Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/72038
EXECUTIVE Executive education is rapidly evolving to offer shorter, closer, and more focused programs that deliver real solutions to today's companies. BY TRICIA BISOUX xecutive education programs have long been the vehicle of choice for corporations that want to train their most promising talent. Dedi- cated, short-term courses are designed to help executives develop their individual skill sets and better understand the realities of their industries. But now that companies are operating in the shadow of a reces- sion, they want their investment in executive training to translate into tan- gible value for their organizations. Christine Poon, dean of The Ohio State University's Fisher College of Busi- ness in Columbus, has seen that transition firsthand. She came to the dean's office in 2009 at the height of the recession, after 30 years in the healthcare industry, including a post as worldwide chairwoman at Johnson & Johnson. During her time at Johnson & Johnson, she says, the company used exec ed to help broaden and diversify the skills of high-potential executives. "But if I were back in corporate America today," she adds, "I would also want them to be trained to deal with topics relevant to my company. That would be an added value." Business educators are hearing that sentiment from an increasing number of corporate leaders. With budgets tight and expectations high, employers want today's executive education programs to be faster, more customized, more local, and more accessible to their employees around the world. And they want more than better trained employees—they want their people to come back to work with solutions that have immediate and measurable ROI for their companies. 18 July/August 2012 BizEd DECISIONS E