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| Beatrix Dart |
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Beatrix Dart is the academic director of the executive MBA programmes at Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, Canada. Her area of expertise is strategic management. She brings a wealth of information on the subject to Rotman, having spent six years as a strategy consultant for McKinsey & Co in countries like London , Zurich and Toronto . Within the broad strategy framework, she focuses her teaching on developing growth strategies for international companies. Aarti Kothari caught up with Dart on her recent visit to India to explore the management training opportunity here. Excerpts from an interview:
Aarti Kothari: In the past 6-8 months, I've met more than five deans from international business schools visiting India to explore the EMBA opportunity. Why is India so hot in this space suddenly?
Beatrix Dart: We've met many Indian business schools like the IIM and the ISB and senior representatives from several leading companies in the past 10 days. I think most executive training programmes here are a sharing of ideas, or a get-together of senior people but not really training. In fact, it is very difficult for very senior people to admit that they might need training. We met some Indian companies and asked them about training. They said their executives have been groomed over the years and don't really need it. This is very different from how executives think in the US and Europe . So I think the opportunity of offering good quality management training is huge here.
What are the Rotman EMBA programmes Indian managers can currently participate in?
The Rotman EMBA involves classroom hours and is suitable for locals and people who can fly in and out easily.
But the Omnium Global EMBA programme is fantastic. Four times in a year, we offer 3-week modules to the participants in different countries across the globe. The crowd is diverse. We have a GM from Thailand , a Brazilian consultant, a US not-for-profit executive, a Swiss CEO and so on. The only thing they all have in common is that they are all senior business people. So the networking opportunity offered by Omnium is beautiful.
We're definitely looking at tapping Indian candidates for this.
But what is it that you can teach someone who has been leading a company for many years?
Let me give you an example. I teach strategic management. One of my special areas is growth. We apply some growth diagnostics and frameworks to your (a participant's) company and see what your growth potential is. Just like a consultant would. And we do this for all participants. Then we take any one company and make all participants, all senior people who are running big businesses, share their views on it. Imagine the output.
It's one thing teaching undergraduates but a completely different ballgame standing before executives and teaching them to do things better. How do you get the right faculty?
You're not credible if you don't bring in your own business experience. So all our faculty members have some business experience. They may have previously been consultants or involved in business in other roles. So when they teach in class, they know what they're talking about.
You've been here for ten days now exploring the management training opportunity. What is your take-away from India ?
I've met many people here from big companies and the top Indian business schools. One thing is clear: their willingness to participate. Both the ISB and IIM-B have expressed their interest to partner with us.
Companies have shown keen interest in the Omnium Global EMBA. Companies have invited us to deliver ‘truly' customised programmes. For this we will need resources (people) in India who know what they are talking about. We've got a list of professors who have a good India understanding and passion. So it is possible.
Interestingly, there is a perception that Canada is a destination for undergraduate studies and that getting a Canadian visa is very difficult. But that's not true. I have it from the High Commissioner that if any Indian candidate wants a student visa to study at a respectable institute like the University of Toronto , they'll issue a visa without any reluctance.
Do you believe that the cost of an international EMBA is a daunting factor for Indian companies?
We charge $65,000 for the Omnium Global EMBA whereas our closest competitor, NYU Stern, which came up with a similar programme soon after us, charges $1,25,000. So I think we offer great value for money.
What are Rotman's areas of strength?
Many. But to list a few, integrative thinking and business design, corporate finance, healthcare management and human resource management.
Our faculty has been consulting with Indian companies for a long time—even the Indian Railways. I don't think we want to compete on marketing, accounting and finance because anybody can do that. We want to be niche. We will offer companies customised programmes and give them the answers they've been looking for.
In fact, as a result of this visit, this June we will deliver our first customised executive training programme to a corporate on business design.
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