From HR Partner to Strategic Leader.

apply to cohort o1

Strategic People Leadership accelerator

Move from reactive HR execution to strategic leadership

A small, high-calibre cohort designed to help you move from reactive HR execution to trusted strategic partner.

People and Talent Leaders from Europe's top tech companies. Application-only. Selected for demonstrated excellence and influence.

What you get:

  • 60% live case work, 40% frameworks you'll spend most of your time working through real scenarios, not listening to lectures

  • Direct mentorship from Federica De Cillis

  • A peer group navigating the same high-stakes complexity

  • Pattern recognition from FAANG, Stripe, and VC-backed scale-ups

  • A network that outlasts the programme

4 live sessions (London + virtual) | April – June 2026

apply to cohort 01

First cohort. Limited to 8 people.

Applications close March 16, 2026.

real case scenarios drawn from VC-backed scale-ups, and high-growth startups

Not theory. Your actual decisions.

The exact messy, high-stakes situations you face every week. With direct mentorship from someone who's navigated these decisions at scale, you'll learn how to think through trade-offs, assess risk, and influence outcomes.

60% of the programme is live case work on your real challenges. 40% is frameworks you'll apply immediately.

MEET YOUR MENTOR

Federica De Cillis, Founder Arc Studio

Federica De Cillis is a People Leader and Organisational Performance Advisor working at the intersection of leadership, performance, and scale.

For over 15 years, she has built and delivered People and Talent strategies at Expedia, Meta, Stripe, and VC-backed scale-ups - navigating the high-stakes decisions that most People leaders face but few are trained to handle.

Now, through Arc Studio, Federica advises founders, support VCs, and trains the next generation of strategic People leaders across Europe.

  • 15+ years: Meta, Stripe, VC-backed scale-ups

  • 300+ Leaders trained

  • Currently advises VC-backed founders, VCs, and leadership teams

  • Built Arc Studio to 10+ top tech clients and VCs in under 4 months

“I've made the high-stakes calls you're facing. Now I coach People leaders on how to make them with confidence.

Not theory and old playbooks.

Pattern recognition from being in the room when it mattered”.

DEVELOP SHARPER JUDGMENT
AND OPERATE MORE EFFECTIVELY AT EXECUTIVE LEVEL.

a peer network that will stay with you long after the fellowship.

Target schedule:

  • Day 1: Tuesday, April 14, 2026 | 2pm–5 pm | In-person, London

  • Day 2: Tuesday, May 12, 2026 | 2pm–5 pm | In-person, London

  • Day 3: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 | 2pm–5 pm | In-person, London

  • Webinar: Late April (between Day 1 & 2), 6–7pm via Zoom, will be recorded

These dates are provisional and may adjust slightly based on cohort availability. Once applications close, final dates will be confirmed with all accepted participants.

Applications close March 16, 2026. Cohort limited to 8 people.

apply here

You might recognise yourself here

  • You’re trusted to execute but rarely invited early into strategic decisions.

  • You can see organisational problems before leaders acknowledge them.

  • You’re operating at senior level without senior sponsorship.

  • You know promotion requires a different level of judgement, not more HR knowledge.

This accelerator exists for that transition.

Not another HR course. Here's why.

1. You're Learning From Someone Who's been doing the job in the exact environment you are in

Federica De Cillis has been building and delivering People strategies at FAANG companies and VC-backed scale-ups for 15+ years.

She's made the calls you're facing. She now advises founders, supports VC portfolios, and has trained over 300 People leaders.

You get direct access to someone who's navigated drops in company performance and engagement, high-pressure environments, org redesigns and restructures under board pressure, and who currently coaches founders 1-1 and truly understands the psychology behind it all.

This is not theory from a textbook.

2. The Format is Designed for Real Change

Three months. Monthly half-days in London. Max 8 people.

Small enough for real work. Long enough for momentum. In-person so conversations go deep.

Live case scenarios from startups and scale-ups. Space to discuss your actual challenges.

3. The Peer Group You've Been Missing

People leaders from the top European Tech companies navigating the same complexity you are.

