Extreme Executive Education World-class programs where executives can grow and strengthen their knowledge base and skill set
Photo courtesy of Stanford Graduate School of Business
by Anne Seebaldt
Vidalakis Dining Room at Schwab Residential Center at Stanford doubles as a classroom for out-of-the-box assignments in which participants roll up their sleeves and work in teams. Schwab annually houses more than 200 full-time students—primarily first-year MBAs. In summer, it exclusively houses Executive Education participants.
W
hether they’re located in the north, south, east or west, some of the country’s best business graduate schools are offering extreme
their companies drive corporate performance and sustain strategic advantage — even in an uncertain global economy.…”
HBS’ Executive Education Program includes a wide variety
executive education these days. The following article highlights
of leadership and management courses, incorporating vital topics
the top in Business Insider’s exclusive listing of the top full-time
ing, customer relations and employee relations. Relevant customer
the executive education offerings of 15 schools ranked among MBA programs in the world (excluding those not located in the United States).
Harvard Business School
An acknowledged leader in business, Harvard Business School’s
(HBS) Executive Education Program includes the Program for
Leadership Development, the General Management Program and the Advanced Management Program. David B. Yoffie, senior associ-
such as dealing with global markets, media management/market-
care courses currently being offered, according to Charlie Breckling, managing director, marketing, executive education, HBS, include “Building and Leading Customer-Centric Organizations” (sched-
uled to take place at the HBS campus in May 2011; it is also offered in Europe the following year). Another key program, offered on
campus this April, is “Achieving Breakthrough Service Driving Performance and Profitability.”
According to Yoffie’s written message, the program utilizes
ate dean, chair, executive education at Harvard Business School,
social media programs such as LinkedIn to allow executives who
Education Message: “From our main campus in Boston to our many
readily share what they learned from their experiences. Breckling
had this to say about the program in his written HBS Executive
venues around the world, we offer more than 60 open-enrollment programs designed to meet today’s global challenges…. Each inten-
sive offering is designed to develop visionary leaders who can help
have taken part in the program to not only keep in touch, but to also
said Harvard carefully studied social media networks before dipping its collective toe into the water in 2009. Today, he added, “We have a pretty broad social network.”
The key is giving those on their social media networks “informa-
tion they can use. Across all of our social media programs, what we’re
trying to do is to add value,” Breckling said. He acknowledged that
The University of Michigan Ross School of Business
two groups on LinkedIn. The first group, open by invitation only, is
School of Business Executive Education Center, “Leadership is a
between 11,000 and 12,000, said Breckling. “We provide them with
Titles include Positive Leadership: Leading Positive Change, the
designed for alumni and past participant groups; the numbers total
content...to keep them engaged as part of the community and to
allow them to network with each other,” he added. The “friends of ”
According to the website for The University of Michigan Ross
popular category of programs offered by Ross Executive Education. Emerging Leaders Program and Management of Managers.”
Melanie Weaver Barnett, chief executive of executive education
group, on the other hand, is open to anyone. Very similar to an alumni
for The University of Michigan Ross School of Business, said the
Harvard takes a more casual approach to what it places on
“I think all of the schools teach concepts and frameworks and best
group, it tends to provide more program information.
Facebook, and with more than 11,000 “likes” on its Facebook page, that aspect of its social media campaign continues
growing. Additionally, Harvard is making use of other Internet
outlets, including YouTube and Twitter. Video testimonials of participant experiences as well as “faculty-taught leadership” grace
YouTube — the total being somewhere between 50 and 60 videos
university sets its program apart from the rest by its methodology. practices and so on,” explained Barnett. “What we do differently at
Ross is a methodology we use called ‘action learning.’ It is really dif-
ficult to do it well, and we do it exceptionally well, because we’ve done more of it than any other school…. The topics may be similar. The differences are in the methodologies and outcome.”
Students come from all over the world for the school’s open-
and growing — with more than 21,000 views. Harvard’s Twitter
enrollment pro-
and programs as well as selected retweets of those who tweet about
could last from
page has approximately 4,000 followers and features links to articles Harvard’s programs.
Breckling is encouraged by Harvard’s exploration of social media.
“It’s a great way to engage with people, and people have been very responsive.”
grams,
which
one to four weeks. For
customized
programs, it might be several months to a year-long experience, but students don’t meet every day.
Regardless of the type of executive education program selected
Stanford Graduate School of Business
at Ross, the advantages participants gain include “better judgment
Stanford Graduate School of Business, had to give only one reason to
action learning process, they gain not just capabilities to get things
If Priya Singh, assistant dean, office of executive education,
choose Stanford for executive education, it would be simple. The biggest reason to come to Stanford is because of the people who teach there. “Program participants have a chance to interact with some of the world’s most influential faculty,” Singh said.
