Company Milestones

2007

April: Fifty Lessons set to launch a brand new consumer-friendly website in North America for aspirational professionals: www.cwerty.com.

March: Condé Nast’s high profile new business magazine Portfolio and Portfolio.com agree an online video advertising partnership with Fifty Lessons.

March: Global mobile phone distribution agreement with Sun 3C Media plc to distribute content from Fifty Lessons Harvard Business School Press book series.

February: Sun 3C Media plc and Fifty Lessons launch in China with a fully subtitled in simplified Chinese website: www.fiftylessons.com.cn.

January: Fifty Lessons signs 12 book deal with Harvard Business School Press to produce the Lessons Learned: Straight Talk from the World’s Top Business Leaders series, the first three books to be published early September 2007.

2006

December: Fifty Lessons and Harvard Business School Publishing reach agreement for Fifty Lessons video to be included in new version of Harvard Manage Mentor.

November: Distribution partnership signed with Bridge2Think for Europe.

October: First US corporate customers come onboard including: American Electric, Computer Associates, Duke Energy, Grant Thornton, KPMG, and UPS.

September: Distribution partnerships signed with Targeted Learning in the USA and Mind Resources in South East Asia and Australasia.

September: Thomson NETg and Pearson Performance Solutions start selling in the North America.

August: US filming goes from strength to strength as Fifty Lessons complete their fiftieth interview in the US, which will deliver over 200 lessons for the library.

June: Fifty Lessons products being sold in South Africa with new partnership with Learning Resources.

June: Distribution deal signed with Pearson Performance Solutions for distribution and integration into PPS organization and management development tools set in North America.

June: Distribution deal signed with Thomson NETg for Global Distribution of Fifty Lessons product portfolio.

May: Fifty Lessons launches pre-loaded video iPOD to market.

March: Distribution deal signed with Harvard Business School Publishing.

February: SBE Council becomes first US Customer and partnership agreed to deliver Fifty Lessons solutions to their membership community of 70,000 members across the US.

January: Adam Singer becomes Chairman of Fifty Lessons Group. Google Print Partnership deal signed. Fifty Lessons 4 paperback books sell over 25,000 copies since launch in May 2005.

2005

December: Joint Co-Production deal signed with Harvard Business School Publishing. Unique book launched with Heidrick and Struggles called Reflection of Leadership that is sent to all FTSE 250 CEOs as Christmas Present.

October: Fifty Lessons shortlisted for the British Interactive

October: After a six-month process of extensive consultation with clients and experts, Fifty Lessons launch its new website & product line.

September: Fifty Lessons Management Handbook selected for inclusion in the prestigious Communication Arts Design Annual 2005.

August: Co-founder Adam Sodowick moves to Boston to set up the US office.

June: First international executives filmed in US. Number of contributors reaches 100.

June: Non-executive board appointed in the form of John Steele (Chairman), Ian Hardie and Hugo Drayton.

April: IVCA (International Visual Communication Association) Gold award winner in Web TV category.

April: Fast Track to Business Excellence books co-published with BBC Worldwide and on sale in all good bookshops. Two of the four make it onto the WH Smith ‘Best Sellers’ list.

February: A public sector event for more than 80 senior HR people led to new clients including the DTI (Business Link University) and the Ministry of Defence.

February: Fifty Lessons Management Handbook shortlisted for award in the print design category of the Design Week Awards.

January: First customers come online, amongst them; National Audit Office, British Telecom, Hutchinson ‘3’, Department of Trade and Industry and Ashurst.

2004

November: Telegraph Group Ltd. becomes a shareholder and publishes a lesson transcript each week in the Business2+Jobs section of the Daily Telegraph.

October: London Business School selects Fifty Lessons for inclusion in its Senior Executive Programme.

September: First acquisition completed: The Institute of Financial Services publishing business acquired from Caxton Publishing, and with it the rights to 150 professional services authors.

August: Company structure changes to establish a holding company in readiness for future acquisitions.

July: Fifty Lessons publish its first 50 lessons on a DVD enclosed within a hardbound Management Handbook with slipcover.

June: The company, which now comprises six people, moves to new premises in Chenies Street, London W1.

February: BBC Worldwide takes stake in Fifty Lessons and becomes a distributor. The deal is closed in February and announced in April. BBC deal entails funding to film the next 40 executives to deliver 200 lessons.

January: Individual lessons are licensed for Cathay Pacific business class passengers for in-flight viewing.

2003

December: First funding secured when King Street Partners LLP closes investment on 12 December.

September: Private screenings at Soho House, London a huge success with 200 acceptances in the first 48 hours of the invitations going out to three communities: HR (potential customers), Investors (the company needed its next round of funding) and Media (potential distributors).

March: First lessons contributed by Sir David Bell, Chairman of the Financial Times and Director of People at Pearson. A further 14 Executives are filmed in the first phase including Sir Martin Sorrell and Sir Bob Reid.

January: Founders Andy Hasoon and Adam Sodowick incorporate Fifty Lessons and are soon joined by production expert and third co-founder James MacKinnon. The first office is above a video shop in Goodge Street, London W1.