CEO Magazine - Volume 30

CEO-MAG.COM

LEARNING WITHOUT LIMITS

/

WINTER 2019

ENTREPRENEUR OR BUSINESS LEADER?

AM I TOO OLD TO SWITCH CAREERS?

RETURN ON ENVIRONMENT

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ceomag.co.uk / Spring 2016

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1

RETURN ON ENVIRONMENT Sara Lom

12

GLOBAL MBA RANKINGS CEO Magazine

16

NOT YOUR PLAIN VANILLA EXECUTIVE MBA Sophia Leong

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A) ENTREPRENEUR B) LEADER C) ALL OF THE ABOVE EU Business School

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES DESIGNED FOR SUCCESS AT ANY LEVEL Jack Welch Management Institute

26

THE UMSL DBA: LEARNING WITHOUT LIMITS Ekin Pellegrini

2

THE DBA STUDENT EXPERIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS Don Mueth

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REDEFINING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AT FIU George Marakas

32

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

DOCTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

36 AM I TOO OLD TO SWITCH CAREERS? Antoine Tirard, Claire Harbour-Lyell and Neil Courtis

40 BLAZING THE ONLINE MBA TRAIL Faye S. McIntyre

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JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY’S DAVIS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS LAUNCHES GLOBAL MBA Jacksonville University

57

INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT IN THE HEART OF ZURICH SBS Swiss Business School

4

THE STUDENTFIRST MBA Gregory Carnes

44

RIGOR, FLEXIBILITY, AND RESULTS Cathy DuBois

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ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

60

6

THE POWER OF THE MBA IN GERMANY Ralf Schellhase

62

FROM STUDENT TO SUCCESS STORY University of the Sciences

65

THE MBA EXPERIENCE AT NEBRIJA UNIVERSITY Nebrija University

68

GETTING OUT OF THE OFFICE Michael D. Watkins and Eugene A. Woods

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LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

CEO Victor J. Callender Group Editor-in-Chief Alexandra Skinner Design & Illustration pentacreate.com Financial Controller Anthony Gordon

Head Office: 4 Old Park Lane London W1K 1QW UK Telephone: +44 (0) 870 067 2077 (UK) Fax: +44 (0) 870 067 2078 (UK) Email: a.skinner@ceo-mag.com Web: www.ceo-mag.com

Head of Production Steven Whitaker Features Writer Amber Callender

@ceo_mag

/CEOMagazineGlobal

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A charity CEO for 15 years, Sara Lom worked for blue-chip businesses across retail, the wine trade and international orchestras. Now CEO at The Tree Council, helping safeguard Britain’s estimated 3bn trees, she draws on her commercial experience and offers CEO Magazine readers an insider’s view of Corporate Social Responsibility.

“Personally, I like to describe the process as ‘corporate partnership’ rather than ‘corporate giving’ as I think this reflects the best CSR strategies and programmes, where there is a two-way process and mutual listening and respect.”

RETURN ON ENVIRONMENT

Q. The successes you enjoyed as founding CEO of the Royal Parks Foundation are well documented. To what extent was this driven by the support you received from the corporate sector?

The corporate sector played a massive role in the success of the Royal Parks Foundation, the charity for London’s eight amazing Royal Parks. It’s thanks to our corporate partnerships that we went from zero at launch, to generating contributions of more than £25m in a decade. This included, for example, a gift of $1.2 million from Tiffany & Co Foundation in New York, who gave the Parks their first-ever gift in the UK. Their support highlighted the cause and meant we were able to restore the beautiful Italian Gardens in Kensington Gardens and other water features across the Parks. Royal Parks Foundation Chairman Joel Cadbury was delighted to welcome Fernanda Kellogg, Chair of Tiffany & Co. Foundation, at our launch.

L to R: Sara Lom, Fernanda Kellogg and Joel Cadbury at the launch of Tiffany 'Across the Water'.

We also secured a £750,000 partnership with UK food wholesalers Brakes, which 8

helped establish our annual Royal Parks Half Marathon. And we were able to build an environmental education centre in Hyde Park following £1m pledged by one of the capital’s leading art dealers, Halcyon Gallery. Their support has ensured that 10,000 children a year now visit the centre to learn about the natural world.

Q. You spent 15 years with the Royal Parks Foundation before taking over as the CEO of The Tree Council in April last year. How have attitudes towards CSR changed, and are companies more thoughtful about how and when they engage in CSR activity?

There have been big changes in attitude towards CSR over the past 15 years. The types of projects or causes that companies choose to support these days are no longer driven, as they frequently were before, by the personal interests of the Chairman or CEO. Previously, this might have resulted in generous donations to opera or cricket, for example. Many companies continue to make philanthropic gifts but, nowadays, companies and boards are more strategic in their approach to CSR. It’s usually focused around ‘the three ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

Ps’: People, Planet, and Profit. They want their CSR investment to improve people’s lives, to help conserve our planet and, at the same time, to increase the economic value and competitiveness of the company. I think the introduction of the FTSE4Good index in 2001 helped bring about a step change, as well as legislation being introduced in many different areas of business towards more sustainable practices. For example, Section 106 Agreements which grant developers permission to build, provided that they make a contribution towards local community infrastructure – new playgrounds, community centres and so on.

Q. Events like the Royal Parks Half Marathon garner tremendous public support, and press. What does this do for the brands involved, in terms of public perception?

I think companies are looking for transformational projects, “A positive and and they’re seeking to come together with different partners to authentic CSR achieve something that will have a national or even global impact. strategy means One example is M&S’s ‘Plan A’. better employee M&S aligned themselves with the Royal Parks Half because it retention, and sat well with Plan A, their eco companies are and ethical programme, which they’d launched the year before. well aware One of the sporting event’s that an inspired objectives was to be as green and sustainable as possible. M&S’s workforce annual support of 12,000 Fairtrade bananas, recycling 120,000 water is a high bottles, re-distributing runners’ performing one.” discarded clothing, and supplying sandwiches for 200 volunteers, all fitted Plan A exactly and reinforced their commitment.

Runners were delighted. In terms of wider public perception, this also impacted positively on nearly 200 charities participating and their supporters.

Q. There seems to be greater acceptance, and engagement, from consumers when it comes to brands that are able to tell authentic stories. Is this why charities like the Royal Parks Foundation and The Tree Council are successful in attracting large corporate sponsors?

Companies have moved towards aligning their strategies to their corporate goals, and they engage everyone by weaving their story through everything they do. At the microlevel, this means buying Fairtrade coffee and serving water at meetings in refillable carafes, rather than plastic bottles. At the more macrolevel, it means supporting game-changing ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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9

BIOGRAPHY

Sara Lom is the Chief Executive of The Tree Council: treecouncil.org.uk.

Prior to joining the Tree Council in 2018, Sara was the CEO of the Royal Parks Foundation where she was responsible for supporting 5,000 acres of wild green space.

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average in European countries is 37 per cent. initiatives – like committing to improving That’s pretty astonishing considering all the environmental management along 20,000 benefits trees bring – shade, flood prevention, miles of railway corridors for the benefit of improving the air we breathe, bringing people the community and for wildlife as Network together, homes for wildlife and many other Rail, advised by The Tree Council, have just environmental aspects. committed to doing. Whatever the strategy, it needs to be authentic and the story needs Q. With consumer trust in brands and to be personal, to have an emotional hook, companies at an all-time low, what part will explaining why it matters to us all. third-party commitments with charities like In terms of income, CSR may mean The Tree Council play in the restoration of sacrificing some short-term commercial corporate brand building, and trust? profits in favour of longer-term benefits Charities and corporates have a fantastic to society and the environment. In my opportunity to work together and make experience however, additional costs are the world a better place for everyone to live eventually repaid fourfold. The expense of in. However, we need to take great care in providing a technical, bamboo-and-recycleddeciding who we partner with. Things can polyester race shirt for the Half Marathon go wrong on both sides, as we’ve (instead of a cheaper, cotton one) seen with charities like Oxfam and proved a good investment. The Kids Company, and at corporates readers of Runner’s World magazine like Volkswagen and Tesco. With voted the race ‘Best New Event of apologies for the obvious analogy, the Decade’, which in turn led to multi-year support from Bank of “They want their as I see it, corporate partnerships can be a bit like trees: it’s about Canada.

CSR investment planting the right tree in the right place and then nurturing it over Q. Given the growing demand from to improve the years to grow and produce morally-minded millennials, and people’s lives, to the healthiest seeds. Long-term the press, for improvements in commitment, that’s CSR strategies, do you foresee help conserve our strategic mutually beneficial, can help build corporate giving to charities like The Tree Council growing? planet and, at the trust in a brand. This can have a positive impact on employee welfare Yes – what could be more same time, and profits, at the same time as important than the environment? safeguarding the planet’s resources There will be no second chance to increase for future generations. if we get things wrong and the economic environmental charities like The Q. In your experience, and beyond Tree Council are well-placed to act value and the pounds and pence, how as friends to the corporate world and invested have the companies to help deliver solutions. Personally, competitiveness you've worked with been in the I like to describe the process as of the company.” initiatives you've worked on, and ‘corporate partnership’ rather than why? ‘corporate giving’ as I think this Good question and, of course, reflects the best CSR strategies and some companies have been more programmes, where there is a twoinvested than others. Pro bono way process and mutual listening support can be as important as and respect. At The Tree Council pounds and pence. We have found in-kind we have a saying that everything we achieve, legal and banking services enormously we achieve in partnership with others. And helpful. But I think where it works best is there’s no doubt that relationships which when employees are very involved in the develop and grow over a number of years are strategy, helping to make decisions and the most successful for everyone involved. A having the opportunity to volunteer their profound understanding of each other’s aims time as well as their thoughts. They feel and objectives comes with time. As a charity they’re making a personal difference, as with 6,000 volunteer Tree Wardens and 120 well as learning new skills. Bloomberg, member organisations spanning the UK, I BNP Paribas, Benugo and Goldman feel we’re in a great position to respond to Sachs are perfect examples of this, with companies who want to contribute towards comprehensive volunteering programmes conserving the environment and improving that engage employees with their local health and wellbeing. communities around the world. Goldman Trees have an enormous impact on our Sachs even offers its employees volunteering health and that of our environment, although and fundraising incentives, which enable this is not yet widely recognised. The UK has teams to generate additional funds for their only 13 per cent tree coverage, whereas the ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

favourite causes from a pot held by HQ. Q. Is there an increasing sense that companies want to create and shape a legacy, and not just appease shareholders?

I’ve seen a number of international companies review their approach in recent years. It’s about so much more than appeasing shareholders. Externally, it’s about presenting an authentic brand and underlining your values to consumers and, yes, increasingly companies are driven by their vision for a different kind of society.

Last year we saw continued growth in UK social enterprises, with more than 2m people now employed in the sector. There are 100,000 businesses contributing more than £60bn to the UK economy, competing in the open market but set up to address some of society’s big issues at the same time.¹ Of course, CSR is also about attracting and keeping the best job candidates in an incredibly competitive market. Employees are one of the most valuable assets (if not the most valuable), and research shows they care about the values at their place of work. It matters how people are treated, whether the company cares about the planet, and these could be the decisive factors in whether to join or stay. A positive and authentic CSR strategy means better employee retention, and companies are well aware that an inspired workforce is a high performing one.

Q. Finally, what does the future hold for The Tree Council, and how can companies lend their support?

There are around 3bn trees in Britain and 8 million in London, but that’s not enough.

The United Nations’ Climate Change Report, just published, says global re-forestation is essential. For the UK, this means not only commercial planting, but more street trees, protecting and extending our ancient hedgerows, and creating new woodlands and orchards. It means local people and communities getting involved in planting and protecting their treescape.

Interest in trees and the environment and their importance to our lives is growing fast, with the Chancellor recently pledging £60m to encourage tree planting, including £10m for urban areas, and this is essential as we’ll need all hands-on-deck if we are to protect and plant the treescape of the future.

The Tree Council is currently seeking partners to help develop its national scheme of fantastic volunteer Tree Wardens and to promote National Tree Week, so please, do get in touch if you’d like to explore this and other opportunities further. ¹ https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/the-hidden-revolution

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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T

2019 GLOBAL MBA RANKINGS

he benefits attached to an MBA are well documented: career progression, networking opportunities, personal development, salary... and the list goes on. However, in an increasingly congested market, selecting the right business school can be difficult, which is far from ideal given the time and investment involved.

Using a ranking system entirely geared and weighted to fact-based criteria, CEO Magazine aims to cut through the noise and provide potential students with a performance benchmark for those schools under review.

Weighting of Data Points (full-time and part-time MBA)

Quality of Faculty:

34.95 %

International Diversity:

9.71%

Class Size:

9.71%

Accreditation:

8.74%

Faculty to Student Ratio: Price:

7.76% 5.83%

International Exposure:

4.85%

Work Experience:

4.85%

Professional Development:

4.85%

Gender Parity:

4.85%

Delivery methods:

*EMBA Weighting: Work experience and international diversity are adjusted accordingly.

3.8% 0%

5%

10 %

GLOBAL MBA RANKINGS School American University: Kogod Appalachian State University* Ashland University Aston Business School Auburn University: Harbert Audencia Business school Bentley University: McCallum Boston University: Questrom Bryant University Business School Netherlands California State University-​Chico California State University-​Long Beach California State University-East Bay California State University-San Bernardino Central Queensland University City University: Cass College of William and Mary: Mason Colorado Technical University Concordia University Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences Drake University Durham University Business School* EBS Business School

Country North America North America North America UK North America France North America North America North America The Netherlands North America North America North America North America Australia UK North America North America Canada Germany North America UK Germany

15 %

20 %

25 %

30 %

35 %

**Online MBA Weighting: Delivery mode and class size are removed.

TIER ONE

School

Country

École des Ponts Business School EDHEC Business School

France France, Singapore and the UK Emlyon Business School France ESADE Business School Spain EU Business School Germany, Spain and Switzerland FEN-UCHILE Chile Florida International University North America Fordham University North America GBSB Global Business School Spain Georgia State University: Robinson North America Gonzaga University North America Griffith University Australia HEC Montréal North America HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management The Netherlands Hofstra University: Zarb North America Hult Internatonal Business School North America IAE Business School Argentina IFM University Switzerland INCAE Business School Costa Rica Indiana University: Kelley North America

*Some data unavailable 12

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

GLOBAL MBA RANKINGS School

Country

ISEG Portugal Jacksonville University North America Kennesaw State University North America Kent State University North America La Trobe University Australia Lagos Business School Nigeria Leeds University Business School UK Loyola Marymount University North America Loyola University Chicago: Quinlan North America Maastricht School of Management The Netherlands Marquette University North America Massey University New Zealand MIP Politecnico di Milano Italy National Chiao Tung University Taiwan Nebrija Business School Spain Niagara University North America Northern Illinois University North America Oakland University North America Pepperdine University: Graziadio North America Queens University of Charlotte North America Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: Lally North America RMIT University Australia Rochester Institute of Technology: Saunders North America Rollins College: Crummer North America Saint Joseph's University: Haub North America Saint Mary's College of California North America SBS Swiss Business School Switzerland Simon Fraser University: Beedie Canada Suffolk University North America Swinburne University of Technology Australia Syracuse University: Whitman North America Texas A&M University-​College Station: Mays North America Texas Christian University: Neeley North America Texas State University: McCoy North America The Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) Mexico The University of Adelaide Australia Toulouse Business School France Toulouse Business School (with IIMB) India Trinity College Dublin Republic of Ireland School of Business University of Akron North America University of Alberta North America University of Baltimore North America

TIER ONE

School University of California at Berkeley: Haas University of California at Davis University of California-San Diego: Rady University of Connecticut University of Delaware: Lerner University of Denver: Daniels University of Exeter University of Kentucky: Gatton University of Liverpool Management School University of Louisiana-​Lafayette: Moody University of Massachusetts-​Lowell University of Memphis University of Michigan-Flint University of Nebraska-Omaha University of New Mexico: Anderson University of North Carolina-Wilmington University of North Carolina-Charlotte: Belk University of Oregon University of Ottawa: Telfer University of Pittsburgh: Katz University of Portland: Pamplin University of Richmond: Robins University of San Diego* University of Sheffield Management School University of South Australia University of South Florida: Muma University of Southern Queensland University of Tampa: Sykes University of Texas at Arlington University of Texas-​Dallas: Jindal University of Texas-San Antonio University of the Sciences University of West Georgia University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: Lubar University of Wollongong Sydney Business School Victoria Graduate School of Business Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Tech: Pamplin Walsh College Willamette University: Atkinson Xavier University

Country North America North America North America North America North America North America UK North America UK North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America Canada North America North America North America North America UK Australia North America Australia North America North America North America North America North America North America North America Australia Australia North America North America North America North America North America

TIER TWO School Country

School Country

Bowling Green State University California State University-​Northridge Iowa State University

Northwest Missouri State University The Univerisity of Newcastle Australia University of Washington: Foster*

