veterans and Service leavers bring with them an extraordinary blend of discipline, adaptability, problem-solving under pressure, and a deep commitment to responsibility. These are exactly the qualities that organisations managing high levels of financial and information risk depend on.
Their experience in complex environments, coupled with an unwavering ethical compass, makes them invaluable assets to any company seeking to strengthen its risk culture and operational resilience.
4th November 2025
On 4th November Shell, Charles Matthews and Richard attended the CIO, CFO, CDO and CISO flagship UK Summit hosted by CDM media. We were privileged to be able to run a series of taster sessions for the Strategic Orbits Exercise®. There was a lot of engagement as groups of senior executives from global companies explored the complex nature of organisational problem-solving in the age of AI and accelerating technological development.
3rd November 2025
We are delighted to share that our L7 PG Cert, ALFA module 1 took place on Monday 3rd November!
Participants of Cohort 2 gathered to start their course today, and what an insightful session it was. Our faculty Richard and Shell led the group through an introduction to Action Learning, and participants developed and worked through their own emerging Action Learning Questions addressing community and social challenges.
We're excited to watch the programme unfold and see our participants grow! To learn more about ALFA and the Action Learning Methodology, visit our website.
Week commencing 27th October
Shell’s recent introduction to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia week commencing 27th October revealed the immense potential of Action Learning to accelerate financial growth, strengthen risk management, and drive strategic development across sectors, including defence, technology, and construction. Through the Strategic Orbits Exercise®, we empowered executive teams in the region to achieve sharper strategic alignment, make confident decisions, and unlock measurable productivity and performance gains.
23rd October 2025
On Wednesday 23rd October, Shell was delighted to address the Pathways into Defence and Security event with TechVets, attended by Service leavers from across the Army, Navy and RAF. Shell was delighted to share her journey from service into business, and the experience of building an AI-enabled product from the ground up, in service of organisations across government and enterprise.
19th October 2025
On Sunday 19th October, we showcased our Action Learning Facilitator Programme on the international stage, linking colleagues digitally from across the globe. This was a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of recent graduates, such as Dr Lucy Martin, who has achieved her Action Learning Questions® credentials, seen here presented with her certificate at our partner university; York St John University London Campus.
4th October 2025
On Friday 4th October, we were inspired by our visit to the National Education Show at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff, and it proved to be an incredibly insightful day. The event brought together thousands of teachers and service providers, all united in a commitment to strengthening education across Wales. We enjoyed some inspiring conversations about tackling wicked problems, reframing them into Action Learning Questions, and using collaboration to create positive change.
3rd October 2025
On Thurs 3rd October, we were privileged to kick-start our collaboration with the Salford Foundation; bringing The Strategic Orbits Exercise® into service of this incredible team to help adults & young people across Salford and the Greater Manchester areas to reach their potential. We were delighted to meet this amazing team at their vibrant facility in Salford.
25th September 2025
At 'AI in the Public Sector' in Whitehall, we shared key insights from our 50 years of experience and AI-enabled product development operating across Whitehall with operating model and technology transformation programmes. Delegates were drawn from a broad range of Whitehall departments, local council leadership and public bodies.
24-25th September 2025
At the Manchester Tech Festival 2025 at Victoria Baths, we showcased Strategic Orbits Exercise® and our unique human/AI interface; with avatar-based realplay and extended reality.
11-12th September 2025
At the Combined Services Plastic Surgery Society Conference at Oxford's Brasenose College, we introduced the Strategic Orbits Exercise® to enhance the readiness of Defence and NHS healthcare professionals in addressing current and future challenges. The session focused on strengthening skills and preparedness, highlighting the importance of adaptation in healthcare to meet evolving demands.
2nd September 2025
We were honoured to introduce the Strategic Orbits Exercise® to the Responsible Artificial Intelligence group at Hull University, part of the UK EdgeAI Hub.
We discussed the responsible use of agentic AI and ML in the SOE and began our research collaboration in style.
2nd July 2025
In conversation with Lydia Stevens, Climate Biodiversity Coaching, at our launch event;
Lydia said...."I loved the gamification, and also the professionalism of how it [Strategic Orbits Exercise®] was delivered today".