Who's got whose back?

EBS Executive Education is the professional training arm of Estonia’s top business school. Their programmes bring together mid- and senior-level managers from from big-name brands to local municipalities and government agencies.

Since 2017, we’ve worked with EBS to introduce service design, user-centric thinking and brand strategy to hundreds of leaders. Our role? To provide fresh perspectives, practical tools, and methods they can use the very next day.

What makes it special for us is the hands-on nature. Participants don’t just talk theory – they do the work. Every group maps real user journeys, conducts actual interviews (yes, it's very awkward at first!) and steps into their customers’ shoes. And they tackle real-life challenges from their own organisations.

Practice is the best teacher. And we bring plenty of lessons – including a few of our own spectacular failures – straight from real projects into the classroom.

Over the past eight years, we’ve helped shape six leadership programmes at EBS:
- Service Management Programme (2017–2019)
- HR Management Programme (2019–2025)
- Middle Management Programme “KAJA” (2020–2023)
- Marketing Management Programme “TUJU” (2020–2025)
- RTK HR Programme (2022)
- Leadership Programme “AIT” with the Estonian Centre for Architecture (2022)

Each group brings new perspectives and teaches us something in return. That’s the beauty of it. It keeps us sharp, evolving our content and our own work in the process. And more often than not, even the most sceptical participants admit something clicked:
“Made me look at our business from a completely different angle...”
“Helped break through deeply rooted assumptions...”
“I was sceptical at first, but I now understand how detailed and valuable service design really is...”

We often meet participants again – in a mentoring session, custom workshop, full-scale service design or rebranding project. That’s one of the real joys of teaching – seeing seeds planted earlier begin to grow.

Working with EBS has never been “just” training. It’s a long-standing dialogue with Estonia’s sharpest minds – a chance to share, shape, and learn. And yes, even old dogs like us are still picking up new tricks.

Thanks for having our back, EBS – see you in September.