North America North America North America

North America Australia North America

*Some data unavailable ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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GLOBAL EXECUTIVE MBA RANKINGS Rank 1 EU Business School

Country Germany, Spain and Switzerland

=2 Global OneMBA

(Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV-EAESP); Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM); Tecnológico de Monterrey (EGADE); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC); and Xiamen University, School of Management (SMXMU))

=2

3 4 5 6 =7 =7 8 =9 =9 =9 10 =11 =11 =11 =11 12 =13 =13 =13

14 =15 =15 16 17 18 =19 =19 =19 20 21 =22 =22 =22 =23 =23 =24 =24 =24

The Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) SBS Swiss Business School University of Ottawa: Telfer Emlyon Business School Maastricht School of Management Kennesaw State University University of Denver: Daniels Leeds University Business School California State University-East Bay EDHEC Business School

TIER ONE

Rank

Country

=24 University of Texas at Arlington

North America

=25 Jacksonville University

North America

=25 Loyola Marymount University

North America

=26 Bradford University School of Management Brazil, China, Mexico, the Netherlands and North America

Mexico Switzerland Canada France The Netherlands North America North America UK North America France, Singapore and the UK INCAE Business School Costa Rica École des Ponts Business School France RMIT University Australia Rutgers Business School North America University of California at Berkeley: Haas North America University of Texas-San Antonio North America Hult Internatonal Business School North America Maastricht University The Netherlands Purdue University-West Lafayette: Krannert North America IMM Global Executive EMBA North America, (Purdue University-West Lafayette: Krannert, the Netherlands, TIAS School for Business and Society Tilburg, China, Brazil, Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV- EBAPE), Italy and MIP Politecnico di Milano, Tianjin University, Lithuania and ISM University of Management and Economics) Business School Netherlands The Netherlands Kent State University North America University of Wollongong Sydney Business School Australia City University: Cass* UK Trinity College Dublin School of Business Republic of Ireland The Durham-EBS EMBA Germany and the UK Pepperdine University: Graziadio North America Saint Mary's College of California North America University of California-San Diego: Rady North America Swinburne University of Technology Australia University of Nebraska-Omaha North America Texas Christian University: Neeley North America University of North Carolina-Wilmington North America University of Texas-​Dallas: Jindal North America University of Oklahoma: Price North America Washington State University: Carson North America Audencia Business school France Oakland University North America Pontifical Catholic University of Chile Chile

=26 Georgia State University: Robinson

Dubai North America

27 Boston University: Questrom

North America

28 AIX Marseille Graduate School of Management 29 University of Kentucky: Gatton

France North America

=30 IfM Institut für Management

Austria

=30 University of Oregon

North America

=30 Virginia Tech: Pamplin

North America

31 Virginia Commonwealth University

North America

=32 Bradford University School of Management

UK

=32 College of William and Mary: Mason

North America

=32 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: Lubar

North America

=32 University of Sheffield Management School

UK

=33 Concordia University

Canada

=33 Florida International University

North America

=33 Rochester Institute of Technology: Saunders

North America

=34 Texas A&M University-​College Station: Mays

North America

=34 University of Connecticut

North America

=34 University of Tampa: Sykes

North America

35 University of Exeter

UK

=36 Lagos Business School

Nigeria

=36 Simon Fraser University: Beedie EMBA-IBL

Canada

=37 Fordham University

North America

=37 University of Pittsburgh: Katz

North America

38 Loyola University Chicago: Quinlan

North America

=39 Aston Business School*

UK

=39 University of Nevada-Las Vegas: Lee

North America

40 Auburn University: Harbert

North America

41 University of South Florida: Muma

North America

42 MIP Politecnico di Milano

Italy

43 Northern Illinois University

North America

44 University of Alberta

Canada

45 Saint Joseph's University: Haub

North America

=46 Marquette University

North America

=46 University of New Mexico: Anderson*

North America

47 IAE Business School

Argentina

48 Suffolk University

North America

49 Simon Fraser University: Beedie

Canada

=50 Bowling Green State University

North America

=50 Xavier University

North America

51 Villanova University

North America

=52 ESADE Business School: MMBA*

Spain

=52 Hofstra University: Zarb*

North America

53 ESADE Business School*

Spain

54 University of Washington: Foster*

North America

55 California State University-​Long Beach

North America

56 University of Memphis

North America

57 University of Louisiana-​Lafayette: Moody

North America

*Some data unavailable 14

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

GLOBAL ONLINE MBA RANKINGS Rank 1

2 3 4 5 =6 =6 7

8 9

=10 =10 =10 =11 =11 =11 =12 =12 =13 =13

=13 =13

=14 =14 15

16 =17 =17 =18 =18 =19 =19 =19

=20

EU Business School

Country

Germany, Spain and Switzerland SBS Swiss Business School Switzerland University of Otago Business School New Zealand Maastricht School of Management The Netherlands The Open University UK University of South Australia Australia GBSB Global Business School Spain MIP Politecnico di Milano: International Flex EMBA Italy La Trobe University Australia The EuroMBA (Aix-Marseille, France, Audencia Nantes, EADA, Germany, HHL Leipzig, Kozminski University the Netherlands, and Maastrict University) Poland and Spain Jack Welch Management Institute North America Univeristy of Denver: Daniels North America Bradford University School of Management UK Griffith University Australia RMIT University EMBA Australia Saint Mary's College of California North America Pepperdine University: Graziadio North America Aston Business School* UK RMIT University Australia California State UniversitySan Bernardino North America Queens University of Charlotte North America Washington State University: Carson EMBA North America University of North Carolina-Wilmington North America Colorado Technical University* North America University of MassachusettsLowell North America University of Exeter UK Central Queensland University Australia University of the Sciences North America MIP Politecnico di Milano: Flex EMBA Italy Durham University Business School* UK Suffolk University North America University of Delaware: Lerner North America Washington State University: Carson North America Rochester Institute of Technology: Saunders North America

GLOBAL DBA LISTING

Rank

=20

=20 21 22 =23 =23 24 25

=26 =26 =27 =27 28 =29 =29 30 31 32 =33 =34 35 36 =37 =37 38 =39 =39 40

41 42

=43 =43 44 45 46 47

TIER ONE Country

Georgia WebMBA (Columbus State University, Georgia College, Georgia Southern University, Kennesaw State University, University of West Georgia and Valdosta State University) North America Marquette University North America Ashland University North America University of Southern Queensland Australia Victoria Graduate School of Business Australia University of Liverpool Management School UK Saint Joseph's University: Haub North America Saint Joseph's University: Haub EMBA North America University of Pittsburgh: Katz North America University of Texas at Arlington North America University of Baltimore North America University of South Florida: Muma North America University of Maine North America College of William and Mary: Mason North America Walsh College* North America University of Texas-​Dallas: Jindal North America Kent State University North America Bentley University: McCallum* North America Swinburne University of Technology Australia Florida International University North America Niagara University North America Syracuse University: Whitman* North America Auburn University: Harbert North America Virginia Commonwealth University North America Kennesaw State University North America Hofstra University: Zarb* North America Xavier University North America University of LouisianaLafayette: Moody* North America University of North Alabama North America Northwest Missouri State University North America Indiana University: Kelley* North America University of Memphis North America University of Washington: Foster* North America Jacksonville University* North America The Univerisity of Newcastle Australia Australia American University: Kogod* North America

Based upon accreditation, quality of faculty, geography, and international standing, this year’s Global DBA Listing is designed to showcase the market’s premier DBA providers.

Schools Country Aston Business School UK Baruch College, City University of New York: Zicklin North America Bradford University School of Management UK Case Western Reserve: Weatherhead North America Cranfield School of Management UK DePaul University: Kellstadt North America Drexel University: LeBow North America Durham University Business School UK École des Ponts Business School France EU Business School Pan-European Florida International University North America Georgia State University: Robinson North America Harvard Business School North America

Schools Country IE Business School Spain Jacksonville University North America Kennesaw State University: Coles North America Maastricht School of Management Netherlands Pepperdine University: Graziadio North America Rollins College: Crummer North America SBS Swiss Business School Switzerland Temple University: Fox North America The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater North America University of Dallas: Gupta North America University of Manchester: Alliance UK University of Missouri-St. Louis North America Washington University in St. Louis: Olin North America

*Some data unavailable ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

15

NOT YOUR PLAIN VANILLA EXECUTIVE MBA VICTOR CALLENDER TA L K S T O SOPHIA LEONG

“Whilst the curriculum is rigorous and challenging, it’s not formulaic; this is not a ‘paint-bynumbers’ programme.”

16

Q. How do you approach admissions at Telfer?

I’m interested in the head, heart and gut, and a boilerplate application can’t speak to those qualities, which is why I like to start the application process by actually speaking to our candidates. We want candidates that are resilient, hardworking, and prepared to go the distance. We also stick closely to the tone of the programme, which demands that all candidates be consistently aware of their leadership action, behaviour and preferences. I can expand upon this at another time.

We don’t have a ‘typical’ applicant, because this is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ programme. We want diversity, and so that means colouring outside of the lines. In so doing, we’re able to consider candidates that don’t have an undergraduate degree, providing they can bring value in other ways. For example, they may have started a business, or businesses, or

climbed the corporate ladder by working their way up from the bottom.

Admitting non-traditional applicants enriches the learning experience for all students. There is only so much you can learn from someone that has the exact same background as you.

Q. Your EMBA curriculum does not follow the well-trodden path. What’s the thinking/ engineering behind this?

Whilst the curriculum is rigorous and challenging, it’s not formulaic; this is not a ‘paint-by-numbers’ programme. We need to prepare our candidates for a business landscape that is constantly changing and evolving, and the only way to do that is to experience it, which means getting your hands dirty.

This is where our ‘secret sauce’ comes in to play. Telfer’s ‘Signature Series’ of six business consulting projects provides an ongoing and ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

immersive experiential learning opportunity over the 21-month programme. By working with corporate clients, both domestically and internationally, candidates are constantly given the opportunity to put into practice what they’ve learned in the classroom, thus providing real-time feedback. I’m not aware of another programme that provides this level of immersion.

There is also the teamworking aspect.

For five of the six consulting projects, our candidates work in teams - not of their choosing. Once again, this is designed to mirror the realities of business: we may not like or get to choose the people we work with, but we have to adapt and must learn to leverage the strengths of our team in order to get the job done. That being said, we tend to have very open and considerate candidates.

Q. The business consulting projects sound incredibly valuable, but how much impact do your students really have on the businesses they’re paired with?

First, we do not refer to them as students.

They are candidates for a graduate degree.

It’s a subtle difference, and all of them are working successfully in their respective sectors. As for impact, let’s take a recent example: a client that wanted to break into a large overseas market. After meeting with the president of the company, a detailed market report was prepared and provided by the candidates with clear recommendations.

Such was the quality and value of the work, the client was unsure as to whether he could replicate it, in-house. This, however, was just the beginning. Six months later, the client joined our cohort in Malaysia where a series of ‘door-opening’ meetings, chaired by our candidates, had been arranged with key stakeholders from the region.

Given that our programme only works with ‘real’ companies that are interested in ‘real’ international expansion, our in-market activities were further strengthened by the support we received from our Canadian consulate. So, the ‘value’ and ‘impact’ of the work not only came from the candidates, but also from how the programme connected directly with in-market service providers such as the consulate and various chambers of commerce.

Our candidates were actively engaged in all aspects of the activities undertaken and provided tremendous value to the client. In fact, the client agreed he did as much learning as the candidates and was glad he was able to see tangible outcomes directly.

The biggest compliment we get is when our candidates are offered key positions in client organisations they are, or were, engaged with, and this happens regularly. ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

What about all that important book learning…

Our experiential learning opportunities are, of course, underpinned by a comprehensive academic foundation. However, there are limits to what you can learn sitting in a classroom.

As I mentioned earlier, we believe in ‘doing’, and this in turn accelerates learning, and is the catalyst for transformation. Our candidates must be able to learn, apply and execute.

Q. How do you asses the performance of your candidates?

The consulting projects provide a constant benchmark: If the client is happy, and the candidates have been able to facilitate positive outcomes, that tells me we’re doing our job.

Q. What would you say to potential applicants that are concerned about putting their careers on hold for an EMBA? The programme has been designed with the working professional in mind. We do not expect, nor do we want, our candidates to press pause on their careers. The programme is at its most effective when candidates can apply, beyond the consulting projects, what they are learning in the classroom directly in the workplace.

“I’m interested in the head, heart and gut, and a boilerplate application can’t speak to those qualities, which is why I like to start the application process by actually speaking to our candidates.”

Q. Can you talk about the benefits attached to the Telfer EMBA, for the candidate and employer?

For our candidates, the programme is transformative. They leave the EMBA with clear confidence, armed with the skills necessary to make a real difference in the businesses in which they serve or run. However, the connections you make and the friendships you forge throughout the programme are equally noteworthy, and valuable. They offer both learning opportunities and support whilst on the programme, and in life after the EMBA. It is indeed a multiplier that keeps growing.

For employers, the benefits tend to be immediate. From the very beginning, we encourage our candidates to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom at work and, as I mentioned, with our scheduling, time away from the office is limited to just two days per month. The saying holds true: when you know better, you do better.

Q. How would you sum up the programme?

The programme is market-based, skillbased and application-based. However, the soft skills that you pick up along the way are equally valuable, and actually more important as one progresses. Being able to listen and, therefore, understand what it is that people want and need is critical to succeeding in business, and life!

BIOGRAPHY

Sophia Leong is the Executive Director of the Telfer Executive MBA Programme, responsible for Ottawa’s only faceto-face Executive MBA. 17

A) ENTREPRENEUR B) LEADER

C) ALL OF THE ABOVE EU BUSINESS SCHOOL

T

he names of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Jack Ma, Sir James Dyson and Mark Zuckerberg, among others, resonate across the business world. Given that the OECD found that a staggering 69 per cent of men and 58 per cent of women in the U.S.A. would rather take a risk and build their own business than work for someone else, 1 we look at what it takes to turn an entrepreneur into a true business leader and an idea into a successful and sustainable business venture.

Our premise: an entrepreneur will create a business, but it is a leader that will convert it into a sustainable and successful enterprise.

In short, the entrepreneurs of today will become the business leaders of tomorrow if they acquire the correct business and leadership skillsets.

An Entrepreneur At its simplest, an entrepreneur is a person with a business idea, which they turn into a business venture, assuming risks. These small ventures, or startups, are often created by an individual or small group, and the focus is principally on the product’s development.

However, product innovation alone is not enough to make a business successful.

Marketing skills, financing, promotion, pricing, distribution and the definition of the correct business model – among many other hard and soft skills – are essential to a successful product launch. Mark Dencker, cofounder of Wiredelta and EU alumnus, sums this up in his interview with EU Business School (EU)2: “Before I went to EU, I was in the basement figuring out all the complicated formulae and equations. EU really taught me how to network, how to market and how to place a product in the market, and that’s why

18

“The ups and downs of a startup’s evolution demand tenacity, and a determination to carry on in the face of adversity.”

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

my companies have succeeded so much.”

An entrepreneur embodies creativity, tenacity, perseverance, motivation, passion and vision. Vision and creativity are the driving forces behind the business, overcoming the challenges thrown up as the organisation evolves, often by providing out-of-the-box solutions to day-to-day problem-solving. However, as an enterprise expands, an entrepreneur will no longer have the time to deal with all of the company’s activities. Growth requires contracting new professionals to take over the company’s day-to-day operations. As a result, the entrepreneur must become a leader who directs, rather than executes, the company and its driving vision.

Becoming a Leader Stepping back from a hands-on role in the company requires a profound shift in mindset. To continue to grow the business and ensure its sustainability, company founders will need to become the company leaders who inspire and empower their workforce. As entrepreneur and startup consultant Margarita Hakobyan makes clear on startupgrind.com,3 entrepreneurs must learn five key skills to successfully make this transition: ● Delegation Accustomed to carrying out all the company’s functions, an entrepreneur will be required to step back and allow others to execute their vision. This means transmitting the company’s values and end objectives to employees so that they can successfully take over day-to-day decision-making. ● People Skills This means inspiring others and convincing them of the great company they work for, so that employees are enthused to carry out their functions optimally. ● Self-Reflection An entrepreneur should be willing to reflect on their skillset, understanding their strengths and weaknesses in order to be able to compensate for them in the business. ● Know Your Why An entrepreneur should understand why they are driven to succeed in business, and why their business will succeed. ● Be Passionate Entrepreneurs must transmit their passion throughout an organisation and make it felt in every department. People perform best when they feel valued, and this implies being passionate about every department’s activity.

Andrew Levin Raj, co-founder of GoRise and MBA student at EU Business School Munich, expands: “Positive reinforcement is the single most important approach that we can use to get the most out of our team. ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

19

As a leader, when we provide positive reinforcement, we create people who care about the team and freely give added effort to achieving everyone’s goals.”

