Case Study: Circl & Skimlinks
How Skimlinks Built a Leadership Pipeline by Embedding Coaching Early
“The senior team and I have participated in leadership programmes throughout our careers and I have to admit that most of them felt like a waste of time. Way too often, they’re theoretical training in the art of the obvious.”
Sebastien Blanc, CEO at Skimlinks
About Skimlinks
Industry: Marketing
Location: Multiple offices globally
Company size: 85+ employees
Skimlinks is a content monetisation platform helping 60,000 publishers increase their revenue through commerce content. With over $1.2 billion in annual transaction volume and a growing global presence, the business needed to turn its top performers into effective new managers—without losing its values or culture along the way.
The Challenge: Scaling Without Losing Culture or Talent
As Skimlinks scaled, it faced a familiar challenge: how to grow its leadership bench without relying solely on external hires. While the business had strong contributors, most had little to no formal management experience. Without the right support or development pathway, Skimlinks risked two options— throwing new managers in the deep end, or hiring externally, potentially leading to disengagement, attrition, and culture dilution.
The leadership team wanted to avoid both. While learning was already a core part of the company culture, Skimlinks had struggled to find a leadership programme that felt engaging and relevant enough to make a lasting impact.
The Solution
Real Coaching Practice with Real People
After experiencing the impact of coaching in his own leadership journey, CEO Sebastien Blanc saw the value in a hands-on coaching approach—and wanted to bring that to his team.
He also saw the social mission behind Circl as a key differentiator, offering both meaningful skill development and emotional engagement for participants. Here’s what the Circl programme looked like for Skimlinks:
6 new managers were selected by the leadership team
Each was matched with a Future Leader— an 18–24-year-old from an underrepresented background
Over the course of the programme, participants both coached and were coached by their Future Leader
The group took part in expert-led workshops focused on active listening, trust-building, feedback, and inclusive leadership
“Learning a skill and helping someone is a powerful combination. It creates an emotional engagement that makes the learning stick— and that’s what most corporate training is missing.”
The Impact
A New Model for Internal Development
The programme was still underway at the time of reporting, but feedback from participants and leadership has been overwhelmingly positive
Participants reported higher engagement, stronger emotional investment in their learning, and a better understanding of inclusive leadership
Skimlinks is already considering how to integrate the Circl programme more deeply into its longterm development plans.
“Taking part in Circl was a refreshing change of pace. It showed that Skimlinks values us—not just as employees, but as future leaders.”
Jenny Hunter, Account Specialist Director and Circl Programme Participant
Building Inclusive Mindsets from the Start
Participants reflected on the value of working with underrepresented young people—and how the experience challenged their assumptions
The one-to-one coaching sessions encouraged empathy, perspective-taking, and selfawareness—skills crucial for first-time managers.
“Taking part in Circl was a refreshing change of pace. It showed that Skimlinks values us—not just as employees, but as future leaders.”
Jenny Hunter, Account Specialist Director and Circl Programme Participant
Future Measurement
Skimlinks will measure long-term impact via its bi-annual employee engagement surveys
Performance data and leadership pipeline progression will also be used to track growth and capability shifts.