Grant Thornton invests £1 million in data and digital mindset training to fuel the firm's digital transformation

Recognising that successful digital transformation requires a holistic approach that addresses the cultural, operational and technological aspects of the firm to drive innovation and sustainable growth, Grant Thornton’s programme focuses on the often unaddressed cultural (mindset) aspect of this.

Delivered in an industry first partnership with Data Literacy Academy, a leading figure in the industry, the "3D" Data-Driven Digital mindset training will be offered to an initial cohort of Leaders (Partner, Director and Associate Director level) and new Associates, with additional investment committed for future cohorts.

The 3D programme will consist of a series of bespoke learning modules, covering diverse areas such as Data Leadership, Foundations of Data and Digital Skills of the Future, amongst others; underpinned by both theoretical and practical courses delivered over several months.

By fostering the digital mindsets of colleagues at both entry and leadership levels, the firm will rapidly accelerate its data and digital momentum and culture across teams, driving significant improvements to how colleagues work with one another, with clients and encouraging further innovation via the development of new ideas and solutions.

Alan Dale, Head of Data, Digital and Technology at Grant Thornton UK LLP, commented: “Whilst data fluency and digital capabilities are nothing new for our people, significantly upskilling our teams both at senior and more junior levels with the latest thinking and trends in this fast-moving space will enable us to stay at the cutting-edge of our profession.

“Our commitment to continued investment in data and digital, and ensuring our people are at the vanguard of technological advancement in our sector, gives us a unique opportunity to reflect on how we work in a way that is better for our people, our clients and our firm. This will enable us to make smarter, faster decisions whilst upholding the high standards of quality that our clients expect. We’re delighted to be the first of our peers in the sector to offer this type of data and digital training to our people.

“We were excited by Data Literacy Academy’s unique approach to learning, as they blend the theories and practicalities of data learning to ultimately shift people’s mindset and capabilities. We look forward to our ongoing collaboration with the team over the coming years.”

Greg Freeman, Founder and CEO of Data Literacy Academy added: “Our partnership with Grant Thornton has already been an unbelievable journey, and its senior leaders are doing something really bold here. They’re buying into a critical business enabler while putting their people at the heart of it, because tech and data-enabled people drive change.

“The Grant Thornton team understands that data literacy, and the cultural shift it brings, will be a catalyst for their data and digital-led approach – unlocking the success of the firm for today and well into the future. I can’t wait to see the incredible impact that the programme will have on Grant Thornton’s people, culture, customers and the future of accountancy.”

The 3D programme builds on Grant Thornton’s continuous digital transformation journey, which has seen the firm invest significantly over recent years in Technology and Digital Services for clients as well as data, digital and AI tools to enable its people to harness the power of new technologies to improve the overall client experience.