BIOGRAPHY

Established in 1973, EU Business School (EU) is an international, professionally accredited, highranking business school with campuses in Barcelona, Geneva, Montreux, Munich and online.

We offer Englishtaught foundation, bachelor’s, master’s and MBA programmes.

perseverance. The ups and downs of a startup’s evolution demand tenacity, and a determination to carry on in the face of adversity. Moreover, they tend to be honest, which contributes to employee respect.

According to the experts at Y Scouts, honesty and transparency are inherent to all exceptional leaders and drive employees to work harder and accept positive and negative feedback more readily.

An Entrepreneurial Leader Y Scouts, an executive search agency, observes that successful entrepreneurial leaders have traits which set them apart from more traditional corporate leaders.

They suggest that, whereas the latter focus A First Step more strongly on systems and processes, an So, how does the entrepreneurial leader of entrepreneurial leader is usually more risk tomorrow get a head start?

-oriented and can be defined as someone In addition to a solid business foundation, who “organises and motivates a group international exposure and a practical of people to achieve a common objective business approach, EU Business School through innovation, risk optimisation, taking provides ample opportunities for students to advantage of opportunities, and managing 4 develop their entrepreneurial and leadership the dynamic organisational environment.” skills, both inside and outside the The agency emphasises classroom, by studying an MBA that entrepreneurial leaders with 11 different majors. communicate their ideas effectively Group work, serving on student for common-goal achievement government, networking events, and encourage understanding and competitions, Model cooperation between departments “The entrepreneur international UN programmes and practical and across hierarchical levels workshops are just some of the through collaboration and must become opportunities EU offers its students communication. Moreover, their a leader who across its campuses. For example, clear vision enables them to together with the Junior Enterprises mobilise the organisation in one directs, rather Network, EU helped a group of direction to achieve the company’s than executes, seven international students found end goals. a non-profit consultantPerhaps one of the most the company and GoRise, development organisation run by distinguishing attributes of its driving vision.” volunteer students on its Munich entrepreneurial leaders is the campus. It also organises visits to support they offer employees when MakerSpace, a creative technical a calculated risk does not yield hub, where students are exposed to the expected results. Rather than state-of-the-art technical innovation criticising or penalising an error, and learn how ideas are transformed the entrepreneurial leader seeks to into business ventures. find out what went wrong in collaboration The EU Geneva campus has signed an with the staff. This characteristic reflects ongoing partnership with the Think Young entrepreneurs’ self-belief, which grows think tank to host an entrepreneurship school from experience and tenacity in the face of with the motto, ‘The First School without challenge. Moreover, they are more likely Teachers’. The campus also hosted a threeto be directly involved with the business, day leadership 3.0 seminar together with preferring to talk to and interact with the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, which employees than to stay behind a desk and give featured distinguished international speakers feedback. By actively encouraging employees such as Adolf Ogi, former President of the to share their opinions and come up with Swiss Confederation. creative solutions to problems, they foster At EU Business School, 20 per cent of our an atmosphere in which employees share alumni start their own business. This is a their ideas, grow and thrive. In addition, an clear testament to our success in developing entrepreneurial leader will recognise the entrepreneurial mindsets and leadership contribution of others and share success with skills. If you are interested in knowing more employees. Staff are also encouraged to learn, about our MBA programmes, visit our website expand their knowledge and improve their at euruni.edu or contact us at info@euruni. skillset during their career. edu. We look forward to hearing from you!

Entrepreneurial leaders also demonstrate

1 https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/industry-and-services/entrepreneurship-at-a-glance-2015_entrepreneur_aag-2015-en 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7BdK_nlERU 3

https://www.startupgrind.com/blog/5-skills-that-transform-you-from-entrepreneur-to-leader

4 https://yscouts.com/10-entrepreneurial-leadership-characteristics

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ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES DESIGNED FOR SUCCESS AT ANY LEVEL A L E X A N D R A S K I N N E R TA L K S T O T H E JACK WELCH MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

Q. In regards to the wider MBA market, is enough emphasis given to the development of leadership skills?

Bottom line, businesses are looking for skilled employees who can lead people. Yet, employers regularly cite soft skills as the biggest gap in hiring.

A recent LinkedIn survey¹ reported that leadership, communication, and collaboration are the most reported indemand soft skills sought by companies for mid-to-senior level positions.

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

“Many people have technical competencies and strong business acumen, but they lack the basic people management and communication skills needed to get ahead and affect real change in organisations.”

21

Many business schools focus on theory, research, and quantitative and technical reasoning but don’t give the same weight to leadership and soft skills. Our students learn critical lessons often overlooked by traditional business education such as hiring the right people, building great teams, managing conflict and developing an executive presence.

Jack Welch, who Forbes named one of the “World’s 100 Greatest Business Minds,” built JWMI’s entire MBA programme using practical leadership insights from companies and business leaders he consults with around the world. Jack’s involvement with the school ensures that our curriculum bridges what companies want in the workplace and the education students receive, ensuring leadership training is part of JWMI’s DNA. Even when it comes to more technical subjects such as finance, students are taught to think from a CEO mindset, even if a position in the C-suite is not their end goal. For example, in an accounting course at JWMI, you won’t just learn about debits and credits; you will also comprehend the importance of variance analysis, a tool a CEO would utilise to identify opportunities and 22

prioritise resources.

Developing leadership skills within an MBA programme is not as simple as opening a book, it takes practice and application. At JWMI, we are very proud that 95% of our students graduate stating their confidence as a leader has grown while enrolled.² Q. Leadership has become a buzzword in job descriptions and on MBA curriculums.

In your view, what does leadership mean in regards to the workplace, and how is it woven into JWMI’s curriculum?

Leadership is different from management.

Managers get predictable things done predictably. Leaders inspire action and adaptability in an unpredictable world.

A leader in any organisation must be able to build great teams to achieve results.

Thus, understanding who to hire and how to evaluate and coach are skills every organisation should demand from its leaders.

People development should be a daily event, not relegated to the annual review process.

But that is just the beginning of a leader’s role. Leaders must not only set the vision but also ensure that the entire organisation lives and breathes it. And then align reward ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

systems to that vision, celebrating every win along the way. Leaders must exude energy every day themselves, and at the same time, possess the authenticity needed to energise others. Executive presence is paramount for all leaders who must communicate throughout different levels of the organisation. Leaders need to create an environment where trust and transparency are valued, using candor as a tool to get every brain in the game. Lastly, leaders have to execute to deliver financial and operating results. They need the edge to make decisions and avoid drowning in information. Leaders understand that experimentation drives growth and results and encourage smart risks from their teams.

JWMI’s curriculum is grounded in these principles. JWMI’s first course, Leadership in the 21st Century, lays out Jack Welch’s time-tested and proven techniques for highperformance team leadership and begins a leadership journey that focuses on topics such as emotional intelligence, team motivation, managing conflict, leading change, and eliciting support from colleagues and managers.

Like building blocks, each course builds upon the other; in Business Communications and Executive Presence, we delve into the importance of trust, transparency and using candor to advance your leadership presence and professional relationships. In People Management, students learn how to hire and position the right players for organisational needs and manage people once the players are in place. In Organisational Change and Culture, students learn a framework for understanding and marshaling change using concrete strategies from the trenches— including Work-Out, Rapid Results, and Six Sigma.

More than just the leadership lessons though, it is the practical application of these concepts and the business fundamentals they gain in courses like Marketing and Economics that have the most significant impact on our students. As students apply the theories within their careers, they start to build confidence and find great career success.

Q. Many of your students have enjoyed preMBA successes in their careers, securing promotions and senior level positions along the way. Why, therefore, do they need JWMI?

"Good people never think they’ve reached the top of their game. But they’re dying to get there!"

Jack Welch ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

Just as a business needs to evolve to meet the ever-changing demands of the business cycle, so do individuals. Complacency and stagnation have no place within an effective leader. A person with an intense intellectual curiosity for different roles, economies, or industries will be better equipped to manage uncertainties and spot growth opportunities.

Many JWMI students are high achievers in senior roles looking for more: more responsibility, more leadership opportunities, and more success.

So, if you are already a top performer, who else would you turn to learn from if not one of the greatest CEOs of all-time, Jack Welch? As an active Executive Chairman for our programme, Jack consistently challenges decisions and asks tough questions, not only to learn but to help elevate the experience and outcomes for our students. Jack is naturally curious, and meets regularly with students and staff to understand what we can do to improve the programme and the JWMI environment, and holds the executive team accountable for acting on these suggestions. Similarly, our curriculum challenges students to probe and push their way of thinking, to identify areas of opportunity, and to regularly seek new solutions.

Q. What fuels the success your students have in the workplace during, and after, the programme?

Regardless of career stage or industry, JWMI students share a common trait: they want to help their companies and teams win, and view improving their leadership skills as the catalyst. And winning is contagious.

The entire MBA programme is built to deliver practical business and leadership skills that students can start to apply from the very first week. This commitment to practicality—which we call our “Learn on Monday. Apply on Tuesday.” philosophy— works. Two out of three students in the programme receive a promotion or raise while enrolled.³ Thus, students don’t wait until graduation to see the impact of studies on their careers.

Throughout the programme, and beyond, our students learn how to put decisions into action and push them forward to completion, through resistance or unexpected obstacles.

They learn how to drive results, and the satisfaction that they see in developing themselves and, more importantly, others is infectious.

Being part of a winning team, succeeding personally and helping others to achieve greatness is fuel for even more exciting outcomes long after you are done with your MBA. 23

BIOGRAPHY

Founded by celebrated business leader Jack Welch and infused with his singular insights, the Jack Welch Management Institute seeks to transform the lives of students by providing them with the tools they need to become better leaders, build great teams, and help their organisations win. JWMI was recently named a top-ranked online MBA programme by the Princeton Review, CEO Magazine, and Top MBA, as well as ranked #1 in Student Satisfaction with the Ability to Apply What you Learn to Your Job

by Poets & Quants, a leading graduate school publication.

24

Please expand upon the following: The JWMI MBA feels like an ‘MBA-plus’ in that the programme goes beyond the nuts and bolts of the traditional MBA. Only one MBA programme is built around the management and business practices of one of the most iconic CEOs of all time.

As Executive Chairman, Jack Welch helps to elevate the programme to new heights, disrupting the conventional business education model built more around theory, research and tenure than practicality and student satisfaction.

At JWMI, we run our school the way we would run a business. Most business schools may teach the best business practices, but they don’t actually practice them.

For one, we employ differentiation, not tenure. We hire passionate executives from top companies around the world based on their ability to engage and mentor students.

Faculty are evaluated quarterly against a mission-based charter they created, and from student feedback. We reward and promote based on this framework, not length of employment.

Similarly, we also evaluate our courses each term and implement changes to the programme to drive even greater student outcomes and success. Success is achieved as students synthesise what they learn and apply that towards the real-life assignments in their workplace.

Just as the best businesses are built around their customers, JWMI is built around the demands of our students. We understand that our students are working adults with constant demands on their schedule between work, family, and life, and they demand a return on their time and financial investments. Thus, we go beyond what is expected from an MBA programme by delivering the highest value to our students. Both our leadership curriculum and faculty are top-ranked for this reason, and our Net Promoter Score has averaged over 80 for the past two years Q. Senior roles require an entirely different interpersonal skill set. How do you help your students make the leap?

At JWMI, we teach the leadership and executive presence skills often reserved for the C-suite. Why? Because leaders are needed at every level within an organisation. And it’s never too early in anyone’s career to learn good leadership practices and communication skills.

So, while more senior roles may require different competency levels for interpersonal skills, like communication, we want to ensure that each student is equally given all the tools to succeed. Those tools include personal assessments that are used in the workplace,

but that we incorporate into the classroom in the very first course. A behavioral self-assessment like DiSC®, conflict selfassessment like the Thomas-Kilmann Instrument (TKI), and the emotional intelligence assessment showcase leadership gaps and reinforce strengths. After all, how can you lead if you don’t know what type of leader you are?

With the tools in hand, students are asked to apply what they are learning. For example, in our People Management class, students complete a performance review. They learn to have tough, candid conversations, to be open to feedback, to share what they love about an employee, and to identify areas of improvement in both performance and behaviors.

We view the classroom as the forum to practice these interpersonal skills, to make mistakes and grow, all within a supportive environment, and with faculty members and classmates cheering them on.

Q. The very best schools in the world have made leadership and interpersonal skills a priority. Is this what separates JWMI from the competition, in addition to having Jack Welch as your Executive Chairman?

Our leadership curriculum and Jack Welch’s participation and integration within our programme are unique. What sets JWMI apart from other schools, though, is our prescriptive approach to curriculum design.

Other programmes allow students to select from a list of courses and still graduate with the same degree.

Our philosophy is that if you want to be a leader, you need to complete a series of classes that prepare you to lead with confidence.

Each course builds on the next, adding both leadership and business acumen skills to our students’ toolkits. To ensure we are aligned with the demands of today’s employers, we continue to speak with top executives, like Warren Buffett, who share insights on our classes. For example, we added “Executive Presence” to the content of our Business Communications course when both Jack and Warren shared that it is the number one interpersonal skill set you need as a successful leader. Based on this feedback, this class is more than just papers, memos, and video presentations; it teaches students how to authentically communicate and engage at all levels and break down complex topics in a practical way.

In addition to sharing insights, dozens of those same C-suite executives are also woven into the online classroom in our exclusive Expert of Practice (EOP) series. The series allows students to learn proven leadership from those leading some of the world’s best ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

JWMI Student and Alumni Profile 2,000

1,500

2000

companies, including Berkshire Hathaway, Netflix, Starbucks, Medtronic, Sam’s Club, Boeing, Marriott, McDonald’s and many other global organisations.

This set MBA course path, the constant evaluation of our courses, and the content within it ensure that we consistently deliver an MBA experience our students can use to get ahead.

0

Q. Students often learn as much from their peers as they do from faculty. With this in mind, kindly expand upon the makeup of your students, and applicants.

JWMI boasts a diverse student population of people around the world who love business and are hungry to grow as leaders. In our online environment, students have a unique opportunity to share ideas with executives, managers, entrepreneurs, and individual contributors across many industries and geographies, in different stages of their careers, and who represent some of the top companies in the world like Amazon, Disney, Cleveland Clinic, NASA, Wells Fargo, ExxonMobil, and more.

39 Average Years

2,000+ enrolled students and 1,500+ alumni 60

of Experience:

14 16% 32

53%

47%

International:

Nationalities:

0

47% Female, 53% Male

*

⁴

“We go beyond what is expected from an MBA programme by delivering the highest value to our students.”

Average Age:

A small class size of fewer than 20 students allows faculty to dedicate time to each student and for meaningful exchanges between students through a unique peer-to-peer learning experience that provides an opportunity for continuous learning no matter your title.

Our community is fostered through our Student & Alumni Advisory Board (SAAB), charged with helping to support student success,

including networking events hosted in cities all over the world, including Sao Paulo, London, Dubai, Toronto, New York, Atlanta and Chicago...

Our newly launched online student and alumni portal allows students to join virtual networking groups tailored to their personal interests in areas including marketing, business development and accounting, and connect with others in their local cities.

Sources: ¹ https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/trends-and-research/2018/the-most-indemand-hard-and-soft-skills-of-2018 ² 2018 Graduate survey: 391 survey respondents among 407 JWMI students surveyed during the final term of their programme ³ 66% of students; Based on 1,214 survey respondents among 1,281 JWMI students surveyed during the final quarter of their programme between January 2015 and December 2018 ⁴ Data as of Spring 2019

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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THE UMSL DBA: LEARNING WITHOUT LIMITS A L E X A N D R A S K I N N E R TA L K S TO EKIN PELLEGRINI

Q. What prompted the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) to roll out a DBA programme?

The growing demand from practitioners, coupled with our faculty’s expertise in working with doctoral students in our PhD programmes, our strong industry partnerships, and commitment to delivering high quality doctoral training, that combines rigor with relevance, prompted UMSL to roll out a DBA programme.

Q. Whilst the programme is still relatively new, from an application standpoint, how much interest have you received from the local market and wider Midwest?

We’ve been pleasantly surprised with the high level of demand since the programme began. We owe this primarily to UMSL’s reputation in the region and the college’s distinguished dual AACSB accreditation in both business and accounting.

We are centrally located in St. Louis, which is a hub of innovation featuring a rich and diverse business landscape, with established industry-leading enterprises and fast-growing midsize businesses.

Our campus is located near the airport, making it conveniently close by for our outof-state students. As much as we receive interest from the local market and the wider Midwest, half of our students commute from beyond the Midwest, and from all over the country.

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ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

Kindly define the make-up of your current cohort.

We have two cohorts going through the programme, and another forming now that will start in fall 2019. Our student demographics look like this: Students

Approx.

31 15

Average age:

persons per cohort

“I strongly advise potential candidates to visit the programmes they’re considering during a residency weekend, prior to enrolment.”