Designing comp systems. Navigating founder politics. Influencing without authority. Building performance culture under pressure.

The peer learning is as valuable as the mentorship.

Tangible Outcomes

By the end of this accelerator, you will operate at a different strategic level.

You will be able to:

→ Make high-stakes people decisions with clarity and conviction
→ Translate business strategy into organisational design
→ Navigate executive trade-offs without defaulting to process
→ Raise talent density while maintaining trust and momentum
→ Influence founders and leadership teams through commercial thinking
→ Anticipate scaling challenges before they become crises

You will leave thinking differently about how companies scale and the role you play in shaping them.

your Questions, Answered.

  • This accelerator is designed for:

    • People/HR Business Partners in tech, startups, or high-growth companies

    • Emerging People Leaders with 2-10 years of experience

    • Talent/People Ops Leads who want to develop strategic influence

    • First-time Heads of People in startups/scale-ups

    You should apply if you're tired of being reactive, want to shape business decisions (not just execute them), and are ready to develop the judgment and commercial thinking that traditional HR training doesn't cover.

    • Are very early in your career (less than 2 years in People/HR roles)

    • Are looking for CIPD-style certification or academic credentials

    • Want HR operations training (payroll, HRIS, compliance)

    • Are a senior executive (10+ years) already operating at this strategic level

    • Cannot commit to attending at least 3 out of 2 in-person sessions in London

  • CIPD and traditional HR courses teach you theory and best ER practices. They're valuable for foundational knowledge.

    However, they fail to apply that knowledge to the reality of today's startups — which require speed, commercial judgment, and the ability to make calls with incomplete information.

    This accelerator teaches you judgment — how to make high-stakes decisions under pressure when the textbook answer doesn't exist.

    We focus on:

    • Live case work from real FAANG, startup, and scale-up scenarios

    • Developing strategic thinking and commercial awareness

    • Learning to influence without authority

    • Navigating trade-offs and grey-zone situations

    • Direct mentorship from someone who's been in the room

    This is for People leaders who want to stop managing the consequences — and start shaping the decisions.

  • Target schedule:

    • Day 1: Tuesday, April 14th, 2026 | 2-5 pm | In-person, London

    • Day 2: Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 | 2-5 pm | In-person, London

    • Day 3: Tuesday, June 9th, 2026 | 2-5 pm | In-person, London

    • Webinar: TBC April & May, 6-7PM (via Zoom, will be recorded)

    These dates are provisional and may adjust slightly based on cohort availability.

    Once applications close on March 16, 2026, final dates will be confirmed with all accepted participants.

  • The venue will be confirmed with accepted participants. It will be centrally located and easily accessible by public transport. I am in conversation with the Hoxton hotel and Soho House - trust me it will be a beautiful environment.

  • Yes. All sessions are essential to the programme, and the learning builds across the three months.

    That said dates are provisional until applications close. Let me know which dates would fit better and I will see what I can do.

  • The webinar will be recorded and shared with all participants. However, we strongly encourage live attendance to engage with the guest speaker and ask questions.

  • During the programme:

    • 3 x half-day in-person sessions (3 hours each)

    • 1 x 1-hour webinar

    • Optional: Reflection time between sessions to apply insights

    Total commitment: Approximately 10-15 hours over 3 months.

    There's no pre-work required, though we may send light reading or a case scenario to review before each session.

  • Absolutely. This is a core part of the programme.

    You'll have dedicated time to work through your real situations with peer input and direct feedback from Federica. The cohort is intentionally small (max 15 people) to ensure everyone gets individual attention.

  • You'll get:

    • Frameworks and decision-making tools used in the sessions

    • Templates you can adapt for your context

    • Case studies and scenarios for reference

    • Lifetime access to the alumni Notion library (updated regularly)

    All materials are practical and designed for immediate application.

  • Let's have a chat first so I can truly understand if this is the right fit for you and share the details of the programme live, including the cost.

    I'm also happy to work with you to ensure the programme can be expensed through your company's learning budget.

    I can provide flexible payment options and group discounts if 2+ people from one company sign up.

Apply here