Stanford offers numerous one-week programs designed for exec-
utives, Singh said. “Most of our programs cater to higher-level man-
and thinking skills, greater capability to innovate, and, because of the done, but they get them done as part of the learning experience,” Barnett added. “We enable meaningful change in organizations.”
The school’s executive programs are also offered in Asia, includ-
ing an executive education office in Hong Kong that features a “whole slate of programs,” and a sales office in Pune, India.
“We’ve completed at the Ross school over 2,000 ‘action learn-
agement roles and senior-level leadership,” she explained. “Executive
ing’ projects in companies and nonprofit organizations around the
Singh added that “[Stanford’s] open-enrollment program port-
leadership, management and strategic human resource manage-
education programs are open to the general world of executives.”
folio is designed to equip senior executives with what we think they need — tools, networking relationships, etc. — which allows them
to perform at the highest levels in their management roles…,” said
Singh. “All of the Stanford executive [education] programs really prepare managers or leaders with the skills they need to positively
Spring 2011
find the right courses.
“content is kind in social media” and that Harvard’s graduate school publishing division makes a “great content partnership.” Harvard has
world…,” said Barnett. “We excel at teaching and learning around
ment. We do this in both customized and open-enrollment program settings.”
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Advanced Management Program, Executive Development
reshape their organizations.”
Program and Corporate Governance: Best Practices for Directors
rates an interactive program finder
the Aresty Institute of Executive Education, part of The Wharton
The school’s website incorpo-
34
(searchable by subject areas or management level) to make it easy to
are among the featured executive education programs listed for
Customer Care News
School of the University of Pennsylvania. The institute incorporates
Columbia Business School
strategy and leadership as well as programs that offer both customized
offers a number of open-enrollment courses in New York City. It’s
“We have programs geared toward senior leaders who scan the
ness needing continuing education. From the school’s website you can
individualized programs addressing various areas of management/ solutions and industry practices for businesses.
horizon for threats and opportunities,” states a welcome letter on the institute’s website from Jason Wingard, Ph.D., vice dean, executive education and adjunct professor of management. “We also cater to
middle managers who are moving into a broader management role for the first time. When you come here, you have the opportunity to work on your business challenges with the most published business school
The Columbia Business School Executive Education program
easy to find a course that suits the needs of you or anyone in your busisearch by date, program level, topic or title. One interesting program
offered from a customer-service perspective is Customer Centricity; it is taught in May and October on Columbia University’s New York
City campus. Custom programs are also available and are designed to help companies deal with challenges within their organizations.
faculty in the world.”
Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
MIT Sloan School of Management
offers jointly sponsored programs with numerous academic and busi-
program with a wide variety of open-enrollment choices for the busy
user-friendly program finder feature. It also offers custom programs
MIT Sloan School of Management offers an executive education
executive, who can take classes that last only two days or focus on
one of several executive certificates covering a range of management topics.
According to the school’s website, executives can “choose from
over 20 programs led by internationally renowned experts from MIT
Sloan School of Management and other MIT schools and research centers. Our-open enrollment programs are offered in three areas of
concentration, which address the business needs and goals of execu-
tives worldwide: Strategy and Innovation; Technology, Operations and Value Chain Management; and Management and Leadership.”
The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University
ness institutions around the world. The school’s website features a
for smaller as well as large companies; in addition, custom programs
can be designed to meet the diverse needs of government agencies and industry associations alike. The Executive Scholars Program helps to
bring focus to executive studies by allowing students to earn certificates in six key areas: financial management, general management, leadership and management, marketing and sales management, nonprofit management, and technology and operations. Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
Tuck Executive Education at Dartmouth features the same faculty
Degrees are also available through the MIT Sloan Fellows
members who teach the university’s MBA program. One of the key
MBA, a recent addition to the school’s programs. An interactive plan-
(TEP), a three-week, advanced management program; other programs
Program in Innovation & Global Leadership or the MIT Executive ning guide and planning calendar simplify getting information about available programs.