Average years of work experience:

45 21 Percentage with a graduate degree:

Female:

99% 32% States students commute from (n=12 ): AR, IL, IN, KY, MO, MT, OH, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI

Q. What are the entry requirements for your DBA, and what advice would you give to potential applicants?

We review each application as a whole.

Admissions decisions are based on a composite of information including the candidate’s previous academic performance, continuing education, managerial work experience, proposed research statements, and commitment to a rigorous doctoral programme. At the very minimum, we require 10 years of managerial work experience, a master’s degree, proficiency in written and oral English, and continuing intellectual development.

I suggest that potential applicants research programmes well, and look at accreditation, the faculty’s research records, as well as faculty and college connections with industry. ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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I strongly advise potential candidates to visit the programmes they’re considering during a residency weekend, prior to enrolment. This will be your second home for the next three years and your cohort members will be like family. It’s important that you feel supported, not only academically, but administratively, which is just as crucial.

A first-rate administrative service is the backbone of a successful DBA learning experience, where students can completely focus on learning without having to worry about hotel arrangements, data analysis software licenses, or the myriad of proposal and dissertation forms that need to be filled out. A positive, supportive, student focused, collaborative learning environment with close cohort connections can only be assessed by an in-person campus visit during a residency.

Q. What do you expect from your DBA students, in terms of time spent on campus?

The first year of the programme has 10 residencies, and in the second year we meet nine times, with a full day on Friday and Saturday. We expect students to be on campus during DBA residencies, especially in the first two years. If a student cannot make it to a residency, we use Zoom to livebroadcast the courses so they can participate in real-time from anywhere. We also archive Zoom recordings so that students have the opportunity to review them if they cannot connect live due to time differences.

We are reasonably flexible, however, for timely graduation I cannot reiterate strongly enough the importance of attending each and every monthly residency in person.

programmes, including the DBA. I must add, UMSL also boasts two graduates who serve as CEOs of Fortune 25 corporations.

Q. Is the DBA the new MBA? The DBA, as a terminal business degree, will quickly become the new MBA, because research partnership between business schools and business practitioners is long overdue.

The goal of the DBA is to marry rigor with relevance, which is increasingly the goal of practitioners seeking to inform business practice with scholarly research. Academic researchers are also increasingly interested in partnering with practitioners as it serves their quest to create new knowledge with a heightened focus on relevant research and actionable, practical implications.

Q. What is the main goal of your DBA students coming into the programme?

The primary motivation our students communicate to us is an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. They are already in successful senior management positions and hold graduate degrees, but are primarily interested in a terminal business degree because they are passionately curious, life-long learners.

Some are interested in consulting or career advancement in their industries, whereas others are interested in cultivating closer

Q. Are UMSL MBA students able to move on to the DBA once they have completed their MBA? UMSL MBA students apply and go through the admissions process in a similar manner to all DBA applicants. They are not automatically granted admission to the DBA, given an MBA from an AACSB accredited institution is only one criterion in the UMSL DBA admissions process.

Q. You have a Fortune 25 corporation headquartered on campus. To what extent does this inform classroom discussion around management theory and practice?

We are fortunate to have Express Scripts headquartered on campus, and we have an Executive MBA programme specifically tailored to them, and DBA students from the company.

The close connection between UMSL Business and Express Scripts definitely elevates the quality of all our degree 28

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connections with academia as adjunct professors and helping educate the next generation of business leaders.

Q. How do you meet these expectations?

We personalise the learning experience of each student based upon their degreecompletion goal. For example, if the student is interested in an academic position, we work with them from the outset in starting their research portfolios. With students interested in practitioner conference presentations or practitioner publications, we work with them outside of class to fine-tune their course papers into posters, presentations, or publications.

The primary goal in our programme is to train practitioner scholars with a strong focus on quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Q. What does the future hold for DBA graduates?

The DBA is a terminal degree and it is the highest academic credential in business. DBA scholars will add this academic credential to their already successful business careers.

It’s an incredible personal achievement to become a nationally, or even globally, soughtafter content and domain expert in your industry.

A DBA earned from an AACSB accredited

“The newly gained expertise in informing business problems with scholarly research, coupled with strong data analytics skills, will make them game-changing performers in their current fields.”

institution provides SA (Scholarly Academic) qualified faculty status as per AACSB standards. SA status qualifies DBA scholars for a variety of business faculty positions in AACSB accredited, distinguished business schools throughout the world.

The newly gained expertise in informing business problems with scholarly research, coupled with strong data analytics skills, will make them game-changing performers in their current fields. The DBA training will also elevate the careers of those who are interested in higher level leadership positions in their companies or industries.

BIOGRAPHY

Ekin Pellegrini is an Associate Professor of Global Leadership and Management, Director of Executive Education, and Director of the Doctor of Business Administration programme for the College of Business Administration at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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THE DBA STUDENT EXPERIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS ALEXANDRA SKINNER TA L K S T O D O N M U E T H Q. Why the UMSL DBA? I received my BSBA - Finance from UMSL in 1984 - and in recent years became reacquainted with the university by serving on the Finance Advisory Board, the Dean’s Leadership Council and other committees.

Along the way, I heard about the creation of the DBA programme and became intrigued.

After looking more closely, I determined it was right for me, at the right moment, and at the right school. The complete package is a perfect fit for me and I view it as a capstone to my career in business.

Q. With regards to the admissions process, what advice would you give to potential applicants?

Spend plenty of time thinking about the programme in advance of the admission process. Consider the stage of your career, as well as your stage of life. I also suggest thinking about specific business issues you may be faced with that could benefit from your studies in the DBA programme. With those mature thoughts you will be ready to proceed through the application process and eloquently describe why you are interested in the UMSL DBA. Q. Can you expand upon the make-up and calibre of your fellow UMSL DBA participants and what they bring to the programme and your learning experience?

My cohort consists of 12 business professionals who are professional in every sense. We have people from the financial services industry, the legal community, academia, healthcare, law enforcement, information technology, hospitality, manufacturing and more. We come from eight different metropolitan areas, a variety of educational backgrounds, and varying stages of life. The diversity of our group adds to the richness of the programme in so many ways, but the one common trait is that each individual is committed to the programme and committed to their own success. That combination makes for an exciting and dynamic classroom experience, as well as a challenging and enriching environment.

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Q. What do you consider to be the highlight of the programme thus far?

By far, the highlight of the UMSL DBA programme is the interaction with all the great people involved with it. This includes the staff and faculty, as well as other cohort members. Each day is a learning experience, and everyone has something to add to the overall programme. College was a long time ago for me, but the people involved in the DBA programme have made my transition back into university life as comfortable as can be.

Q. What is the hardest thing about the programme?

The hardest part of the programme is the ongoing time commitment. There is a professional expectation that we will each stay on track, which requires us to read, write and study nearly every day. That can be a challenge when balancing full-time work schedules, family commitments and other timeconsuming responsibilities.

This required commitment is not a surprise, however, as the programme leaders were very clear from the beginning as to what would be expected.

Q. Are there unique elements of the programme that you feel will enhance your career objectives?

The emphasis on rigor and relevance is the thing that will help me most in my career.

Traditional academics may be focused more on pure rigor, while business practitioners emphasise relevance, but this programme insists on both. By doing so, it really bridges the gap between academia and the business world and that can only help me personally as I take newfound knowledge back to my business.

“The diversity of

our group adds to the richness of the programme in so many ways, but the one common trait is that each individual is committed to the programme and committed to their own success. That combination makes for an exciting and dynamic classroom experience, as well as a challenging and enriching environment.”

Q. What has been the most challenging thing about returning to education, and what mechanisms have you put in place in order to manage the increased workload?

The most challenging aspect of my return to education is managing all of the information and data. During my undergrad days way back when, and even when I studied for the CFA exams in the late 1990s, students were given a finite amount of information to study and were then required to seek additional information if needed. Finding data and information was sometimes as difficult as learning the information itself. Now, information finds the student and we are required to organise it and make sense of it without being overloaded. It’s a real change to the learning process. Fortunately, I’ve developed techniques for organising information throughout my career and have applied those techniques to my DBA studies. In addition, the UMSL DBA programme provides a lot of help and tools to make our job easier. They of course put all materials up on Canvas, but they also set up shared drives so that we can ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

work together on certain documents. They also print hard copies of documents if that’s what’s needed. Basically, whatever we need to manage the process, they are there to help.

Q. Has the programme met/ exceeded your expectations?

I expected great things out of this programme because I knew the people involved in creating it. I am happy to report that they have not let any of us down. The programme is great and getting better every day.

Q. How would you summarise your DBA experience at UMSL to date?

For me, the DBA experience is a journey. Just like when you plan a trip, you make a decision about your destination, get very excited about it and then go about planning all the details.

When the big day of departure arrives, you may be a little nervous but definitely excited and happy. Then you go about discovering new things every day and become so immersed in your journey that you begin to look at life differently. If you’re gone long enough, you even forget about some of the daily struggles that you left behind back home. There are bumps in the road and issues may arise, but you overcome those and continue on to your destination. You want to experience the whole trip, but knowing that each day brings you closer to your destination, you kind of dread the end of the journey. I’m one week into a three-week trip. I’m completely settled in and enjoying it immensely, but I’m already starting to think about the end, which makes me a little melancholy. For now, I’m enjoying the experience and appreciating each day and each opportunity to learn something new.

“I expected great things out of this programme because I knew the people involved in creating it. I am happy to report that they have not let any of us down. The programme is great and getting better every day.”

PROGRAMME PROFILE

The Doctor of Business Administration programme at the University of Missouri-St. Louis provides participants with the skills needed to conduct rigorous research with the objective of applying the findings to real-world decisionmaking in industry and government.

DBA graduates will be equipped for high-level positions in higher education, consulting, or career advancement in their industry.

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REDEFINING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AT FIU V I C T O R C A L L E N D E R TA L K S T O G E O RG E M A R A K A S

Q. What prompted Florida International University (FIU) to roll out a DBA programme?

A. The landscape has changed. Where once a career could be forged on the back of a bachelor’s degree, and the dizzying heights of senior management scaled with an MBA, today the MBA is simply an entry-level requirement for those wishing to conduct sound business. Consequently, the DBA is the natural next step.

There’s also significant motivation around self-actualisation. However, the traditional terminal degree path is inaccessible to a large segment of the population in the applied community. They’re simply not in a position to put work and family on hold. The DBA, however, offers that pathway and allows them to self-actualise. It’s not about their salary, or career, but being able to point to that achievement.

Q. What are the key differences between a DBA and a PhD? A. The primary difference between a DBA and a PhD is context. The PhD will produce a theoretical researcher: a person that is going to devote their life to contributing to a body of knowledge, i.e. a contribution to scholarship, regardless of whether there is any application for that knowledge. The DBA is the opposite.

DBAs are interested in solving applied problems using a scientific and data-driven approach.

Q. What are the requirements for admission to FIU’s DBA programme?

A. In terms of work experience, we require at least 15 years, of which seven must be in middle and upper management. Applicants will also need a master’s degree, but this does not have to be in business.

Kindly define the make-up of your current cohort.

A. From a demographic perspective, we are equally balanced when it comes to men and women. We have a large number in their early 40s, which is a result of our work-experience requirement. That being said, I have a gentleman in the programme in his mid60s. His motivation is simple: he has always wanted to pursue a doctorate and now has the time to do so. It has nothing to do with work aspirations as he is at the end of his career, it is purely self-actualisation.

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Q. As we know, the flexibility of one’s offering is very important to potential students, especially those occupying senior-management positions. What do you expect from your students, in terms of time spent on campus, and how do you support their learning objectives when they are not with you?

A. We offer blended delivery, which encompasses both on-campus and online learning. Each month, students are required to attend a two-day residency consisting of two, eight-hour days. Online sessions via Zoom, a video conferencing mechanism, form another point of contact. This takes the form of question and answer where we can unpack and debate potential sticking points. Online sessions are held twice each week, but not in the same week as a residency.

Q. Are FIU MBA students able to move on to the DBA once they have completed their MBA? A. Yes, our MBA students can transition into the DBA, but our work-experience requirement will probably rule out a large number.

“For our students, the value of the DBA will not be recognised on graduation day, but two or three years down the line when their heightened performance, accuracy, and decision-making ability set them apart as decision leaders.”

Q. Given the level of seniority your cohort hold, is their DBA journey more about problem solving and self-development and less salary enhancement?

A. I think the majority of our cohort fall into the problem-solving camp and see the DBA as an enhancement to their existing skillset. This, naturally, makes them far more marketable. However, we have a measurable faction that are self-actualising, in much the same way that people challenge themselves to climb Everest, or complete other significant challenges.

Q. Most DBA students are self-funded. When will employers start to recognise the value of this qualification?

A. I think we’re on the threshold of that recognition. I believe that when organisations see that there is a pathway to improving decision quality through this type of education, it will become more prevalent and key personnel will be put forward for the programme and their tuition paid.

Q. Why are we now seeing DBA programmes springing up?

A. Doctoral education has, historically, been viewed as a cost centre by universities.

However, given the degree of flexibility the DBA offers, application numbers, certainly in our programme, make the DBA viable.

My hope is that, over time, the more rigorous programmes will rise to the top and become a ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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benchmark for DBA education, thus filtering out less robust options.

“I think the DBA will be an elite designation for highperforming individuals, and it will be encouraged as employers start to see the intrinsic value of having employees with that level of understanding.”

BIOGRAPHY

George Marakas is the Director of the Doctor of Business Administration Programme at Florida International University and Professor of Information Systems and Business Analytics.

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Q. Can you point to the reasons why your DBA programme is so successful?

A. We have exceptional faculty and the programme is incredibly rigorous. This, however, is only side of the coin. Our students are also incredibly important to the success of the DBA. When you have 25 people who are all pushing in the same direction, and who all have the same goal, the classroom comes alive. Everyone wants to share, and everyone has a different background or perspective.

Q. What advice would you give to someone thinking about the DBA? A. They have to be clear about their motivation for obtaining the degree. If it’s about changing career, they need the most rigorous programme out there. If it’s about self-actualisation, then you have to consider the level at which you want to perform.

The DBA will not have an immediate impact on salary or career progression, but you are going to be a better decision maker, a more astute problem solver, and you’re going to be able to bring to bear the knowledge and skills gleaned from the programme when it comes to the daily decision-making rubric.

For our students, the value of the DBA will not be recognised on graduation day, but two or three years down the line when their heightened performance, accuracy, and decision-making ability set them apart as decision leaders.

Q. Once upon a time, the MBA was considered a golden ticket, and a pathway to senior management. However, the proliferation of MBA degrees means that is no longer a certainty. Is the DBA the new MBA? A. I don’t think the DBA will ever become the new MBA.I think the DBA will be an elite designation for high-performing individuals, and it will be encouraged as employers start to see the intrinsic value of having employees with that level of understanding.

Going forward, I think employers will handpick employees they feel are worthy of the investment and that can offer a return on that investment. This will elevate the DBA further, in terms of the quality of applicants and their demands on the programme.

Q. What can graduates expect, personally and professionally, post-DBA? A. I think one of the challenges our graduates will face will come in the form of resistance, because they will be different: they will think, act, and respond differently.

However, acceptance will come through performance. ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE I’ve been actively engaged with FIU for the last eight years, and so have been able to witness firsthand the academic rigour running through all of the programmes.

The environment at FIU is one of continuous improvement, and that’s exciting. However, ultimately, my decision was driven by return on education, and that’s where FIU excels.

Admissions The school looks for applicants with a proven track record. It’s not just about what you take away from the programme and how you apply that knowledge, but what you are also able to give. If everyone is contributing, it enriches the learning experience.

Diversity We have a broad spectrum of experience and expertise in the cohort. Some of my peers have an academic background, while others have commercial experience as owner-operators or from working in a corporate setting. There is also great geographic diversity within the cohort which, again, adds to the learning experience.

Programme Highlights As a cohort, we move through the programme together, and so it’s a shared experience, which is special. We all have the same goal, and so can support one another.

The school also does a great job of providing a safety net so that you can learn, make mistakes, and grow, which isn’t always possible in business.

The process of re-engaging in academic learning, while challenging, is also exciting.

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

SHERRY HARRIMAN The Challenges of Returning to Education One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced has been establishing a routine and learning how to balance the demands of work, life and study. For me it’s about leveraging the time I have on the weekend. If I don’t schedule the time, it won’t get done. The key has really been to get ahead and then stay ahead, because you never know what the working week is going to throw at you.

This allows me to obviate potential stress points.

New Perspectives In the DBA programme, you’re not only learning something new, but learning to think differently.

I question everything now. I think as operators we get into an operational mindset of executing at such a pace that we don’t always step back and explore the details.

In the DBA programme, you’re forced to think about the data that’s being put in front of you and question everything.

Programme Expectations The programme has certainly met expectation. The level of rigour, and the interaction I have with the professors and my fellow students, is exactly where I thought it would be. It’s really important for the students to drive the experience, and I think we do that very well.

Programme Summary The programme has been invigorating and exhausting at the same time, but I wouldn’t change any of it. Yes, it’s challenging, but that’s what you expect, and want, from a high-level programme with great return on education.

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AM I TOO OLD TO SWITCH CAREERS? A N T O I N E T I R A R D, C L A I R E H A R B O U R-L Y E L L AND NEIL COURTIS

Eight reasons why career transitions later in life are possible despite lingering age discrimination.

G

ayle worked her whole life at HP, mirroring her mother’s long stint at IBM. She moved up the corporate ladder until finally there was one painful reorganisation too many, and

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destiny stepped in. At age 56, she leapt at an opportunity for a “phased retirement”, all the while trusting her career was far from over.

She took up an “encore” role at a local food bank, both for the pleasure of returning to strategic and operational work and the chance to have a real impact on her community.

She earned less money, but it was more than enough. During her year at the food bank, she acquired new skills, not to mention that her acumen, wisdom and openness garnered her an invitation to join the board. Since then, Gayle has become a “cookie artist” and launched her own company selling homebaked creations. Her thirst for constant reinvention, experimentation and exploration is a source of inspiration and learning for many of us.

The world of entrepreneurship presents a special opportunity for older workers.

Let us remember that Colonel Sanders first franchised Kentucky Fried Chicken (now known as KFC) at 62 and Gordon Bowker – who began as a writer – co-founded Starbucks at 51. Of course, other work spheres are also open to older professionals. Take Julia Child, who worked in intelligence in the precursor to the CIA before she became a celebrity chef in her fifties. Regardless of your worst fears, your most successful years may well be ahead of you.

However, many professionals still wonder if they are too old to switch careers. In a recent survey we ran prior to a career transition webinar, numerous participants revealed their concerns about age discrimination.

In particular, they perceived 50 as a critical cut-off age. We explore here the realities surrounding ageism in the workplace.

“According to a U.S. survey, 64 percent of older workers (aged 45-74) have seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace.”

Talent shortages In the movie The Intern, a retired widower in his 70s, played by Robert De Niro, becomes a senior intern at a fashion start-up in New York. He soon finds himself in an open workspace filled with millennials, forced to get a grip on technology and learn the fastpaced work style of the 21st century. The film serves to highlight an important issue in today’s workplace: Many organisations disvalue older workers and recruitment practices remain rife with age-related bias.

Recent studies reveal widespread stereotypes against older workers, who are presumed to be less motivated, adaptable, healthy and focused. HR executives complain that older workers are expensive and take more sick leave. According to a U.S. survey, 64 percent of older workers (aged 45-74) have seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace. On the flip side, meta-analyses suggest that job performance does not strongly decrease with age, and emotional ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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“Our experience as talent managers and career agility coaches has shown us that it is entirely possible to switch careers at any age.”

BIOGRAPHIES

Antoine Tirard is a talent management advisor and the founder of NexTalent.

He is the former head of talent management of Novartis and LVMH. Claire Harbour-Lyell is a coach and global talent expert, the founder of Culture Pearl and a speaker, consultant and writer about all things to do with optimising talent across borders.

Neil Courtis is the Managing Director of Sensible Media.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This article is republished courtesy of INSEAD Knowledge (http://knowledge. insead.edu). Copyright INSEAD 2019.

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resilience and innovation do not falter with advancing years.

We have good reasons to be optimistic about changing careers in midlife and beyond.

As talent shortages increase in many parts of the world, employers slowly realise they can tap the large reservoirs of skilled mature workers who are underused or actively looking for new professional opportunities.

Companies that have taken action in that direction are reporting significant benefits.

Our experience as talent managers and career agility coaches has shown us that it is entirely possible to switch careers at any age. Here is why and how.

Eight reasons why it’s never too late to transition, and how to pull it off: 1. Your ability to change isn’t related to age.

Companies view learning agility – the ability to learn from experience – as a key indicator of leadership potential.

Interestingly, research by management consulting firm Korn Ferry showed that there is no correlation between age and potential: Learning agility remains constant, regardless of age. What truly matters is your attitude. Do you see yourself as an adaptable person or do you put limitations on yourself?

2. Talent shortages are increasing worldwide, while the number of older workers is also on the rise.

According to a Mercer study, “By 2050, the number of people over 65 years old will triple worldwide and those over 80 will quadruple.

Some countries will be more affected than others, but this demographic change is inescapable. Combined with reduced birth rates, the result is severe skills shortages, which are already impacting employers.

Companies will need to understand this change and prepare to survive.” With the right attitude, you can take advantage of these demographic changes.

3. A growing number of companies are starting to value mature workers and acting on it.

“Encore” careers such as Gayle’s are a burgeoning phenomenon, as are employers’ strategic initiatives to attract and retain mature workers. Examples include Daimler AG’s “Take experience into the future” project, and IKEA’s “silver recruitment” drive, which aim to derive value from experience, but also to reflect the demographics of their clients, who have grown in age and wealth over the last decade.

4. Leverage the fact that your vast experience gives you an edge over younger professionals.

Traits of mature workers include flexibility, confidence, cool-headedness, resilience and objectivity. In The Intern, De Niro’s character becomes something of a Mr Fix-it and a father figure to several of his younger colleagues.

With his quiet confidence and broad competence, he also becomes an advisor to the young start-up CEO, eventually helping her solve issues at work and at home.

5. Ignore the naysayers and focus on “agefriendly” managers.

If questioned or challenged, be ready to address age-related biases head on. Read up on relevant research and use your wisdom to discuss facts and eliminate worry and bias. Be selective by deliberately targeting hiring managers who appreciate and value experience. Hint: You are probably better off sending your CV directly to your future boss than to HR. 6. Upgrade your technology savvy.

This may go without saying, but you need to tackle the task fearlessly. Create your own customised tech training. Good methods, beyond the obvious self-study, include peerlearning and inter-generational mentorship.

Remember to not let stereotypes fool you: Older workers can embrace new technologies just as well as, if not better than, younger workers.

7. Network and seek support.

Get in touch with your existing network and create new connections relevant to your proposed new industry. Join professional groups online and offline. Coaching might also help you with your search or entire career transition.

8. Express your energy and passion.

Do your best to highlight the active, passionate part of your personality during interviews and networking activities. Prepare in advance by thinking about your wardrobe, appearance, energy level and topics you will bring up in conversations. Enjoy the journey and the feeling that you have found something meaningful to do and which can have a positive impact on people’s lives.

One of our book subjects, Daniel, provides a great case study for the points above. At 58, he left behind a career in real estate development to run a large charitable foundation. He built on his network, using his canny, solution-focused approach as he went along. Now aged 70, he is planning to learn a new language and to travel more in order to monitor the work of his foundation. While the transition involved a few bumps, he continues to take full ownership of his career. It is definitely not too late for you! ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

KSU EXECUTIVE MBA YOU BRING YOUR DRIVE TO SUCCEED; WE’LL PROVIDE EVERYTHING ELSE. You need an EMBA to accelerate your career. So we’ve designed a unique program that will help you quickly achieve your goals. Starting from day one, you’ll meet coaches and mentors who will support and advise you, and be immersed in a team designed to help you hone your management and leadership skills. KSU’s EMBA program was ranked #1 in Georgia and 7th in the world by CEO Magazine in 2018. One reason is because no other EMBA program will work harder to get you started right, right now.

“KSU helped instill in me a belief that it is critical to be a lifetime learner. You have to keep challenging yourself if you want to find success. I am so thankful for the time I spent at the University and for the impact the program has had on my career.”

– Jennifer Van Buskirk, Northeast Regional President for AT&T Mobility EMBA Class of 2004

ceo-mag.com / Winter Coles College of2019 Business | Aspire to More™

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BLAZING THE ONLINE MBA TRAIL

A L E X A N D R A S K I N N E R TA L K S T O F A Y E S. M C I N T Y R E Q. The Georgia WebMBA is unique in that it brings to bear the expertise of six University System of Georgia schools.

With this in mind, how are you able to offer such incredible value while drawing on the resources of such an extensive network of schools?

With two decades of experience planning and delivering a high-quality MBA programme online, the Georgia WebMBA is one of the most well-established online MBAs, and one of a few consortium programmes that can pull resources from multiple schools.

Our deans, faculty and staff from each of the 40

six universities (Columbus State University, Georgia College, Georgia Southern University, Kennesaw State University, University of West Georgia and Valdosta State University) collaborate in a way that mimics what corporations do – identify key partners to provide value added in the marketplace.

Together we can deliver much more than any one of us could separately!

Q. Normally, an MBA programme would draw from its internal knowledge-pool. However, as we’ve discussed, the Georgia WebMBA has six schools from which to draw. What does this do for the level and consistency of teaching?

The Georgia WebMBA includes an ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

“Prospective candidates can be confident the Georgia WebMBA offers them an educational experience second to none.”

intensely interactive curriculum, and our expectations for faculty teaching in the programme are very high. Comments from a recent graduate illustrate the student experience: “Professors in the Georgia WebMBA programme were very accessible and open to fielding our questions. They were willing to join us on video chats to coach our team. I felt respected by them and encouraged in our careers.”

The curriculum of the WebMBA meets the same high standards as our on-campus programmes, and we continually assess learning outcomes to facilitate continuous improvement. Teams of faculty evaluate each course for content currency, required assignments, and rigor. Programmatic and ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

pedagogical innovations are shared with all faculty so we can learn from each other. An annual workshop for all faculty and staff in the programme provides time for dedicated conversations and debriefs of the previous year’s activities and assessments. Every professor will, of course, differ in how he or she chooses to teach a course, but we all agree on the course objectives, expectations for interaction, and quality requisites.

Prospective candidates can be confident the Georgia WebMBA offers them an educational experience second to none.

Q. There seems to be a lot of noise around ‘early action’ when it comes to applying for an MBA. In the case of the Georgia WebMBA, 41

“The team-based environment of the Georgia WebMBA and our ability to select the best faculty from six universities make the programme unique.”

will applicants stand a better chance of being accepted and getting their financing in place if they apply early?

Classes for our cohorts begin in August and January, so all application materials must be submitted and processed about four weeks prior. Early application is always a good idea to reserve your space, and this also allows more time for other preparations such as financing. The Georgia Web MBA is designed for working professionals, so many employers pay part or all of the tuition. If a student is interested in financial aid or scholarships for tuition assistance, programme directors at each WebMBA university can provide contacts and information. Students should definitely plan further in advance if applying for financial assistance of any kind.

Q. The Georgia WebMBA is backed by wellregarded schools, in addition to being highly ranked, AACSB accredited, and offering exceptional value. Which of these factors is of greatest importance to your applicants, or do they all fall into the decision-making spectrum?

While all of these factors are considerations, we consistently hear from entering students that a recommendation from a programme graduate is often the deciding factor. We have success stories and testimonials on our website (www. webmbaonline.org) that illustrate the student experience. We are pleased to receive such positive feedback and proud that programme alumni are strong supporters. The fact that we are able to provide a quality MBA at such a reasonable price (as little as one-third of the cost of many competitors) may draw attention when prospective students are looking for an online programme, but it is the experience others have had in the Georgia WebMBA that ultimately holds the greatest impact in the decision process.

BIOGRAPHY

Faye S. McIntyre is Lead Dean of the Georgia WebMBA and Dean of the Richards College of Business at the University of West Georgia.

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Q. You’ve successfully graduated over twenty-one hundred MBA students over the lifetime of the programme. What do you consider to be the key to your success?

The team-based environment of the Georgia WebMBA and our ability to select the best faculty from six universities make the programme unique. Students learn from seasoned academic professionals with industry experience, and they learn from each other.

Each cohort of students will take two classes together each semester, so students know at the beginning of the programme what to expect for the next five semesters. Within each cohort, students form and work in teams of four or five people. Students and alumni tell us that working with their peers not only

allows for better learning, but it mimics the virtual team environment prevalent in businesses today. Students bond with their team members, and they support one another.

As a recent graduate noted “Working with the same team throughout the entire programme was definitely a positive experience for me. We really got to know one another, supported each other, and held each other accountable. I would not have learned as much without them.”

Q. Once upon a time, online MBA degrees were considered the poor relation. How and why have attitudes changed?

The Georgia WebMBA benefits from the foresight of business school deans who began planning for the programme in the 1990s, when most online programmes were undergraduate only and little more than a series of correspondence courses. We have come a long way since then! As technology has advanced, so has our ability to implement a more interactive and dynamic online classroom environment. Combined with an increasingly mobile workforce, the ability to learn outside a physical setting is imperative.

Attitudes have also been impacted by the number of accredited MBA programmes that are now available. AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) is the leading global accrediting body for business schools, and the standards require evidence that all delivery modes are effective at providing a quality education. All Georgia WebMBA universities are accredited

by AACSB, and we are proud to have helped lead the industry in online MBA delivery.

Q. Aside from becoming better decisionmaking leaders, what do you hope your graduates will take away from the programme, personally and professionally?

The Georgia WebMBA is about much more than content in the courses offered.

Students learn about themselves and how to better communicate with people from diverse backgrounds. Being part of a virtual team enhances the need for collaboration. Hearing perspectives from peers working in different industries broadens the learning experience.

And a key challenge, and thus learning opportunity, throughout the programme is time management. Since students are working professionals with families and community obligations, fitting in time to study, prepare projects, engage in online discussions, and work with team mates requires shifting priorities.

Our graduates tell us that they form lasting relationships with their team members.

Not only do they work together to meet programme objectives, they bond with each other and support each other. ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

Turn learning into earning in only 1.5 years.

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Georgia WebMBA is a consortium of six universities: Columbus State University • Georgia College • Kennesaw State University • Georgia Southern University • University of West Georgia • Valdosta State University ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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T E S H R I T -F T N E D A U B T M S AL

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Q. At the University of North Alabama (UNA), you offer a traditional MBA and an Executive MBA, and both are available online or faceto-face. Is it possible for students to switch between formats?

Yes, flexibility for students is one of our top priorities when designing the programme. Students who are admitted to the Executive MBA are eligible to switch to the traditional concentrations (with the exception of Accounting). Students who want to switch from traditional concentrations to Executive can do so if their professional work experience meets the admission requirement.

Over 90% of the core classes are offered three times a year online, and once a year in the classroom. Students can choose either format. Our advisors are always available to make the transition as seamless as possible.

Students are able to select an MBA concentration or choose electives to create a bespoke offering. Kindly expand upon the aforementioned pathways.

In addition to the Executive MBA, concentrations are available in the following areas: ● Accounting ● Finance ● Global Business ● Human Resource Management ● Project Management ● Information Systems ● Sales and New Business Development

Students also have the flexibility of customising their own path by choosing electives from different concentrations to meet their career needs. Popular courses include Project Management, Human Resources Management, and Advanced Financial Management.

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

Q. To what extent does the online MBA option mirror your on-campus offering?

They are the same in terms of admission requirements, curriculum, course content and the faculty who teach the courses. The only difference is the course delivery format, which students are able to choose based on their preference.

Q. Your MBA programmes are extremely competitive on price, given your ranking and AACSB accreditation. How important is this, given the number of self-funded MBA students out there, and how do you balance value with quality?

Our MBA is an award-winning programme, nationally ranked for its costeffectiveness, flexible framework, and applied focus. Earning an AACSB accredited MBA at a tuition rate that is less than half the national average is highly valued by our students and by companies that subsidise the tuition cost for employees.

Our programme is guided by a team of passionate, dedicated faculty and staff, who always listen to student needs and feedback so that the programme can continuously improve. We prioritise our resources to areas that have the highest impact on high-quality student experience, such as investment in faculty and staff development, instructional technology, student-centred service platforms, and scholarships.

Q. Can you tell me more about your Graduate Certificate in Project Management and how it benefits your MBA students?

The Graduate Certificate in Project Management is designed for professionals who want to increase their use of, and skills in, project management, and have those skills recognised through a certificate programme.

The five required courses have been carefully selected to increase the competencies of project managers and are based both on market research and current PMP® certification standards.

An MBA student enrolled in the Project Management concentration can also obtain the Graduate Certificate in Project Management by becoming certified in Microsoft Project or a similar commercial project management software, as well as completing an Independent Study Capstone Project Course. The Capstone Project Course requires the student to utilise their knowledge to initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and complete a real-world project of their choice.

“Our programme is guided by a team of passionate, dedicated faculty and staff, who always listen to student needs and feedback so that the programme can continuously improve.”

“Earning an AACSB accredited MBA at a tuition rate that is less than half the national average is highly valued by our students and by companies that subsidise the tuition cost for employees.”

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“In 2017-18, 15 businesses were launched by students, including four female and two underrepresented minority founders.�

BIOGRAPHY

Gregory Carnes serves as Dean of the College of Business at UNA. He came to UNA in 2007 as the Raburn Eminent Scholar of Accounting.

