New Program in Executive Leadership at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management

TORONTO, June 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Offered by Canada's leading provider of executive education, a new program on Executive Leadership from the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management aims to help participants gain insights, knowledge and tools to become more effective leaders.

While the program provides five days of intensive in-class learning, it is designed to be a highly personalized, eight-month leadership journey. It includes webinars, pre and post 360 degree leadership assessments, executive coaching sessions and other post-program leadership development activities intended to reinforce, transfer and support learning to the workplace.

The program will be led by Jim Fisher, professor emeritus and former vice dean of the Rotman School, with decades of experience working with leaders in the consulting and packaged goods industry and Rose Patten, whose career in top leadership positions has spanned the four financial sectors in Canada and around the globe.

In a ranking published last month by the Financial Times, Rotman Executive Programs was ranked 15^th best in the world for open enrollment programs, including being the best in the world for quality of faculty teaching the programs and for new skills and learning.

Among the highlights in the program participants will apply the Rotman School's unique Integrative Thinking™ model to business challenges to make better executive decisions. The program will emphasize the importance and understanding of the critical interface between strategic challenges external to the organization as well as internal leadership and execution issues. On a personal level, the program will provide participants with the tools to recognize the impact of emotional self-awareness and empathy and how these qualities influence leadership capability.

"We have designed this program to not only educate participants but to change the way people think about and engage in the act of leadership. We are helping to build a skill. That requires time, practice and support," says Academic Director Jim Fisher.

Additional in-class sessions will be led by Rotman faculty including Prof. Stéphane Côté, Prof. Geoffrey Leonardelli and Jennifer Riel of the Rotman School's Desautels Centre for Integrative Thinking. Outgoing Rotman School Dean, Roger Martin, will also teach strategy in the inaugural program.

The first program will be offered in October 2013 with a second session offered in spring 2014.

Program details are online at www.rotmanexecutive.com/leadership.

Jim Fisher is professor emeritus and former vice dean at the Rotman School. He worked with McKinsey before founding The Canada Consulting Group, which became the Canadian office of Boston Consulting Group. He joined George Weston Limited in 1986 and served as Executive Vice President of Weston Foods, Chairman and President of William Neilson Limited and President of George Weston North American Bakeries. He is regularly voted "Teacher of the Year" by MBA student and teaches Strategy, Leadership and Organization Design in several Rotman programs.  Watch Prof. Fisher discuss leadership in this video.

Rose Patten is an Executive-in-Residence at the Rotman School. She is also a Special Advisor to the President and CEO of BMO Financial Group and is a senior member of the Bank's Management Committee. At the Rotman School she is working with students, advising on course design and engaging with faculty on research and is teaching in leadership and corporate governance programs.

Rotman Executive Programs is Canada's leading provider of executive education. Ranked #1 in the world by the Financial Times for new skills and learning and for faculty, Executive Programs at the Rotman School of Management is committed to delivering programs for individuals and custom programs for organizations which impact business leaders worldwide. With innovative programs based on Integrative Thinking™ and expertise in leadership, governance and finance Rotman Executive Programs empowers you to use your talents to maximum effect, transforming yourself, your organization and your community. For more information, visit www.rotmanexecutive.com.

The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto is redesigning business education for the 21st century with a curriculum based on Integrative Thinking. Located in the world's most diverse city, the Rotman School fosters a new way to think that enables the design of creative business solutions. The School is currently raising $200 million to ensure Canada has the world-class business school it deserves. For more information, visit www.rotman.utoronto.ca.

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SOURCE Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto