Executive Transition Program

Succeed in the transition to general management responsibility

The Executive Transition Program (ETP) consists of three non-consecutive weeks of study and has been designed for experienced functional managers transitioning to an increased level of general management responsibility. Advancing to the next level of leadership implies the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as much as fundamental changes in behaviors and attitudes. We invite new and future general managers to participate in this intense learning and development intervention, which will help them to succeed at the next level and remain personally fulfilled.

General managers have to evaluate the potentially conflicting interests of the various functions. In order to decide each time which of these have priority, they have to go beyond functional jargon and be able to ask critical questions. Reflecting this necessity, ETP will start in module 1 (Core managerial competencies) by looking at the fundamentals of all major business functions. As a result, the program offers participants a solid understanding of both the language and the thought processes prevalent in the major functions (such as Operations, Marketing, Sales, HR, IT, Finance and Accounting).

In module 2 (General management perspectives), the focus of the program will turn to cross-functional aspects, that is, to the ways in which the functions discussed in module 1 interconnect. We will look at strategic aspects of running a business incl. digitalization, discuss the critical role of innovation incl. design thinking, evaluate relations between business and the non-market environment, and discuss the methods and rules general managers should follow when making decisions.

Every new set of responsibilities increases the number of stakeholders who need to be taken into account. Therefore, module 3 (Integrative leadership in action) will further broaden perspectives by looking at the role of communication, at leading yourself and others, change management, as well as business ethics and CSR. By being offered an opportunity to discuss personal leadership challenges with experienced faculty, professional coaches, and a diverse, experienced, and international group of participants from a broad range of functions and industries, participants will leave the program with clear ideas and plans for the businesses they are leading, as well as their future personal development. At the same time, this group of individuals will serve as a lasting peer network that can be leveraged beyond the duration of this program.

Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Management

Having completed the ETP you will receive the ESMT Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Management, a prestigious recognition of your professional development.

Scholarship Opportunities

To increase the number of female executives, ESMT awards 2 full-tuition scholarships and two ESMT/30% Club partial scholarships (value €11,450) for women in leadership positions. Exceptionally qualified and talented candidates might be eligible for the scholarships. Please get in contact with the ETP Program Director Urs Müller.

Key benefits

Participants will return to their organizations from this program feeling confident and ready to assume complex roles as general managers. They will be equipped with new capabilities, tools, and concepts, feel competent when leading others, and will be prepared to manage across national borders. In addition, ETP alumni will become members of the exclusive ETP Salon, which will give them access to the ever-growing group of executives who have completed the program.

Many of the ETP alumni highlighted the enormous benefit they were able to reap from the diversity of their classmates. Intensively interacting with peers from different organizations, functions, industries and countries helped them to broaden their horizon and to lead their areas of responsibility more successfully.

Key topics

The ETP offers a unique combination of residential modules with inter-modular activities. Spread over nine months, this intense learning experience will provide the powerful set of tools participants need to make the leap from a functional role to general management.

• Operations and Supply Chain
• Marketing
• Sales
• Finance and Accounting
• Human Resources
• IT Management
• Executive Transitions
• Corporate Strategy
• Competitive Strategy
• Strategic Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Digitalization
• Non-market Strategies: The Role of Lobbying, Politics, and Regulation
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Decision Making and Evidence-based Management
• Leaders, Leadership, and Followers
• Leading Change
• Business Ethics and CSR
• Status and Networks
• Executive Careers
• Leading and Reinventing Yourself
• Executive Communication