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Q. Is the aforementioned certificate available to applicants outside of the MBA programme, and what are the admission requirements?

Yes, the Graduate Certificate in Project Management is available to applicants that do not intend to pursue the MBA. However, they will have to complete one MBA core course and three Project Management concentration courses, in addition to becoming certified in Microsoft Project or a similar commercial project management software, and completing the Independent Study Capstone Project Course.

Additionally, if the student later decides to seek an MBA degree with a concentration in Project Management at UNA, they will already have credit for those four courses, thereby reducing the requirements for completing their MBA. Prospective students apply for admission to the university as non-degree seeking students and indicate their intention to complete the Graduate Certificate in Project Management. Admission requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Project Management are the same as for the MBA, or the Executive MBA at UNA. Q. Beyond the local market, it may come as a surprise to some that the College of Business has a significant entrepreneurial leaning. Can you walk me through some of the opportunities your Institute for Innovation and Economic Development offers and how these benefit your MBA students?

UNA launched the Institute for Innovation and Economic Development in the College of Business in 2016. The Institute focuses on four areas: economic development, corporate consulting, Strategic Doing facilitation, and business innovation initiatives. Our programme links student entrepreneurial energy with regional companies.

The Institute Fellowship Programme is an opportunity for established employers to engage UNA students for research and expansion initiatives to advance their companies, and provides students with real-world projects through which they can practice and showcase their entrepreneurial skills. These opportunities are paid, facultymentored experiences – driving toward an actionable, student-led report.

The Institute has also created a series of programmes in the local community to spur student entrepreneurial action beyond credit-based coursework. These include a business pitch contest and a weekend business start-up event. MBA students have participated in each of the events, and use them to gain access to business mentors and

tools to advance their business ideas.

Q. To what extent, if at all, does your oncampus business incubator impact the goal setting of your MBA students?

Opened in 2015, the Generator is an incubator and co-working space for all UNA students. It has blossomed into a hotbed of student-led energy and creativity, hosting a club of more than 30 students and serving as a place to gather and work on business ideas.

The Generator is used by local MBA students who are developing their own businesses.

To guide student efforts, the university has established connections with more than 150 business mentors in various sectors. These mentors have helped students turn their ideas into companies. The university has also invested in maker space equipment for the Generator, adding a commercial-grade 3D printer and a CNC machine.

In 2017-18, 15 businesses were launched by students, including four female and two underrepresented minority founders. These start-ups raised about $290,000 in seed capital.

Q. Can you talk about some of the successes, post-MBA, your graduates have enjoyed?

Our graduates often prosper in the following areas upon completing the MBA programme: Educational achievement Our programme not only provides students with business knowledge but also equips them with critical thinking, effective communication, and senior leadership skills.

For many students, earning an MBA is also a dream come true, a milestone of their academic achievement.

Being able to contribute back to their organisations We strive to provide graduates with tools and strategies they can use to drive innovation and change within their organisations.

Throughout the programme, students are encouraged and given opportunities to reference their existing organisational situations as class projects.

Career progression Earning a reputable MBA from UNA gives students a competitive advantage when pursuing better career opportunities.

Employers of recent graduates include: Ernst & Young, Northrop Grumman, NASA, Dynetics, Suntrust Bank, Wells Fargo, Merrill Lynch, Boston Scientific, Constellium, FedEx, Bank Independent, Whole Foods, Huntsville Hospital Health System, UAB Hospital, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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RIGOR, FLEXIBILITY, AND RESULTS A L E X A N D R A S K I N N E R TA L K S TO C AT H Y D U B O I S

Q. To what extent does your online MBA mirror your on-campus programmes, in terms of content and faculty?

The curricula for the online MBA, on-campus MBA and Executive MBA programmes mirror each other closely.

The programmes differ only in the electives offered, and all programmes 48

share considerable faculty overlap. As such, the primary distinction between the programmes is in the method of delivery: online, on-campus and blended. This strong similarity facilitates a seamless transition for students who need to move between the online and on-campus programmes.

For example, should full-time students ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

Q. Applicants who are unable to gather their application materials for the admission deadline can still take up to 12 credit hours as a non-degree seeking student. Can the aforementioned credits be applied to the online MBA, assuming the application requirements are met?

Absolutely. These 12 credit hours taken as a non-degree seeking student will apply to the programme once the student has been formally admitted. This allows applicants who have not had ample time to prepare for either the GMAT or GRE to begin taking courses without a long wait. This flexibility has been especially helpful for applicants who decide to enroll shortly before the semester begins and for those who are in transition between jobs.

obtain full-time employment half way through their programme, they simply finish their remaining courses online. Our professional development course and a range of associated opportunities are also available to students in all three of our MBA programmes. ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

Q. How do you maintain quality and still keep the cost of your online MBA competitive?

We chose to make a considerable up-front investment in online programme quality. We selected our online MBA faculty with care, ensuring they could adeptly straddle research expertise and applied practice. These faculty made the transition to online instruction with the assistance of a Senior Instructional Designer, who guided them in creating their courses using the Quality Matters rubric.

This process ensured that our online courses are both engaging and accessible. A high priority during course development was finding innovative ways to engage students with one another, the faculty member and the material. Our next goal is to get our online MBA programme Quality Matters certified, which requires certifying every course as well as creating a unifying thread that runs through all courses. We expect to meet this goal in about two years.

The strength of the programme is due to our world-renowned faculty and dedicated senior instructional designer, who together have created innovative, engaging, and accessible courses that highlight the expertise of our faculty. Our Online MBA programme has recently been ranked among the top 100 online MBA programmes in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and ranked #31 in CEO Magazine's Global Online MBA rankings.

We launched our online programme with a cost per credit hour structure that eliminated the in-state and out-of-state difference in fee structures common in public universities as well as additional course fees.

We also researched the cost of competitive programmes, and set our tuition at a rate that gives us a competitive advantage. We expect our tuition to be quite stable, and price stability aids students in planning how to fund their graduate education.

“When courses are innovatively designed and wellconstructed, state-of-the-art online education can provide an equally effective, or even superior, learning experience in comparison to a traditional face-to-face programme.�

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Q. By taking geography out of the equation, students can apply from anywhere around the world. What impact has this had on the make-up of your online MBA classes?

During the brief year and a half since we launched our online MBA programme, our student population has expanded from a 50-mile radius from our campus to multiple states, and recently, to other countries. Also important, our online programme allows students who get a job transfer or a position in a new location to complete their graduate programme with our college without any break or complication. Over time, we expect this flexibility to increase our programme graduation rate.

BIOGRAPHY

Cathy DuBois is associate dean for administration in the College of Business Administration at Kent State University.

Her discipline is human resource management and organisational behaviour, with a focus on sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

She has published her research in top journals and presented at international conferences. DuBois inspired and oversees the Responsible Leadership Initiative in her college. She has served on the leadership teams of three AACSB affinity groups and co-facilitates AACSB’s Seminar for New Associate Deans. She has consulted for a range of organisations and worked for a multinational organisation.

Professor DuBois received her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.

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Q. Once upon a time, online MBA degrees were considered the poor relation, but attitudes have now changed. Typically, what percentage of your graduates receive a promotion or job offer within six months of graduation?

Because the delivery of the MBA programme in an online format is relatively new (Fall 2017), and due to changes in reporting, it is too early to provide comprehensive data on career profiles. We do know that recent graduates reported an average salary increase of 35% within four months of graduation, and 75% reported receiving a promotion. Anecdotally, students are reporting more opportunities within their organisations and many are considering a change in careers during the programme.

Due to technological advances, what is possible in online course delivery has changed significantly since the first programmes went fully online. Our online courses include the same interactive, experiential learning components as our faceto-face courses: cases, debates, discussions, group projects and presentations.

We are even building gamification into our Master of Science in Business Analytics programme to engage the students in active practice and provide rapid feedback. When courses are innovatively designed and well-constructed, state-of-the-art online education can provide an equally effective, or even superior, learning experience in comparison to a traditional on-campus programme.

Q. Can you talk about some of the successes, post-MBA, your online graduates have enjoyed?

While a large number of alumni stay with their organisations, the MBA degree provides the tools and confidence students need to make significant career changes. Many of those changes come in the form of promotions. Our alumni work in organisations that span from regional

firms to multinational corporations. Many of them no longer live in the area, as their career opportunities have propelled them to different states and countries. Our alumni also have significant success as entrepreneurs. Most recently, a graduate who had worked in information technology launched his own company in the specialty foods industry.

Q. Beyond the online MBA, do any of your other programmes utilise online learning and, if so, why?

Due to the busy and demanding lives of our Executive MBA students, we started experimenting with online education many years ago in our Executive MBA programme. At first we incorporated small, occasional online components, as initially the capacity of the online course support software was limited. Currently, the courses in our Executive MBA programme meet on campus one weekend per month, which is supplemented with online content during weeks in between, alternating between asynchronous and synchronous delivery.

This format provides convenience for the busy mid- to senior-level professional, facilitating a more balanced life throughout the duration of the programme. Because our faculty have developed an array of skills in delivering interactive and engaging learning experiences online, we have noticed that our current Executive MBA cohorts are just as strongly bonded with one another as they were when they met on campus every weekend.

The demand for well-designed online programmes is rapidly increasing. As such, our well-ranked on-campus Master of Science in Business Analytics programme will also be offered online starting Fall 2019.

As I mentioned, sophisticated instructional design has enabled this highly technical, data-intensive programme to incorporate gamification and cutting-edge learning tools.

Subsequently, we will put our Master of Science in Accounting programme online.

The working population wants and needs the convenience of online graduate education.

Because we are confident that the quality of our online programmes matches or exceeds that of our on-campus programmes, we are delighted to serve the evolving needs of our students with online graduate business education.

International Business Exposure Q. You offer a study abroad option. Is this taken with your on-campus students?

For our online MBA students, our numerous study-abroad courses are taken with on-campus students. However, we ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

always provide our Executive MBA students with a cohort-specific, elite, project-based international learning experience.

Q. What does this do for your online students, in terms of networking, and are there other opportunities for on-campus integration?

The blending of students in our online and full-time MBA programmes during study-abroad experiences provides all students with a broader array of networking opportunities and time to learn from one another. Typically, online students have more work experience than full-time students, resulting in a lively mix of deeper professional skills from one group and a greater sense of adventure from the other. All students return from these learning experiences with a broader perspective and an expanded set of colleagues.

We offer a number of on-campus networking, professional, speaker and social events throughout the year, all of which are open to current students and alumni. Online students are invited to attend any of the oncampus events that interest them, and events typically include a networking reception.

Additionally, the Career Services Office in the College of Business Administration

employs a professional career coach to work with all MBA students on skill-building and job search processes. We are making plans to integrate professional development courses for full-time and online students, offering a variety of interactive opportunities.

The Road Ahead Q. To what extent do you prepare students for life after the MBA, and what resources are available to graduates, post-MBA? Throughout the coursework in our graduate programmes, we integrate corporate projects, cases, state-of-the-art knowledge and experiential learning. This enables our full-time students to hit the ground running with knowledge application as soon as they graduate, and facilitates our working students to apply at work what they learn in their courses throughout the duration of their programme.

As Kent State alumni, MBA graduates have continued access to our college’s Career Services Office professionals, services and events after graduation. Alumni are encouraged to stay active by serving as guest speakers in business courses, teaching as adjunct faculty and serving on advisory boards for the college, as well as through serving as mentors to younger students.

“Graduates from August 2018 reported an average salary increase of 35% within four months of graduation, and 75% reported receiving a promotion.”

anked business/masters R y l l a b o du/ Gl ion: kent.e

Applicat d n a n o i t forma rogram In

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EXECUTIVE MBA ONLINE MBA FULL-TIME MBA • Accelerated program, in-person, finish in 12-15 months • All majors accepted • Study abroad options available

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

• Top 100 program • Ideal for working professionals: modular, start any semester • All majors welcome • Finish in 12 months (full-time) or 24 months (part-time)

• Once monthly class meetings on campus, supplemented by engaging online content • International Business Experience includes travel and a global consulting project

BUSINESS ANALYTICS • Online or On-campus • Finish in 12 months (full-time) or 24 months (part-time) • STEM Program • Methods, application, experience • All majors accepted

• Minimum 7 years work experience

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JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY’S DAVIS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS LAUNCHES GLOBAL MBA

This fall, Davis will be launching its new Global MBA (GMBA) program, which will prepare students to enter the workforce with the knowledge and skills necessary to make an immediate contribution to companies engaged in international business. Students will complete an MBA, one semester of which will be spent studying and working in Tokyo, Shanghai, Frankfurt, or London.

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ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

Unique Aspects of the JU GMBA The Davis GMBA is differentiated from other MBA programs in that its global partners are located in or near the key financial hubs around the world. Students will come away having interacted and established relationships with global business leaders. Further, unlike many other top-tier programs, GMBA classes taken in Tokyo, London, or any other locations, will be taught by leading faculty native to those institutions.

Thus, students will become immersed in a foreign culture, both inside and outside the classroom, learning cultural nuances and how to conduct business worldwide.

Partner Universities In designing the program, Davis has been able to partner with some of the premier institutions around the globe: Waseda University - Tokyo, Japan Waseda is the number one ranked private university in Japan. The Graduate School of Commerce is known for its rich curriculum and superior faculty. Waseda is renowned for producing talented individuals in the global arena, including hundreds of international CEOs and six of the last ten Japanese Prime Ministers.

East China University of Science & Technology (ECUST) – Shanghai, China ECUST is ranked in the top 30 among 2,000 state universities in the mainland of China.

The ECUST business school, with strong degree programs in engineering management, is dedicated to developing high level management professionals for international companies and equipping them with a global vision and cross-cultural communication skills.

European Business School (EBS) – OestritchWinkel, Germany EBS, a leading business school in Germany, has one of the most highly regarded business faculties in the country. EBS is renowned for academic excellence, providing students with an international perspective in strategy and leadership.

Kingston University – London, England A leader in entrepreneurship studies, Kingston is the top university in the country for graduate business start-ups. Students from more than 140 countries study at Kingston, providing students with a true multicultural experience. It is well known for its exceptionally strong teaching and career focused coursework, enabling students to gain the relevant skills needed in today’s global business environment. ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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Q & A With a GMBA Candidate Will Hayes, a JU Davis College of Business MBA candidate recently returned from a semester at EBS in Germany where he was ‘piloting’ the GMBA. We sat down with him to find out more about his experiences.

Q. Will, tell us about your academic experience at EBS. How is the educational process different at EBS compared to American graduate education?

A. The main difference between the educational process at EBS and JU is that EBS has more of what I would describe as a ‘hands-off’ approach to education. My classes at EBS consisted of a few lectures at the beginning of the course, followed by weeks of autonomous group work without class meetings and with minimal teacher guidance. We then met once or twice with a professor to display progress. The group work most often entailed working with companies to solve real problems for them, which created a significant level of accountability for the quality of our work.

Another benefit to this is the networking opportunities that come along with working closely with real companies. Overall, it was an excellent complement to what I have learned in the classroom at JU, because I was able to apply the information I had been exposed to earlier.

Q. What real-world, practical experience did you gain from studying abroad at EBS? A. During my time at EBS, I gained realworld experience from two different areas: the classroom and outside social situations.

In the classroom I was exposed to real-life professional situations by working with actual companies on projects that they would be implementing in their businesses. Outside of the classroom, I developed relationships with people from all over the world and traveled extensively throughout Europe.

Q. What global business skills were taught at EBS, or that you took away?

A. EBS has a huge focus on global business and they offer classes that reflect that. While I was studying there, I took introductory German courses and a class that taught international business law. Both of these classes were beneficial for my academic and professional goals.

Q. Did the international culture that you experienced broaden your understanding of international business? If so, how?

A. My understanding of international business has been broadened by my experience abroad because I have learned how to operate in a team with people of different 54

cultures. At EBS, I made many friends that have work experience in different countries, and we have shared the similarities and differences in business practice between those countries and that of the United States.

Q. What international companies or organizations were you able to work/ network with while at EBS? What did you do for them?

A. I had the opportunity to work with two international companies while at EBS. The first was a European grocery store chain called REWE Group. We had a group project that involved sales management and marketing communication where we had to analyze the customer journey of the people who were shopping in their stores. The other company was a startup called Linguedo that was operating between Germany and Italy.

They were a social business that attempted to place unemployed Italian nurses into nursing jobs in Germany. As part of a group, I helped plan a content marketing campaign and aided in the design of their new website.

Q. How did your experience at EBS help you with the job/hiring process? Do you believe the Global MBA better positioned you for employment?

A. My experience at EBS helped me get my first job by setting me apart from the others who were applying for the same position.

I applied to be an intern at Pilot Pen Corp here in Jacksonville and they were very impressed with my time in Germany. I got the internship and have since been hired full-time. My time at EBS was, and will continue to be, an excellent talking point in interviews. As I move forward with my career, the Global MBA has prepared me to advance into a management position or into a position working internationally in some capacity.

