EPGP
International Immersion
Executive Leadership Program
In January 2012, 43 executive students from the Indian Graduate Program (EPGP), attended the executive leadership program (ELP) program in Pittsburgh, as a part of their MBA program.
The ELP program is offered by the Center for Executive Education (CEE) of the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. The program is now in its third year and began in 2010 as a two-week immersion. The students studied at the Katz Business School for seven weeks during Spring 1 with both Executive MBA and Full time MBA students.
Executive Leadership Program was an intense, seven-week immersion program that explored wide variety of topics such as creativity, mergers and acquisition, brand management, global business strategies, corporate social responsibility, leadership, entrepreneurship, consulting, innovation, derivatives & options, technology & e-commerce, international marketing, and more. It included faculty presentations, company tours, and talks by business leaders.
The participants had an opportunity to engage and interact with Tom Siegele, HR Director for the Americas, PPG Industries. Mr. Siegele presented a brief overview of PPG Industries. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PPG has manufacturing facilities and equity affiliates in more than 60 countries around the globe. PPG Industries is a leader in its markets; is a streamlined, efficient manufacturer; and operates on the leading edge of new technologies and solutions.
The company visit to PNC Bank exposed the participants to the wide range of products & services that the bank offers that is making banking easier, and more convenient. The participants were offered a tour of the lockboxes facilities of the bank. There was an overview of the Bank’s functions and solutions and services in the area of Checking, Online and Mobile Banking, Savings, Mortgages, Loans & Lines of Credit. The talk from the Bank’s officials covered areas of Investment and Wealth Management and Account services.
UPMC – Center for Connected Medicine Visit was an enriching experience for the Participants. UPMC is the World’s first collaborative health care executive briefing center with approximately $300B of partners. There are nearly 10,000 visitors from more than 45 countries across 5 continents. State-of-the-art facility designed to experience the impact of partner technology solutions. It serves international and domestic senior business and health care executives. The real-world solutions in practice today at UPMC have the capacity to change the landscape of health care on a global scale.
The program schedule included a visit to the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The participants were made aware of the sustainability and energy conservation features. This visit began with a tour of the recently installed “Tropical Forest India” conservatory. Richard V. Piacentini, Executive Director of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens addressed the participants on “Managing a Sustainable Institution”
Thomas L. Saaty , Distinguished University Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, enthralled the participants with his unique course on Creativity. As part of the course there was a competition on Creativity and the six EPGP participants won the awards for their creative projects.
In the last week of the international immersion program, the University organized a Farewell Closing Dinner for all the participants at Grand Course Hotel in Pittsburgh downtown area. Professors, assistant dean, director-operations and the executive MBA students of university of Pittsburgh attended the event.
The international immersion program has been rewarding experience. The participants have expressed their appreciation of the faculty, infrastructure, course outline and content and quality of the business leaders who spoke. The program gave participants many unusual insights and the students felt that it was an enriching experience. The participants were introduced to the local cultural and professional environment. The visits to companies in various industries were very helpful in getting firsthand local experience as well. The interaction and networking with the experienced Executive MBA students as well as the MBA students will be mutually beneficial in the professional careers going forward.