Inbox: Developing global leaders

Encouraging New Zealand managers to “globalise” in order to improve the international growth potential of their businesses is the aim of pilot programme being developed by The University of Auckland Business School, in conjunction with business growth centre The ICEHOUSE and the United States-based Thunderbird School of Global Management.
The experiential Global Executive Leadership Programme, designed and delivered by the consortium, is being funded by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and comes in the wake of plenty of research showing that the management practices of this country’s manufacturers are “middling to average” by global standards. The programme, which is targeted at senior executives, owners and directors, aims to accelerate the learning process for globalising companies and improve their likelihood of success in overseas markets.
Last December, project team from Auckland Business School and The ICEHOUSE spent time at the Arizona campus of the Thunderbird School of Global Management, rated the best in the world for globally-focused executive education by the Wall Street Journal. During reciprocal visit to Auckland in February, the Thunderbird members of the design team met with Business School faculty and senior business leaders to share their insights into what it takes to be globally successful.
“The team continues to work closely on virtual basis to develop the groundbreaking programme, which is scheduled to launch in Auckland in August and which will involve visits to China and the US,” says Auckland Business School’s director of executive development Darren Levy.
“This Global Executive Leadership Programme has been designed from the ground up to ensure that it will have significant and measurable impact on participants and their businesses.” M