Q. What did you learn from EBS that will help you contribute, or understand your new job?

A. The biggest skill that I learned or advanced while at EBS that will help me contribute to my new job is teamwork. Every class that I took at EBS included a large group project or report, often with deliverables that were due to an actual company. In my new position, I constantly have to work with various teams to accomplish tasks. Working in a multicultural group with people of different academic and professional backgrounds at EBS has prepared me for this.

Q. Did this experience change your career path? If so, how?

A. My study abroad experience has broadened my horizons in terms of my outlook on what jobs are available to me in the ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

world. After living in Germany for six months, I now have a deeper desire to be employed in a position that includes some form of international travel, or just live and work in another country completely.

A Final Word From the Dean We asked Dr Don Capener, Dean of the Davis College of Business, how he felt the GMBA program could benefit companies.

Here is what he had to say: “Preparing graduates to be successful leaders and competitive in the global economy takes more than knowledge dissemination and a degree credential according to CSX, Fidelity, and smaller companies searching for talent.

It takes hands-on experiences; experiential ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

or “immersive” in challenging or foreign environments. The new GMBA provides that opportunity. Employers are asking us to prepare students to solve complex problems with a global mindset. There is no greater engagement with collaboration partners abroad than jointly educating these candidates in a major world market, far away from their familiar conveniences. Exposure to international students from diverse regions of the world creates graduates who can work and lead diverse teams. More international perspectives from our own faculty in association with faculty in the same discipline from our collaborative partners is the ideal marketplace of ideas our students must be exposed to.”

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Like a Diamond, an MBA is Forever Ensure it’s AMBA-accredited.

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Be in company MBA students on AMBA-accredited programmes are required to have at least 3 years prior management experience, making for quality networks and applied learning.

world-class expertise The high standard of AMBA-accredited MBAs is certified by highly experienced Business School Deans and Directors - Experts assessing Experts.

Invest in education that stands the

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AMBA-accredited schools have educated MBAs to AMBA standards for a minimum of 3 years and usually over 10 years.

AMBA-accredited MBA programmes require a minimum of 500 ‘contact’ hours, ensuring face-to-face learning and strong relationship-building.

Access the

highest quality experts in academia and industry.

Faculty at AMBA-accredited programmes are internationally diverse and at least 75% must have a relevant postgraduate qualification.

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AMBA is the world’s only MBA-specific Accreditation Organisation, accrediting just 2% of the world’s Business Schools. ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019 www.mbaworld.com

INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT IN THE HEART OF ZURICH S SBS SWISS BUSINESS SCHOOL

BS Swiss Business School was founded in 1998 as an institution of higher education and operates from the cosmopolitan city of Zurich in Switzerland.

Zurich has been consistently ranked as the number one city worldwide for

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

quality of life, making it an ideal place to study international management. It also boasts a large number of multinationals (Glencore International, Nestlé, Novartis, Roche Group, Credit Suisse etc.), which enjoy the city’s central location at the heart of Europe.

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Zurich’s financial and economic impact worldwide, along with its rich cultural offerings (numerous theatres, museums and international conferences), make it the ideal place to obtain a global education.

As an international institution, more than half of our students originate from Europe, Asia and Latin America. We offer our participants an experience that prepares them to operate with ease across borders and cultures within an environment that prizes diversity and the ability to bring a worldwide perspective to the study of business.

Additionally, SBS Swiss Business School is known for offering a variety of academic programmes, from undergraduate to postgraduate and doctorate level degrees. All academic programmes are international to their core, taught entirely in English and offered in several disciplines, including business administration, e-commerce and science.

All programmes are accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC), Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). Both US-wide accreditation bodies have been recognised by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as programmatic accrediting organisations. SBS is also certified by eduQua, the Swiss Quality Assurance certification for higher education.

The EMBA The School was one of the first in Europe to adapt its Executive MBA programme to the new demands of leading organisations and companies within the knowledge economy.

The EMBA represents the School’s philosophy and, as such, offers a mix of impactful academic techniques and strong business case study methodology. In short, the EMBA programme allows students to work in interdisciplinary, highly interactive groups with the aim of discussing, examining and solving real-life business problems.

However, what makes the programme so valuable is its course structure, which has been designed for individuals and corporations that wish to enhance contemporary leadership and innovation skills.

Its focus on strategy and sustainability, combined with its fast-track nature, gives participants the opportunity to develop skills (managerial and leadership) connected to the digital economy. Such in-demand skills are encompassed in the learning process and reflected in real business case studies, allowing our EMBA students to become leaders and business entrepreneurs anywhere in the globalised business arena.

Our experienced faculty members, who are known for their academic expertise and advanced consulting skills, engage and encourage students to use their abilities, think critically, conduct research, make appropriate decisions and simultaneously drive new business development ideas forward.

Executive MBA at Glance ✓ PART-TIME PROGRAMME

✓ ONCE-A-MONTH CAMPUS LECTURES (FRIDAY - SUNDAY)

✓ 12 MODULES, 12 MONTHS

✓ INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT MAJOR

✓ ONE YEAR COMPLETION PERIOD

✓ ONGOING ENROLLMENT

Our EMBA consists of 12 modules taking place over 12 months. Classes are also held on campus one weekend each month (Friday - Sunday), and the degree is awarded upon completion of the EMBA course structure.

Finally, each participant is obliged to write a Thesis or an Action Learning Project as part of the EMBA coursework.

EMBA Course - Action Learning Project: The Action Learning Project is designed to equip students with a profound set of skills, necessary for them to become effective leaders, by creating, recognising and 58

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

“Leaders in the future will be far more exposed to threats and risks, therefore, they should be able to think differently and act entrepreneurially in order to successfully meet the challenges attached to rapid change within dynamic markets and competitive environments.”

exploiting business opportunities in various dynamic markets.

Leaders in the future will be far more exposed to threats and risks, therefore, they should be able to think differently and act entrepreneurially in order to successfully meet the challenges attached to rapid change within dynamic markets and competitive environments.

The Action Learning Project enhances the learning process by providing students with tangible knowledge and the resources necessary to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Building knowledge relevant to entrepreneurship, innovation, strategic renewal, marketing, management, finance and accounting is the only way for students to develop path-breaking plans and viable business concepts in a global context.

Project Objectives The project aims to: ● Develop and commercialise path-breaking business concepts focused on critical success factors and the acquisition of key resources. ● Allow students to use their newly acquired EMBA knowledge to tackle issues relevant to business financing, strategies for managing risk, budgetary planning, carrying out market research etc. In essence, key practical skills that any potential entrepreneur would need to succeed.

Overall, the Executive MBA programme at SBS is not just another academic option for students to consider when thinking about further education. Rather, our Executive MBA programme is a remarkable journey of knowledge for professionals to improve their career prospects and, at the same time, build a solid international business network while adding value to their marketability and cross–cultural understanding. ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

Grow your Talents.

Increase your Value. Executive Education Executive MBA

www.sbs.edu

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A L E X A N D R A S K I N N E R TA L K S TO RALF SCHELLHASE

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THE POWER OF THE MBA IN GERMANY

Q. With the shortage of skilled workers (managers, researchers, engineers, etc.) expected to increase over the next two decades, has there ever been a better time to study for an MBA with a domestic institution like Darmstadt University?

Probably not. As you mention in your question, we have a shortage of skilled workers in many areas and at different levels.

Thus, our international students have a broad range of opportunities from which to select.

However, we shouldn’t forget that, although English is the common language of business in many German companies, most expect applicants to have a basic understanding of German.

To stay and work in Germany will probably become even more attractive, and easier, in the near future as the German government is currently working on the country’s first immigration act.

Q. How do you prepare those students wishing to seek employment from the German market?

The most important preparation tool we have is, of course, the MBA programme. We offer a classical general management MBA, which ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

is holistic in its approach to doing business.

The programme is focused around strategy, marketing and general management skills.

And, of course, we prepare our students to handle current topics, like the digitalisation of industry and the challenges of globalisation.

Our services for international students include a buddy system, German language courses, intercultural training, support in finding jobs and internships through our network, and much more.

These tools allow us to offer intensive, relevant and effective preparation so that our students are able to work at a management level domestically, and internationally.

Q. Can you talk about the doors that an MBA from Darmstadt opens?

As most of our students don’t have a business background, the programme’s general management approach is the perfect door opener to management positions.

I am in close contact with our alumni in Germany, and worldwide, and many of them have taken the next step in their careers right after graduation. Some have taken up promotions or positions in different areas with their current employers, while some have started their own ventures or changed careers and/or industries.

Q. With an ageing population and, therefore, a growing pool of retirees, would it be fair to say that this is a jobseeker’s market?

Yes, it definitely is. This is a great time for our graduates to be seeking employment in the local market.

Q. What is it like to work for a German company?

German companies, especially the typical medium-sized ones, think in much longer terms, as is the case in the USA. This horizon of thinking in generations rather than in quarters is key to the success of many German companies.

There are also day-to-day habits that perhaps differ to other working cultures.

For example, Germans like to be very well prepared for meetings as we are a bit risk averse. We also like to plan long-term, as I mentioned, and avoid mistakes, where possible. Our communication style is very direct and clear, and we don’t really do small talk. Additionally, most Germans like to separate their job and colleagues from their private lives. Whilst all of this may seem a bit unfriendly and offish at times, it’s not, it’s just a different style of communication and collaboration.

Q. With the growth in automation, certain jobs, or parts thereof, will become ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

redundant over time. However, this process will not happen overnight, and factors such as cost of development and deployment will potentially slow things down… temporarily.

With this in mind, can middle, and even senior, managers afford to delay their MBA education?

The pace of change is rapid, especially when it comes to business and employment.

In most positions it’s going to be important for graduates from non-business disciplines to also have a sound knowledge of economic contexts and solid management skills. It is, therefore, important to continue to learn and train regularly in order to meet the growing demands being placed upon managers.

Q. Approximately 85 per cent of German businesses are SMEs. Professionally speaking, is this home to the majority of your graduates?

Yes, a lot of our graduates are, or will be, working for SMEs as these are the backbone of the German economy. I would also like to point out that although many of these companies are not as well-known as some of the famous multinationals, they are very innovative, international and very often worldwide leaders in their market segment.

These so called “Hidden Champions” offer excellent working conditions and career opportunities.

“I am in close contact with our alumni in Germany, and worldwide, and many of them have taken the next step in their careers right after graduation.”

The Darmstadt Difference Q. In 2020 your part-time MBA programme will sit alongside your new full-time MBA. To what extent will students be integrated, if at all, and will programme formats be similar?

We received a lot of useful and helpful feedback from our alumni and the student body over the course of the reaccreditation process in 2018. As a result, we have included electives in the curriculum. We will also give up to 30 credit points for previous work experience. This news applies to both programmes, the part- and the full-time MBA. Basically, the curriculum for both programmes will be the same. The programmes will only differ in workload per semester, equating to a four-semester parttime and a three-semester full-time MBA. Q. What does 2019 hold for Darmstadt?

We’ll make some adjustments to the curriculum this year, and new electives will be rolled out: Entrepreneurship, Human Resources Management and Digital Business Management. We will also expand our network to companies and partner universities. And, of course, we will prepare for the launch of the full-time MBA programme in 2020.

BIOGRAPHY

Ralf Schellhase is the Academic Director of the MBA programme at Darmstadt University.

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FROM STUDENT TO SUCCESS UNIVERSITY OF THE SCIENCES

T

he University of the Sciences’ MBA in Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Business was launched in 1998 as part of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. From its inception, it has been a program dedicated to the mission of providing the very best leaders for this sector.

During this 20-year period we have seen hundreds of our graduates move into, and advance through, the ranks of the industry.

We have never swayed from this mission, and our graduates have demonstrated that maintaining this focus has been the right thing to do.

Based on strong LinkedIn data and our own biennial alumni survey we have been able to document where our alumni have gone, what they have done, and how well

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they have progressed. The lion’s share of the credit for their success goes to the graduates themselves; but we believe that our focus, approach and resources have been an important catalyst.

We are also uniquely capable of both documenting this success, and explaining how it has happened. While there is no “special sauce” to share, there are observable ingredients.

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

rA

rking in the P i Wo ha n rm lum a or? ct Se

Are Ou

What Success Looks Like If our mission has been to equip the future leaders of the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector, the proof of the pudding can be seen in where our graduates have gone to work.

Over 90 percent of our graduates have found careers in the sector.

Our alumni also progress through salary raises and promotions. Our 2016 alumni survey demonstrated that 87 percent of our graduates had received at least one promotion or changed jobs for an increased salary, 42 percent had received two promotions, and 24 percent had moved up for a higher salary at least three times.

So, our alumni find jobs in the field, get promoted, and take on senior leadership roles.

But the question remains -- why do they do so well?

Answering this question is a little more challenging. While we do many things that other MBA programs do, there are also a number of things that are unique to us. The Mind Map below illustrates five of the elements that we consider particularly valuable and often unique to our PHB MBA.

Five Important Success Ingredients Oldest in North America Pharma/ Healthcare Industry Other Industries

Philadelphia College of Pharmacy reputation

*Retrieved from 80% of our graduates, as found on LinkedIn – 2018

Approximately 60 percent of our alumni are listed on LinkedIn as VPs, owners, directors or managers.

This is what success looks like:

1st Generation "Grit"

Alumni network

STEM education

Resources upon graduation

Students are unique on arrival

Why USciences grads progress so well

5.56

3.42

0 4.7

5.13

18.38

Faculty network

2.99

1.71

4

2.1 5.1 3

grad degrees

JOB TITLES

22.65

28.21

Industry embedded faculty

What they receive at USciences

Full time faculty are senior industry veterans

Specialized education

Adjunct faculty are still working in the industry

Applied specialized knowledge Soft skill focus for technical people

n

n n n n

wners, Principles, O CEO Vice President Director Manager sociates, Analysts, A Specialists, Coordinators, Producers

*Based on 80% of our graduates, as found on LinkedIn -- 2018

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

n n n n n n

Consultants Clinician Representative, Sales Leads Academic Functional Titles, Misc.

Capstone

“If a student takes a marketing class, they will be learning from faculty who have either launched pharmaceutical products or consulted on the launch as consultants from the agency of record.”

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“Faculty also provide a starting point for networking in the industry.

When they refer a student to someone in their professional network – the student gets a response.”

Students are Key While it’s important to provide students with a framework for success, success has to be earned, which means starting at the beginning… with the student. The success of our alumni boils down to two main things: background and hard work. Most of our students bring a science element to the program – either with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) backgrounds, or significant experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Given that the aim is to join, or advance in, a health science field, this provides an obvious leg up over the competition.

Then there is the issue of effort. As many of our students are the first in their family to receive higher education, let alone a graduate education, they do not take the opportunity for granted. A word that has become popular as a predictor of success is “grit.” Our students have grit, and a tremendous work rate.

Unpacking the Program As an MBA program with a specialty focus, we are uniquely positioned to provide a successful launchpad for our students.

When they start their new jobs, they are able to contribute immediately. By contributing early, they quickly develop a contributory reputation that continues to build.

Our teaching philosophy is built upon several key concepts: We teach in a seminar style format, which allows us to focus on realtime critical thinking. We use simulations, cases and actual consulting assignments to move from theory to practice, and there are three applied learning courses (finance, marketing/strategy and drug development) that take the learning and skills from course work and apply them to actual pharmaceutical sector challenges.

Students finish the program with a research capstone paper. This research is more like a master’s degree thesis and unlike capstone projects I have seen in other MBA

programs. The capstone is a hypothesisdriven exploration of a problem that is both business and healthcare focused. These projects are then used by many of the students in the job search and interview process.

Industry-embedded Faculty Being an MBA student at the University of the Sciences is almost like going to school in the industry itself. All of our faculty have had, or continue to have, long and successful careers in the pharmaceutical sector and bring real-world knowledge, examples and some great stories to the classroom. If a student takes a marketing class, they will be learning from faculty who have either launched pharmaceutical products or consulted on the launch as consultants from the agency of record.

Resources Upon Graduation As the earlier ‘Job titles’ pie chart indicates, our alumni represent a significant, readymade network for our students and other alumni. This database is refreshed regularly and is searchable for our students, which means they can target opportunities before they appear.

Faculty also provide a starting point for networking in the industry. When they refer a student to someone in their professional network – the student gets a response.

Keeping it Going While there is no simple special sauce to enable career success, our continued challenge is to keep the ingredients “warm and nutritious.” To date our alumni believe their education has fed their careers.

School Profile University of the Sciences has prepared students to be leaders and practitioners in the healthcare and science fields for nearly 200 years.

Key to its distinctive education is a tradition of handson research and experiential learning that is evident in every graduate who has walked its campus.

