Sanofi Case Study: An Emerging Leaders Programme Grown From Regional Pilot to Global Offer
How Sanofi built calm, assertive and resilient leaders from the inside out: 92 emerging leaders and 6 leadership teams
Inside Out talent development and Thriving Together team coaching across Asia and the Middle East
Sanofi launched Inside Out, our emerging leaders programme, as a pilot for Southeast Asia and India in 2024. It helps high-potential talent stay calm under pressure, speak up with confidence and lead change, starting with a 50-factor Resilience Assessment and ending with a hackathon on real business projects. After 92 talents in 3 cohorts, Sanofi added Inside Out to its Global Leadership programme offer in 2026. Alongside it, we coached 6 leadership teams across Asia and the Middle East.
Sanofi Case Study: An Emerging Leaders Programme Grown From Regional Pilot to Global Offer
How Sanofi built calm, assertive and resilient leaders from the inside out: 92 emerging leaders and 6 leadership teams
Inside Out talent development and Thriving Together team coaching across Asia and the Middle East
Sanofi launched Inside Out, our emerging leaders programme, as a pilot for Southeast Asia and India in 2024. It helps high-potential talent stay calm under pressure, speak up with confidence and lead change, starting with a 50-factor Resilience Assessment and ending with a hackathon on real business projects. After 92 talents in 3 cohorts, Sanofi added Inside Out to its Global Leadership programme offer in 2026. Alongside it, we coached 6 leadership teams across Asia and the Middle East.
- Client
- Sanofi
- Industry
- Pharmaceuticals and vaccines
- Where
- Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, India, South Korea, Australia, UAE, Saudi Arabia. From 2026, also Africa and Eurasia.
- Who
- High-potential talent across functions, management committees, country councils, sales, vaccines and supply chain leadership teams
- Period
- 2024 to 2026, ongoing
One of the most powerful reminders he consistently shared was that we connect as human to human, not role to role.Senior leader, Sanofi
Growing its own leaders for what comes next
Sanofi has been sharpening its focus as a biopharma company, and its people were delivering results as priorities evolved. Sanofi wanted to grow its own leaders for that future. The brief named four priorities.
Calm under pressure
Leaders wanted to stay composed and speak up clearly in high-stakes moments.
Respectful directness
In workplaces that value harmony, leaders wanted to share views directly while staying respectful.
Leading change
Emerging leaders wanted to lead change with agility and confidence.
Growing leadership teams
Management teams in the Middle East and Asia were growing and building cross-functional collaboration.
Two tracks, one method
Inside Out develops high-potential talent over 5 months. Thriving Together coaches intact leadership teams. Both start with measurement.
Measure
The Resilience Assessment for every talent, and team assessments with interviews for leadership teams.
Build
Virtual modules, learning pods and face-to-face sessions built around the data.
Apply
A hackathon on real business projects for talents, and team coaching for leadership teams.
| When | Where | Team | What we delivered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug to Dec 2024 | Southeast Asia and India | Inside Out pilot cohort (32 talents) | Resilience Assessment, launch, 3 virtual modules, learning pods, 2.5-day hackathon, cohort report for management |
| 2024 | Global, offsite in Hyderabad | Global leadership team | Team assessment and team performance coaching |
| Apr to Jul 2025 | Southeast Asia and India, hackathon in Hyderabad | Inside Out cohort (25 talents) | 5-month Inside Out programme with pre and post assessment |
| Sep to Dec 2025 | Southeast Asia, India, South Korea and Australia, hackathon in Kuala Lumpur | Inside Out cohort (35 talents) | 5-month Inside Out programme with pre and post assessment |
| Nov 2025 | Middle East | Management committee (14 leaders) | Team assessment, Thriving Together 2-day session |
| Dec 2025 | Dubai, UAE | GCC country council | Interviews with team members, custom design, 2-day Thriving Together |
| Mar to Aug 2026 | Asia and Middle East | Supply chain, vaccines and specialty care sales leadership teams, management committee follow-up, women leaders and People Business Partners | Team sessions, team coaching, Leading Change with Resilience |
| Sep 2026 to Feb 2027 | Africa, Eurasia, South Korea and Australia, Southeast Asia and India | Inside Out cohort 2026 (38 talents) | Inside Out as part of Sanofi’s Global Leadership offer |
How you feel inside shapes how you show up outside
Leaders build calm under pressure first, then presence, then influence.
