Sean McPheat is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, author and CEO of two renown training companies – MTD Training and SkillsHub. But before he was transforming the world of leadership training, Sean McPheat was a young professional working in one of the most high-pressure environments imaginable – investment banking.
It was there, amid the constant pace and deadlines, that he first saw an opportunity to improve leadership.Talented people were being promoted into management roles… but not being taught how to lead.
“Most managers were promoted for technical ability, not people skills,” Sean says. “Training didn’t prepare them for the real challenges of leading conversations, motivating people, and dealing with pressure. It was all theory, no application.”
That observation planted the seed for what would become his life’s work: helping people lead better.
From investment banking to leadership impact
In 2002, Sean took the leap and founded MTD Training – with one simple mission: provide practical, leading edge learning & development solutions that work in the real world.
He started small, running workshops that focused not on theory, but on behaviour. On what managers could actually do differently tomorrow.
“Our focus has always been on impact, not tick boxes,” says Sean. “We design learning around what people need to do differently – not what looks good in a slide deck.”
Over two decades later, MTD has grown into one of the UK’s most respected management and leadership training providers, having delivered programs to over 9,000 organisations in 25 countries.
Their training is designed and delivered by accredited industry specialists, combining practical experience with behavioural science and leadership psychology to create results-driven learning experiences. MTD’s trainers know the challenges of leading a team because they’ve lived them.
“Every one of MTD’s trainers has led teams themselves. They don’t teach theory, they teach from experience. That creates instant trust and learners feel understood, not lectured.” says Sean.
As a result, MTD boasts a 96% satisfaction rate, and its learners consistently describe the training as “real,” “practical,” and “completely hit the mark.”
Building a business that practices what it teaches
Their approach has led MTD to win multiple national awards including L&D Professional of the Year, Trainer of the Year and The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025. But the accolade that means most to Sean is the team’s recent win of the Breakthrough Culture Award.
The same principles that underpin MTD’s training are reflected in the way Sean leads his own organization – it’s not just taught, it’s lived. And with an 85.7% retention rate for employees with over five years’ service, and 100% retention in senior leadership roles, the proof is in the numbers. But Sean prefers to measure success in conversations, not statistics.
“It started with one question: What if people felt safe enough to be themselves?” Says Sean. “I just want my people to feel safe enough to be themselves. Whatever that may be.”
They’ve built a culture where it’s safe to give feedback, leaders listen, respect and act, and mistakes are celebrated as part of growth. From wellbeing check-ins to “pawternity leave” for new pet owners, MTD’s culture is built on empathy, trust, and the belief that being human comes first.
“It’s easy to talk about culture,” he says, “but we’re committed to building one where people feel safe, respected, and genuinely valued.”
Scaling impact and the future of leadership development
Never one to stand still, Sean went on to launch Skillshub in 2017, a digital learning platform offering over 1,000 CPD-certified ready-made courses and bespoke online courses.
Skillshub was born from the same frustration that inspired MTD: traditional elearning was too rigid and too slow and not delivering the right learning outcomes.
“Most platforms were designed for compliance,” Sean says. “We wanted something that was real. In short, our focus is simple: if it can’t be used back at the desk, it doesn’t go in the program. That’s how we make learning stick.”
Sean’s influence extends well beyond his businesses. He’s the author of several bestselling books, including IMPACT: How to Turn Learning Into Results and 1500 Coaching Questions: The Ultimate Leader’s Blueprint. He’s a regular contributor to outlets like CNN, BBC, and The Guardian. His weekly leadership tips reach more than 270,000 subscribers and he has a combined social media following of over 585,000 professionals.
But despite the accolades, what drives him is simple.
“What gets me out of bed in the morning is seeing real change,” Sean says. “When someone tells me they handled a tough conversation better or built a stronger team because of what they learned, that’s what matters. Better leadership changes lives.”
Looking ahead, Sean’s focus is on international growth and innovation. His goal is to expand MTD’s leadership programmes, develop new digital assessment tools, and continue to raise the standard of management training worldwide.
You can also connect with Sean on LinkedIn, sign up to his newsletter to receive weekly upskilling tips delivered straight to your inbox, and check out his published books on Amazon.
Arlo Change Makers is a series that highlights the passionate people behind training organizations that are changing people’s lives.
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