What executive education did for me

Featured Sponsor

Store	Link	Sample Product
UK Artful Impressions	Premiere Etsy Store

amy manning

American. Purple Pipeline (custom director development course), UNC: Kenan-Flagler; graduated 2022. Director of Engagement and Business Development Human Resources, FedEx, Tennessee

What advice would you give future executive education students?
Absolutely do it. I have an MBA so technically I understood what they talked about in the course, but there are still things you can learn.

For example, understanding the “five levels of listening.” I didn’t realize that I wasn’t listening to understand, I was listening to respond. I wasn’t really listening to what people are saying, I was just formulating an answer. It’s these soft skills that you need in leadership because you’re not doing the work as much – you’re helping to remove barriers to other people doing much of the work, so listening is key.

Programs like these allow you to shift and reshape your approach to leadership, because being a manager is so different from being a director, and the skills that I leaned on as a manager are so different than the skills I lean on now.

stefania ralph

Canadian. executive Program, Western College: Ivey; graduated in 2022. Chief Nursing Officer, Yukon Hospital Corporation, Canada

How do you use what you learned?
My lessons from this program have fundamentally affected everything I do. I think about the executive presence in every meeting and presentation; I use case study concepts to challenge myself to step back and take another perspective; I reach out to my new colleagues to get their thoughts on challenging issues; and I continue to take advantage of the training in the way I manage my team.

When I started the show, I was afraid that I didn’t belong. I was wondering if I could hold my own in a cohort of very impressive senior leaders, especially as a young woman with a nursing background. Instead of being an outsider, I found that I belonged, and at times, my skill set shone through. Knowing that I can rise to the challenge in this way has increased my confidence and my belief that I have what it takes to reach my goal of becoming a chief executive officer in healthcare.

The program has also opened my eyes to leadership possibilities in other industries.

jung min park

South Korean. Advanced innovative management program, kaist; graduated 2022. CEO, SK m&service, Seoul

Why did you choose this program?
Since I took over as CEO, our company has grown from a B2B company to one that also includes consumers. To persuade employees of the new direction and vision, and convince them of the need for change, he had to have confidence in digital transformation and data-driven decision making.

The Kaist program had several curricula for this. For example, I learned a lot about customer value innovation through data and gained insights on how to set up a data-driven digital marketing strategy.

The field visit to new industries was also impressive. We were able to vividly see the company’s strategy and status, and discuss problems and solutions. I thought it wouldn’t be helpful because it was a different area of ​​expertise, but as we worked together, we came up with solutions that we had never thought of before. The process of finding answers through colleagues was an important lesson that could not be learned anywhere else.

Begonya Melich Bonancia

Spanish. Program for the development of management, Esade; graduated 2022. Innovation and Sustainability Manager, Balfegó Grup, Spain

What is the most important lesson you learned in the course?
I learned that running a business is like a music band. Each one of the departments is an instrument that must be coordinated with the others, so that the music, the operation of the company, works in total harmony. It is so simple, but at the same time so complex. As part of this, the course helped me understand more about each instrument.

Often we are technically aware of other areas of the organization in which we work, but are unaware of the functional impact they have on other departments. These lessons have changed my point of view. Now I have a more strategic vision, both of my work and of the company as a whole. At the same time, it helped me change my perspective from area management to a more global management.

Kara Albek Tuba

Turkish. digital Leadership Program, Sabanci University; graduated 2022. Director of Talent and Learning at ING Türkiye, Istanbul

Why did you decide to study the executive program?
As digital transformation reshapes every industry, many companies are looking to take advantage of the opportunities it creates. ING wants to improve the experience of its employees and customers by improving digital processes and infrastructure. With this vision in mind, I took the digital leadership program to update my knowledge and understanding of best practices, contribute to digital projects in my company, and learn how to better use technologies in my own team.

I gained some important insights from the program, including understanding the latest technology and how it can be applied to solve business challenges, as well as how to develop a clear and effective digital strategy that aligns with company goals. I also learned how to use data and analytics to make informed business decisions.