Executive Education
CEIBS, IESE and Harvard Join Forces in China

The new Global CEO Program for China is the first of its kind in China. Organized jointly by CEIBS, IESE and Harvard, the program is currently under way and includes the participation of CEOs and board members of many of China’s most successful companies. Prof. Jaume Ribera heads IESE’s participation in the initiative.

IESE has teamed up with the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) and Harvard Business School to offer the Global CEOs Program in China, a program aimed at successful Chinese business leaders.

The Global CEOs Program is the first program of its kind in China,” notes Liu Hobbs, director of executive education at CEIBS. “No other program offers this benefit - faculty from three top schools.” Sessions are held on the campuses of the three participating schools, giving participants invaluable first-hand knowledge of different business contexts, he said.

The program - which is currently underway with 34 participants - not only provides key management insights, it also encourages Chinese business leaders to avoid resting on their laurels, he says. China’s business leaders have achieved success - at least in part - due to the country’s unique economic situation, he says. “They cannot sleep on past successes.”

The new program addresses the business and management demands on CEOs in China today and focuses on the effects of country differences on decision making and organizational competitiveness. Participants not only broaden their business knowledge, but develop a strategic vision with concrete actionable ideas for their companies. Module one and two of the program took place in Shanghai on February 13-18, 2006 and March 20-25, 2006. Participants will travel to Barcelona to take part in module three at IESE (April 17-22, 2006) and then go to Boston for the final module at HBS, June 19-24, 2006. The program’s three co-directors are Prof. Jaume Ribera of IESE, Prof. Krishna Palepu of HBS and Prof. Zhang Weijiong of CEIBS.

High-Level Participants

“One of the most significant aspects of the program is the level of the participants,” said Prof. Ribera, who teaches on the faculties of both IESE and CEIBS. Prof. Ribera stresses that the educational needs of Chinese and those of European and American executives are different. “For that reason, the program is designed specifically for Chinese CEOs.”
The participants, he said, are extraordinary individuals, with very clear ideas. “They are benefiting from a type of program that a few years ago was not available. In this context, they are quite demanding.”

Liu Hobbs notes that prospective participants in the new Global CEOs program were carefully selected, based on their professional track record, leadership potential, commitment to learning and willingness to contribute openly and actively in a classroom environment.

To measure business success, factors were examined such as the company’s stock value, level of social responsibility and business continuity, he said. “Basically, we are aiming at the most successful entrepreneurs, and this is measured by China’s standards, which are quite big. The company has to be very, very successful.”

The CEOs or company board members who participate in the 5-month general management program must also place a premium on learning, he said. “They have to be very keen on learning, and have a very strong desire to gain new ideas. If not, it’s a waste of time.”

Class contribution is also an important dimension. Participants must be willing to reflect on their own successes and failures openly so that others in the group can draw from these experiences and apply lessons learned to their own situations. “If you do not participate, this is viewed as selfish, and does not benefit the class,” he said.

Participants develop a personal development plan, which emphasizes individual perceived strengths and weaknesses, he said. “At the very beginning of the program, we use self-assessment tools to help them identify areas where they need to improve. They have to ask questions like ‘who am I? and ‘how to others perceive me` Then they can locate “action points” for improvement.”

In addition to Prof. Ribera, other IESE faculty leading sessions are faculty members Eric Weber, José Luis Nueno, Juan Roure, Pedro Videla and Alfredo Pastor. Among Harvard’s faculty members include Richard Veitor, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Lynn Sharp Paine, Robert D. Austin, Warren McFarlan and Clayton M. Christensen. Professors from CEIBS are Willem Burgers, Katherine Xin, Ding Yuan, Wu Jinglian, Arthur Yeung and Xu Xiaonian.

Sessions are delivered in Chinese and English. According to Prof. Weber, who led sessions in the first module, the bilingual nature of the program was not problematic. “It was the first time that I had taught at CEIBS,” he explained, “and I have to say that the systems for simultaneous and sequential translation at the school were first rate. This allowed case discussions to flow without any problems.”

Prof. Weber also noted the high level of participants. “They are top-level business leaders with a tremendous drive to compete and convert their companies into reference points throughout the world, not just in China.”
Three Schools, One Goal

One of the key characteristics of the program is the participation of three distinct schools on three continents.

“It was a great experience,” said Weber.” In my opinion, it’s a great oppotunity for the faculty members of the three schools to organize a program in collaboration, taking into account the differences in the approaches of each school.”

Prof. Ribera, as well as Prof. Weber, pointed out that the Chinese managers have high expectations regarding the upcoming module in Barcelona. It will be, without a doubt, another exciting new experience.