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ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

THE MBA EXPERIENCE AT NEBRIJA UNIVERSITY

S

ince Nebrija University was founded 23 years ago, it has focused on providing education in business and economics at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level. Over this period, the School has produced thousands of outstanding graduates that have gone on to enjoy highly successful careers.

Nebrija’s academic programmes not only provide highly progressive, specialised content, but also offer clear educational guidance based on three fundamental pillars: n Internationalisation: focusing on the phenomenon that is globalisation. n Entrepreneurship: encouraging innovation within existing businesses and the creation of new business initiatives. n Professional Orientation: promoting the

FIRST SEMESTER Basic MBA Subjects: nG eneral Management

practical application of acquired learning and knowledge throughout the programme via compulsory, professional internships.

Of all of the programmes on offer at Nebrija University, the Master in Business Administration (MBA) deserves special mention. Although a highly successful programme, following detailed analysis of the current offering, and based upon existing and future market demands, the MBA suite was overhauled three years ago.

As a result, Nebrija offers the classic MBA alongside a new MBA (MBA +) for Young Talents. The new programme is based upon the traditional MBA structure, but with four new specialisations: Management of Technology, Company Creation, Corporate Legal Affairs and Tourism Business Management.

When taking a specialisation, the academic demand is obviously greater ( 12 ECTS credits higher than normal ).

It is also studied in an academic year, but intensively. The syllabus for each can be structured as follows: n Business Strategy

n Financial Accounting and Corporate Finance

nP rocess Analysis and Operations Management

SECOND SEMESTER Basic MBA Subjects:

n Strategic Marketing

nH uman Resources and Leadership Management n 4 x specialisations

n Professional Internships n Final Master Project ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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All of the subjects and activities have a workload of 6 ECTS credits. As a result, students must obtain 72 credits rather than the standard 60 normally required for a master’s programme. Upon completion, the student receives two degrees: the MBA, and Nebrija’s private degree of Expert.

For students that just want to specialise, the four specialist subjects can be taken without the MBA degree. The professional internship and Final Master Project (FMP) are also available to students that wish to follow this path and allow students to obtain Nebrija’s private degree of Expert. Moreover, this can be completed in one semester.

The MBA + and Nebrija’s private degree of Expert run from October to June and employ the following tools: face-to-face, blended learning and online study. Teaching takes place in the evening from 17:00 to 21:30 in order to accommodate professional activity, and sessions normally take place on the Princesa Campus (located in the heart of Madrid with excellent connections) from Monday to Thursday. Fridays are generally set aside for the following: lectures, conferences, additional academic activities and recovery sessions that have not been given during the week.

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Specialisations That Offer International Exposure All of Nebrija’s specialisations have an international component. For example, with the MBA + Experts in Company Creation, students have the opportunity to attend an intensive one-week course on entrepreneurship in July with students from around the world at Babson College (Massachusetts). At the end of the seminar, the student receives a certificate confirming completion.

On the MBA + Experts in Technology Management (Nebrija’s own degree), students have the opportunity to study (on-campus in California) the Berkeley University Certificate, which includes digital competency.

The MBA for Young Talents allows students to access two Harvard Business Publishing certificates related to issues of jurisdiction, and a Certificate in Financial Issues, issued by the prestigious London School of Economics.

Diversity Nebrija’s Princesa Campus houses more than 30 different nationalities. Thus, students are immersed in myriad cultures, languages, customs, and viewpoints. It is the ultimate international immersion.

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

Faculty Generally speaking, the MBA faculty bring two important skills to the table: academic and professional. Most are successful, recognised practitioners in their fields of expertise, and they are passionate about teaching and sharing their knowledge with others. We also have lecturers that are keenly focused on research and innovation within their fields.

Accreditation All of Nebrija’s MBA programmes have been accepted for evaluation by AMBA — the International Association of MBAs. This ensures the highest levels of excellence and quality are met. As such, this distinction of quality is only given to the best MBA programmes in the world and, therefore, is an outstanding benchmark of quality and excellence.

gastronomic wealth is, perhaps, a once-in-alifetime opportunity. A city that is warm and friendly with an enviable climate and a nonstop rhythm makes the experience simply unforgettable. And, of course, there are the people: fellow students that become lifelong friends.

If you want to develop the professional and personal skills to get ahead, we want to hear from you. A positive spirit and the desire to grow, personally and professionally, are the things we look for on our programmes. We hope to see you soon!

“A positive spirit and the desire to grow, personally and professionally, are the things we look for on our programmes.”

Why Geography Matters In addition to providing the skills working professionals need to advance their careers, the MBA should also provide an important life experience, which is why geography plays an important role. The opportunity to study in a city like Madrid, full of life, with enormous cultural, historical, artistic and

One of the best Business School’s in the world QS STARS Rating System 2019 of Nebrija University

Employability

Multidisciplinary programs

Teaching

International Networking

Internationalization

Academic requirement & personalized teaching

Employability

Awarded as one of the best Business Schools in the world, Nebrija University has a wide range of MBAs. MBA for Young Talents + Harvard Business Publishing Certificates MBA + Expert in Technology Management MBA + Expert Degree in Company Creation MBA + Expert Degree in Corporate Legal Affairs and Legal Compliance MBA + Expert in Tourism Business Management

One of the best experiences in Spain

In Madrid center 100% English internacional@nebrija.es • www.nebrija.com ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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GETTING OUT OF THE OFFICE Seven organizing principles to help CEOs effectively shape the external environment M I C H A E L D. W A T K I N S A N D E U G E N E A. W O O D S

B

ecoming the CEO of a large organization for the first time is a challenging leadership transition.

While the path to the top usually prepares a first-time CEO well for key internal leadership tasks (such as building and leading executive teams, driving execution, and crafting vision and strategy) many organizational leaders have far less experience managing the media, engaging in industry forums, interacting with governments and working with other key external stakeholders. The varying demands can be isolating, and the urge to balance the two worlds overwhelming. As they take the reins, new CEOs can be at risk of falling into some classic traps, ultimately undermining their effectiveness and even putting their organization in danger.

One trap is not spending enough time managing external relationships. It’s not uncommon for chief operating officers to ascend to the top spot, and it’s easy for operationally oriented, first-time CEOs to focus on what got them the top job – running

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the business. This is especially the case if they inherit significant operational issues that consume their time in the early months and then fail to pivot and spend more time externally once internal matters are under control. The dangers of underinvesting in external engagement can rapidly come home to roost – e.g., if the organization faces a product or quality crisis and the CEO hasn’t built trust with the media and government officials. An executive who has cultivated authentic relationships with the communities outside his or her office will begin to build emotional capital that can buy the time and purchase the patience that is needed to dampen doubts and quell criticism when the organization is in the line of fire. In moments of crisis, time is often the ingredient that can make the difference in a CEO’s success or failure.

At the opposite end of the time-allocation spectrum, there are CEOs who get too caught up in the swirl of external activity and don’t spend enough time leading the business. It can be completely appropriate for a CEO to ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

“An executive who has cultivated authentic relationships with the communities outside his or her office will begin to build emotional capital that can buy the time and purchase the patience that is needed to dampen doubts and quell criticism when the organization is in the line of fire.�

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

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“As a new CEO, if you find yourself spending a considerable amount of time engaged in external activities that are stimulating and self-affirming but remain of questionable value to your organization, it’s time to step back, reassess and reset.”

focus much of his or her time externally, but only if it adds value to the organization and only if there is a strong team (and, potentially, a capable leader, such as a COO) running internal operations. Even then, a CEO can underestimate the degree to which his or her time and attention makes a difference internally. Ultimately, there is no substitute for CEOs when it comes to articulating vision and strategy to their organization or communicating the rationale for change.

A subtler trap is spending too much time on activities that advance one’s own interests or image, and not enough on what really creates value for the organization. New CEOs typically have many opportunities to participate in thought-provoking forums and speak to interesting audiences. Good speakers rapidly get deluged with offers, and it’s all too easy to be pulled in many well-meaning directions or become distracted by all the attention. This is not to say, of course, that CEOs should ignore their passions or personal brands; a strong public profile can create value by attracting new clients, opening the door for acquisitions or enhancing the organization’s ability to attract top talent. But, as a new CEO, if you find yourself spending a considerable amount of time engaged in external activities that are stimulating and self-affirming but remain of questionable value to your organization, it’s time to step back, reassess and reset.

Above all, as a new CEO, you need to figure out how to manage the increased external demands and make the right tradeoffs about how you will spend your time and energy, which are not always renewable resources.

To do so, it helps to have a robust and solid foundation to orient you to the external work in the right ways. Here are seven basic principles, starting with adopting the right mindset.

1. Your goal is to shape the external environment to support your organization’s mission and strategy This may seem obvious, but the right framing can help clarify what you should and should not be doing. With all things being equal, you should allocate your time externally to the activities that best advance your organization’s mission and strategy (and also, of course, to dealing with crises and emergent external threats that could damage your organization). The activities that generate the most value vary from organization to organization; they should be aligned with the organization’s overall competitive strategy and informed by an analysis of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Your primary focus could be on: Enhancing the brand

70

Building relationships with key customers Shaping government regulations Identifying potential candidates for acquisition Managing crises Often, it’s a combination of several of these and the mix may shift over time. Regardless, the key is to relentlessly focus on what truly creates value for your organization, and to let go of the rest.

2. Think of yourself as a “business diplomat” While CEOs have substantial authority to make things happen internally, external interactions are all about exerting influence.

You need to build relationships but, more importantly, you need to gather intelligence, negotiate with key stakeholders and create alliances on behalf of your organization. In doing so, it helps to think about your efforts as the business equivalent of international diplomacy. One former CEO, who became a U.S. ambassador after he retired, put it this way: “It requires a great deal of diplomacy to run a company. Your employees, your shareholders, and most importantly your customers are all constituencies. You have to be a diplomat in the sense of listening to people, understanding what people want, and finding a way to deliver it.” Just as diplomats seek to advance the interests of their nations, you need to engage with a wide range of powerful external players to advance the interests of your organization and create value for all parties. We call this “managing from the middle of the road” because business and life work best if the environment is a positive one and not “us vs. them.” Similarly, effective business diplomats are skilled in connecting, tracking developments, negotiating agreements and building coalitions. They reflexively think politically, in terms of understanding interests, agendas and alignments. Critically, they create supportive alliances before they need them, building trust and credibility that can be an essential resource in times of crisis.

3.Build two overlapping but separate support teams As a new CEO, you have an executive team to help you run the business. However, you need another team to support you in shaping the external environment, a group of people who focus substantial time on developing and executing a stakeholder engagement strategy. Your external relations team typically will include functions such as government relations, legal, public/corporate affairs and communications, and may include fully dedicated personnel such as schedulers and speechwriters. Critically, you need someone whose job it is to work with you to ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

orchestrate this work. This could be your Chief of Staff, which is an increasingly critical role in helping CEOs to establish and pursue priorities, and balance internal and external responsibilities.

4. Establish a budget for your time and stick to it The time you spend focusing on external work will, of course, ebb and flow in response to emerging threats and opportunities. But it’s important to set a rough “time budget” for how you will allocate your time between leading internally and influencing externally.

Otherwise, it’s all too easy for priorities and values to drift out of balance. Having established a budget, your team needs to help you monitor how you actually spend your time and strive to stay within it. If you find this process too challenging on an ongoing basis, then either you need to change the budget (which may mean pulling back on how you lead internally to free up more time) or cutting back on what you are doing externally. Also, allocating your time well is not just about the amount of time you spend; it’s also about establishing a rhythm so that you don’t end up with a fragmented schedule.

For example, you could decide to allocate Tuesday through Thursday of every second week to external activity. Is it always possible to maintain this sort of discipline? No. But as CEO, you have significant control over how you spend your time, even externally.

5. Organize and calibrate your “funnel” Having established the team, you need a disciplined process – and one that largely doesn’t involve you – to establish priorities, process the many potential external activities in which you could engage, and allocate your time. The prioritization, as discussed previously, should flow from an assessment of the activities that will add the greatest value given the amount of time you have budgeted for this work. It’s all about making (and critically having others help you make) the right trade-offs. Michael Porter famously said that “the essence of strategy is deciding what not to do.” That’s true, but the essence of execution is actually not doing what you decide not to do and this takes discipline.

What you need is a “funnel” into which flows the wide range of offers and opportunities you will have and out of which comes the focused, coherent, value-added set of activities in which you will engage. It’s your job to build the team that runs the funnel, and to provide them with the prioritization criteria that governs its workings. It’s their job (with some oversight by you) to make the prioritization and scheduling process run like a proven algorithm. ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

6. Share the load You shouldn’t be the only executive shaping the external environment for your organization. In addition to your support team, other members of the executive team (e.g., your General Counsel for government regulation, head of business development for potential acquisitions, CHRO for employment branding or CMO for key customer relationships) should help develop the external engagement strategy, leverage their networks to support it and have clear roles and responsibilities in its execution. You could also engage leaders at lower levels in the organization, especially facility-level leadership, to exert influence in their respective communities. In hospital systems, for example, each hospital is a substantial employer and customer embedded in a specific community. The leader of each hospital, therefore, has the potential to be an influential figure in that community. Thus, leaders at many levels can play valuable roles in helping to shape the external environment in which your company can thrive.

7. Create a robust system for supporting external-facing work Finally, it’s a tremendous help if everyone – including the involved executives and the external relations support team – uses the same concepts, terms and tools to guide this work. Identifying and understanding key stakeholders, for example, is an essential foundation for effectively shaping the external environment. There are good, simple-to-use tools available for mapping stakeholders and understanding networks of influence.

Likewise, there is a lexicon of common influence strategies, such as the use of sequencing (deciding the right order in which to have conversations with key stakeholders) to build alliances. It also makes sense to have a system for issue-tracking and management.

While it is important to have the right tools, the key is to have everyone, to the greatest extent possible, using the same ones. So, you should bring your support team to the table to evaluate which will be the best to use.

We are mindful that there are no guarantees in good governance. In healthcare, especially, we have learned over the years that what works in, say, Des Moines or Tacoma may produce different results in Trenton or Tampa. But by adopting this set of seven organizing principles, you will find it much easier to manage your time and be effective in shaping the external environment. In doing so, you and others on your team will be better able to make a lasting difference in your community and organization. After all, isn’t that what effective leadership is all about?

“Leaders at many levels can play valuable roles in helping to shape the external environment in which your company can thrive.”

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Courtesy of IMD Business School.

BIOGRAPHY

Michael D. Watkins is Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change at IMD. He has spent the last two decades working with leaders as they transition to new roles, build their teams and transform their organizations.

Dr. Watkins is author of the international bestseller The First 90 Days, Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, which The Economist recognized as "the on-boarding bible."

With more than 1,000,000 copies sold in English, and translations in 24 languages, The First 90 Days has become the classic reference for leaders in transition and a standard resource of leading change.

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n U niversity of North Alabama

n Greg Carnes n The Tree Council n Neil Courtis

n Claire Harbour-Lyell n Sherry Harriman

n Sophia Leong n Sara Lom n U niversity of Missouri-St. Louis

n Cathy DuBois

n IMD n INSEAD n J ack Welch Management Institute

IST OF CONTRIBUTORS

n U niversity of Ottawa (Telfer)

n George Marakas n Faye S. McIntyre n Don Mueth

n Ralf Schellhase n SBS Swiss Business School n E U Business School n University of the Sciences

n Antoine Tirard

n Ekin Pellegrini

n Darmstadt University n F lorida International University n Jacksonville University n Kennesaw State University n Kent State University n Nebrija University

n Michael D. Watkins n Georgia WebMBA n Bert Wolfs n Eugene A. Woods 72

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2019

AUSTRALIA’S #1 ONLINE MBA FOR ENTERPRISING LEADERS. Linked closely with industry and the professions, the UniSA Business School is proudly ranked in the top 1% worldwide1, rated 5-Stars for excellence2 and recognised as Australia’s Customer Service Organisation of the Year.3 Experience Australia’s No.1 online MBA4, which is also ranked No.6 globally and awarded 5-stars for excellence for 10 consecutive years.5 “The experience and knowledge gained from my MBA has enabled me to pursue new challenges and opportunities to progress in my career. The online delivery worked well as I frequently travel for work and could watch classes online at times that suited me - the flexibility was invaluable.”

unisa.edu.au/MBA

Business School

One of just nine institutions in Australia and 179 globally to be accredited by EQUIS (from over 16,500 worldwide). EFMD, February 2019. 22018 QS Stars Ratings.

1

ceomag.co.uk / Spring 3 2018 Customer Service2016 Institute of Australia Awards. 4CEO Magazine 2019 Global MBA Rankings. 5Graduate Management Association of Australia (GMAA).

3

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Ben Koschade (pictured), MBA Graduate and Lead Specialist Cardiac Physiologist.

T E L F E R S C H O O L O F M A N A G E M E N T U N I V E R S I T Y O F O T TA W A

Stephane Briand, EMBA 2016 Associate Vice President Great-West Life

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