When Axcel Learning approached me to facilitate their leadership offsite, they were at a pivotal moment. With a recent acquisition and ambitious growth targets ahead, CEO Jonathan Zeidan needed more than a typical retreat.
He wanted clarity, alignment and momentum…. without carrying the full weight of running the room himself.
The Challenge
Like many companies, Axcel’s offsites had often fallen into one of two traps:
- Lots of conversation but little clarity– leaders left feeling good but without clear decisions or accountability.
- Over-structured agendas with no room to engage– creating documents, but not lasting rapport or engagement
On top of that, it was nearly impossible for the executive team to both facilitate and participate at the same time. The burden usually fell on Jonathan to manage the clock, moderate discussions and capture outcomes, leaving him unable to fully listen and engage with his team.
That’s where I came in.
The Approach
Because I’ve been a CEO myself, I design offsites with outcomes in mind. Together with Jonathan and executive team, we co-created an agenda that:
- Anchored directly to Axcel’s business priorities.
- Balanced structure with open dialogue and reflection.
- Prioritized clarity of decisions, ownership and accountability.
On the day itself, I managed everything end-to-end: keeping time, guiding discussions, documenting outcomes and ensuring every voice was heard. This gave Jonathan the rare opportunity to step back from managing the offsite and fully participate as a leader.
As Jonathan put it:
I also provided a comprehensive recap and led a structured post-mortem, ensuring the insights and momentum extended beyond the day itself.
The Results – In Just One Day
In just a single day, the Axcel team accomplished what could have taken months of meetings:
- Celebrated wins and what’s working- anchoring the day in positivity and shared momentum.
- Refined the 3-year growth plan- creating alignment on the company’s long-term direction.
- Updated the H2 operating plan- with concrete priorities, deliverables and ownership.
- Identified growth levers for each brand- highlighting opportunities for growth grounded in customer and market insights.
- Reinforced trust and connection- building confidence between the leadership team and brand leaders.
The combination of strategic clarity, tactical alignment and renewed team trust gave Axcel the focus and energy they needed to move forward- without the typical drag of long, unfocused sessions.
Takeaway
For Axcel Learning, this wasn’t just the “best offsite ever,” it was a turning point. The team left aligned, accountable and energized.
And for Jonathan, the biggest win wasn’t just the results on paper- it was the ability to step back, trust the process and see his business through a new lens.
