Customised U.Excel programme for middle managers recognised for combining coaching, real-world application, and immersive practice through Boomtown simulation
LONDON – 24 August 2026 – Alchemist, a global leadership development company specialising in changing behaviour at scale through practice-led learning, and Fugro (ENXTAM:FUR), the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, announced today that they won Gold in the Best Leadership Development Program category in the 2026 Brandon Hall Group™ HCM Excellence Awards®.
The winning initiative, U.Excel, is a customised programme created for Fugro’s middle managers. It was designed to build leadership confidence, strengthen strategic communication, and turn learning into meaningful behavioural change.
“We’re proud to receive Gold and to have the work of our participants and learning team recognised,” said Wouter Jan Kleinlugtenbelt, global head of learning at Fugro. “Our middle managers are a critical link between strategy and execution, so we didn’t want a generic leadership course. The programme was developed around the situations our leaders face every day.”
The 11-week development journey combined live virtual learning, diagnostic insight, one-to-one coaching, peer learning, practice between sessions, work on real business challenges, forum theatre, senior leader engagement, and post-programme reinforcement.
The programme culminated in Boomtown, a two-day, face-to-face immersive business simulation delivered by an Alchemist facilitator, coaches, and professional actors. Participants stepped into a fictional company and were challenged to apply their new skills and behaviours in an environment designed to recreate the pressure, ambiguity, and interpersonal dynamics of real leadership.
“This award validates what can happen when an organisation is willing to go beyond traditional leadership training and create opportunities for people to practise in situations that feel real. U.Excel was designed around that principle,” said Russell Miller, CEO of Alchemist. “Boomtown brought those behaviours together in an environment where participants could test themselves, adapt, and learn. It’s a powerful example of what practice-led learning can achieve when it’s built around the realities leaders face.”
Participant feedback highlighted the impact of the experience:
- “A brilliantly designed, created, and executed simulation that brought to life, in a short space of time, so many challenges that we often have to deal with. It massively reinforced the learnings of the course, brought it to life, and made sure we’ll remember Boomtown!”
- “It is really something we can’t learn in a classroom or virtually. The simulation reflects many real challenges we face at work.”
Programme impact was measured through a combination of quantitative data, participant feedback, coaching insight, facilitator observation, and follow-up evidence from the business.
Across cohorts, U.Excel achieved:
- 94% average positivity score across the programme
- 96% average positivity score for the Boomtown simulation
- 95% said they gained value from the interactive nature of the simulation
The programme also created opportunities for managers across countries and functions to build stronger connections with peers and senior leaders. The face-to-face experience added a different level of energy, visibility, and connection next to the virtual part of the programme.
“Boomtown gave participants something that’s very difficult to recreate through conventional learning,” Kleinlugtenbelt added. “They could test themselves, see how their behaviour affected others, and receive immediate feedback, all within a safe environment. That combination of realism, challenge, and reflection made the experience memorable and helped participants connect the learning directly to their work.”
The accolade follows further external recognition for Fugro’s learning leadership. Kleinlugtenbelt was named a Silver Stevie® Award winner for Chief Learning Officer of the Year in the 2026 Stevie Awards for Great Employers.
The Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards® recognise organisations that successfully develop and deploy programmes, strategies, technologies, and solutions that deliver measurable business results and advance excellence in Human Capital Management. Entries are evaluated by industry experts and Brandon Hall Group analysts based on alignment to business needs, programme design and delivery, adoption, measurable benefits, and overall impact.
The full list of winners is available at: https://excellenceawards.brandonhall.com/winners
About Alchemist
Headquartered in London, Alchemist is a global leadership development company specialising in immersive, experiential, and interactive learning. Known for its client-centric approach and innovative design, Alchemist creates learning experiences that are impactful, memorable, and built to drive business outcomes through high-stakes, real-world challenges, live practice, AI-driven simulations, and immediate coaching. Learn more at thisisalchemist.com.
About Fugro
Fugro is the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Adopting an integrated approach that incorporates acquisition and analysis of Geo-data and related advice, Fugro provides solutions. With expertise in site characterisation and asset integrity, clients are supported in the safe, sustainable and efficient design, construction and operation of their assets throughout the full lifecycle. Learn more at https://www.fugro.com.