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business offers sev-
eral areas of executive education study: finance, general management,
open programs Tuck offers executives is the Tuck Executive Program
focus on leadership and strategy. Custom engagement programs, which feature a client-focused approach, are offered to help companies achieve goals and make stronger organizations. Yale School of Management
The Yale School of Management’s unique offerings in the world of
leadership/organizational behavior, marketing and sales, and strategy as
executive education include The Chief Executive Leadership Institute
offered in London, England, in the heart of the city’s financial district.
mingle to discuss real-life global business challenges. According to the
well as custom learning initiatives for your business. Coursework is also The theory behind these custom learning initiatives is spelled out
on the school’s web page: “The success of an enterprise requires effective use of human capital — the sum of the knowledge, attitude, and
competencies of people in an organization — and social capital, the
value of managers’ relationships within and beyond a firm. Our custom
learning initiatives help your staff understand both assets and leverage to which leadership generates commitment and mobilizes the creative energies of the workforce to achieve common goals.”
www.customercarenews.com
school’s website, the program is “The world’s first school for current
CEOs featuring applied research and peer-driven learning through
lively exchanges among the world’s top business leaders, influential
public policy officials, media opinion leaders, as well as the world’s foremost scholarly thought leaders, employing candid, confidential discussions of actual current global business leadership challenges and compelling societal concerns.”
Spring 2011
them to maximize your company’s organizational capital — the extent
(CELI). This program features special events at which top executives
Yale CEO College is designed for a smaller group of corporate
officers (12 to 15 on average), and is geared toward executives report-
35
ing to the CEO or top management team. You need not apply as this
brief, hands-on “college” is by invitation only. All attendees have either an MBA degree or equivalent experience.
New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business
Delhi, London, St. Petersburg and Shanghai.
Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management
Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management offers vari-
At New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business,
ous options and campuses where people can earn an MBA degree. One
school part-time every other Friday and Saturday. The course takes 22
it) combines a small number of intensive on-campus residences with
experienced executives can earn an Executive MBA degree by going to months to complete, and almost half the students in this program have already earned advanced degrees.
The University of California-Berkeley Haas School of
Business offers a variety of executive education courses in several
key areas, including leadership, sustainability, biotechnology, and management and strategy. By completing 17 program days (which can be a mixture of custom and open-enrollment
courses) satisfactorily in three years or less, students can earn an Executive Certificate of Excellence. From the school’s website, you
can search programs by either level of management or topic to find the best fit.
Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business offers prospective
students a number of executive education options, including the Advanced Management Program (AMP), the Duke Leadership
Program, the Dynamic Management program, and the Duke MBA— Weekend Executive program as well as custom education opportuni-
ties in conjunction with Duke Corporate Education (Duke CE).
Harvard Business School http://www.exed.hbs.edu/connect/Pages/default.aspx Office of Executive Education, Stanford Graduate School of Business http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/exed/ University of Michigan Ross School of Business Executive Education Center http://execed.bus.umich.edu/?gclid=COvA5sLx56YCFYnc4Aod1CFK0Q The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Aresty Institute of Executive Education http://executiveeducation.wharton.upenn.edu/open-enrollment/corporategovernance-programs/corporate-governance-program-for-directors.cfm MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Sloan Executive Education http://executive.mit.edu/ The University of Chicago Booth School of Business http://www.chicagoexec.net/ Columbia Business School Executive Education http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/exceed
a set of reading and written assignments done between the residences
and submitted electronically. “Call it learning at a distance, rather
Executive Education Programs, in an article on the program’s website, Learning at a Distance. Lynch further states in the article: “We believe
it brings together the best executive MBA training, organized around case analyses and class discussion, and the enhancements offered by distance learning technology and the Internet. The potential — and
actual — student audience is, quite literally, a worldwide one. As, these days, it needs to be.”
University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business
The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business offers a
month-long program this summer, The Executive Program, which
Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business
Executive Education Links
of the more innovative choices (and Purdue was one of the first to offer
than distance learning,” said Jerry Lynch, academic director, Krannert
University of California-Berkeley Haas School of Business
Spring 2011
Duke also offers programs outside the United States in Dubai, New
is designed to aid senior managers in increasing their expertise across
various business disciplines. The university also offers open-enrollment programs in several areas, including growth and leadership as well
as both general and advanced management. Students may also earn their choice of certificates in Management and Leadership as well as a
Distinguished Certificate in General Management or choose a custom program. CCN
Kellogg Executive Education Kellogg School of Management Northwestern University http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/execed.aspx Tuck Executive Education at Dartmouth http://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/exec/ Yale School of Management Executive Education http://mba.yale.edu/executive/index.shtml New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business http://www.stern.nyu.edu/AcademicPrograms/EMBA/index.htm University of California-Berkeley Haas School of Business http://executive.berkeley.edu/ Duke University Fuqua School of Business http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/programs/other_programs/executive_education/ Purdue University Krannert School of Management http://www.krannert.purdue.edu/programs/executive/home.asp University of Virginia Darden School of Business http://www.darden.virginia.edu/web/Executive-Education
36
Customer Care News