- Measure: every talent takes the 50-factor Resilience Assessment. Management gets a cohort report on shared strengths and focus areas.
- Insight and mastery: what shapes their response under pressure, how to stay calm and how to reframe a challenge.
- Engage and influence: calm body language, preparation and empathy, then assertive communication with live role play and peer feedback.
- Learn in pods: groups of 6 to 7, each mentored by a senior Sanofi leader, between the virtual modules.
- Lead change: a 2.5-day face-to-face hackathon on real business projects with Sanofi sponsors, then a re-measure.
How Sanofi used Measure, Build, Sustain
Sanofi used all three steps. Pick the one that matches your own challenge.
Measure
A 50-factor pre and post measure for every talent, plus a cohort report for management.
A baseline of clarity, collaboration and commitment before each team session, plus confidential interviews.
Build
Calm under pressure, presence and assertive influence for emerging leaders.
Leading teams through change, from the Inside Out hackathon to Leading Change with Resilience.
Trust, psychological safety and honest conversations inside leadership teams.
Sustain
Peer coaching in pods mentored by senior Sanofi leaders, weekly newsletters, and team coaching between sessions.
From regional pilot to global offer
Adopted globally
Inside Out joined Sanofi’s Global Leadership programme offer in 2026, two years after the pilot.
Wider reach every year
From Southeast Asia and India (2024) to South Korea and Australia (2025), then Africa and Eurasia (2026).
Strong team foundations
The Middle East management committee started strong on clear roles (4.50 out of 5) and belief in its direction (4.43), and came back in 2026.
Business outcomes
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Scale | 92 talents in 3 cohorts (2024 to 2025), 38 more in 2026 |
| Reach | From Southeast Asia and India (2024) to South Korea and Australia (2025), then Africa and Eurasia (2026) |
| Adoption | Inside Out added to Sanofi’s Global Leadership programme offer (2026) |
| Team coaching | 6 leadership teams coached across Asia and the Middle East, plus a Leading Change with Resilience session for women leaders and People Business Partners |
| Repeat business | The Middle East management committee came back in 2026 after its 2025 session |
| Participant rating | 5.0 out of 5 for overall experience and facilitator (management committee, 2025) |
What Sanofi leaders said
This simple yet profound perspective shifted the way I approach relationships and collaboration, both professionally and personally. His influence extended beyond individual growth, fostering a more open and connected team culture.Senior leader, Sanofi
It helped us better understand how collaboration, communication, and trust can turn individual strengths into collective success. Through engaging exercises and insightful discussions, we learned practical tools to enhance teamwork.Management committee member, Sanofi, 2025
Three design choices
Inside first, outside second
Most assertiveness training starts with scripts. We start with the body and mind under pressure. Once leaders can stay calm, speaking up gets easier.
Sanofi owns the learning
Senior Sanofi leaders mentor the learning pods and sponsor real hackathon projects. Talents learn with their own leaders, on their own business challenges.
Same method, many rooms
Every team session starts with data and interviews, so a country council in Dubai and a vaccines team get different sessions built on the same framework.
Running talent development across many countries?
High performers are promoted for technical skill, then need new skills to speak up, lead change and influence peers. Sanofi’s experience shows three things you can expect.
A measurable talent programme
Every participant has a before and after, and management gets a cohort view.
A model that scales
A regional pilot can become a global offer when the design and results hold.
One language for talents and teams
Emerging leaders and leadership teams learn the same tools, so change sticks.
See how your emerging leaders handle pressure
Every Sanofi talent began with the Resilience Assessment. Run it free for up to 5 of your high-potential leaders. You get a profile across 50 evidence-based factors and a debrief on strengths and where to focus first, the same starting point as Inside Out.
Request your free talent assessmentPlanning a regional talent programme or leadership team coaching? Contact [email protected]
Frequently asked questions
What is the Inside Out emerging leaders programme?
How do you help leaders speak up in cultures that value harmony?
Can the programme run across many countries and time zones?
Do you coach intact leadership teams too?
Programme details are drawn from The Resilience Institute’s programme records, team assessments and participant feedback, 2024 to 2026. Individual results are confidential and not disclosed.