In a world of great challenges and unpredictable crises, corporations need to find a way to stay relevant, contribute to the good of the world and remain successful, self-sufficient and profitable, regardless of the amplitude and duration of the crises impact they experience. This concept is called Strategic Resilience and enables corporations with a specific set of hard as well as soft factors, to prepare for such impacts, on time. Sustainability is a major driver of resilience and contributer to solutions for an endangered planet, be it in environmental topics as well as in societies.

Contents

Currently, two major technological-ecological paradigm shifts are enfolding their almost unimaginable impact on our world in parallel and gaining on speed. These are the unfolding digital technologies as well as the changing climate and societies under pressure. Such paradigm shifts are known to change the structure of the economy and the society as we know it. The interesting thing about it is that we are living in times, when two such shifts are overlapping with all its opportunities for the brave and its turbulences for the hesitating. As if not challenging enough, we see that crisis of all kinds – be it health, geopolitical or economic such as broken supply chains and raw material shortages – are increasing in frequency and in amplitude of impact and often are not imaginable until they occur the day after. Crises are becoming a “new normal”.

These framework conditions will shape the ecosystems in which businesses operate as of now. Businesses therefore need to find a way to become resilient and self-sufficient regardless of such impacts to thrive profitably.

Together with our Corporate Partner Henkel Construcion, we will indulge into three real-life business cases centered around the topic of Sustainability. We will visit Henkel’s facilities, will be accompanied by Henkel’s managers and work in interactive sessions of knowhow input and practical disusssions on these cases. At the end, we will be presenting to Henkel’s leadership team.

Participants in this course will gain an insight into how businesses of the future need to be designed, in order to weather paradigm shifts and crises impacts as self-sufficient corporations with no need for external (government or other) funding or subsidies, thus keeping their independence. We will focus on the topic of Sustainability:

• Key trends impacting businesses of the future: web 3.0, generative AI, metaverse, sustainability, Gen Y,Z and Alpha, Digital Nomads and hybrid work, impact of social media, startups and unicorns
• Framework for Strategic Resilience and recent examples from world-leading corporations
• Framework for Sustainability: urgency for need of action, rating agencies’ role, design of a sustainability (ESG) strategy, ESG KPI table & target setting
• Deep dives on decarbonization and scopes 1, 2 and 3
• Elaboration and presentation of practical recommendations in a corporate setting

The course will take place from September 24^th to 27^th 2024 and requires physical attendance. The usual 80% rule applies. If you are missing more than 20% of class time, you cannot get a positive grade.

The detailed schedule is as follows:

• Tuesday, September 24^th:  8:30-16:30
• Wednesday, September 25^th: 8:30-16:30
• Thursday, September 26^th: 8:30-12:30 + 17:15-20:30 
• Friday, September 27^th: 8:30-13:30 + 18:30 - 22:00 Gala Dinner (Das Glashaus)

This course is driven by real business cases provided by Henkel Construction to empower participants to take a leading role in shaping the environment where they will be working.

For this reason, this course comprises the following learning methods.

• Real business cases from our Corporate Partner
• Short keynotes from corporate managers
• Know-how infusion by lecturer
• Preparatory reading assignments
• Preparatory questions for the cases
• Voluntary reflection interviews six months post-course

The assessment of participants will be divided amongst the following criteria:

• Individual interactive participation during the course: 15%
• Group business cases during the course: 30%
• Written two-pager with reflection on the course and further-reaching ideas on how to apply and develop the discussed topics, to be submitted after the course: 55%

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