By Nathaniel Luce
In a move that promises to reshape how MBA candidates are imbued with the competencies, skills and subtleties that comprise “leadership,” the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management and Korn/Ferry International have announced a partnership to provide Vanderbilt MBA students access to the same rigorous leadership assessment and ongoing professional-development training Korn/Ferry provides to C-Suite executives of the world’s top organizations.
The alliance, the first between the world’s preeminent talent-management firm and a graduate business school, will leverage each partner’s knowledge and experience to cultivate the most competent leaders for an evolving business world – and in the process, perhaps set a new model for career preparation that could extend across other higher education disciplines.
The new arrangement builds on Owen’s successful Leadership Development Program, one of only a few offered to students across the full two years of the MBA curriculum. Through partnerships that, in addition to Korn/Ferry, include Hogan Assessments and an Owen Coaching Network comprised of professional executive coaches, the program incorporates practices and tools used by the Fortune 500 to build the foundation for graduates’ lifelong leadership development.
“Leadership is critical for every level of every business today; while its mix of tangible and intangible elements can make it challenging to teach, it should be a part of a business curriculum just as finance or operations are, so students are ready to take the reins from the moment they graduate,” said Jim Bradford, Dean of the Owen School. “Korn/Ferry’s commitment to share its unequaled global expertise in executive leadership as part of our existing program confirms we’ve been on the right track. Vanderbilt MBA graduates – already cited by recruiters for their leadership – will now have a considerable edge in the competitive global job market due to training far beyond that available through any other business school.”
Working with the Korn/Ferry team and its proprietary executive-development tools enables a deeper, richer assessment of Vanderbilt MBA students’ proficiencies in 15 “competitive advantage” competencies. Selected from among nearly 70 used by Korn/Ferry, these 15 are hardest to develop yet are most likely to lead to high job performance and promotions to leadership positions. Each falls into “strategic,” “operating,” or “personal/interpersonal” categories; the assessment will focus real-work training experiences and ongoing professional development coaching so students hone and enhance these critical skills and are prepared to apply them in future career positions.
“Our partnership with the Owen School presents an unprecedented and exciting opportunity for Korn/Ferry to work with future business leaders at the earliest stages of their careers. By applying every tool at our disposal we can help give Vanderbilt MBA students a head start on navigating their futures and positioning themselves against measures currently in use at a corporate level,” said Robert McNabb, Executive Vice President, Korn/Ferry International.“We look forward to the possibilities ahead for our respective organizations and the global business community, as we will all benefit from the life’s work emerging executives who are well prepared to lead, no matter how challenging a business climate they face.”
Korn/Ferry International, with a presence throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, is a premier global provider of talent management solutions. Based in Los Angeles, the firm delivers an array of solutions that help clients to attract, develop, retain and sustain their talent. Visit www.kornferry.com for more information on the Korn/Ferry International family of companies, and www.kornferryinstitute.com for thought leadership, intellectual property and research.
Contact Person: Amy Wolf
Senior Public Affairs Officer
Vanderbilt University
Contact Phone: (615) 322-NEWS
Contact Email: amy.wolf@vanderbilt.edu
