The challenge

Hereaus needed to design and facilitate a fully virtual, market-driven innovation program where cross-functional teams from global business units tackled strategic challenges. The goal was twofold: to generate concrete innovation outcomes while embedding a market-driven mindset. Teams needed to learn how to reduce uncertainty in early-stage innovation, validate assumptions with customers, and accelerate commercialization—ensuring a faster and more effective path to market success.

Our approach

• Structured a 120-day timeboxed program with fixed milestones to drive cross-business unit learning.
• Provided weekly coaching by innovation experts to guide teams through challenges.
• Delivered hands-on learning via workbooks and video nuggets to support real-world application.
• Designed a dedicated learning path for sponsors, ensuring leadership engagement and buy-in.

The results

• 52 employees worked on 14 strategic innovation challenges, reaching validated decision points.
• 23 senior managers took on the role of active innovation sponsors, going beyond traditional leadership functions.
• All participants mastered customer-centric innovation tools and learned to navigate uncertainty with confidence.
• The program fostered cross-business unit collaboration, unlocking new opportunities and knowledge exchange.
• Successfully demonstrated that 100% virtual innovation programs can be highly effective for global teams.