Melbourne Business School News Melbourne Business School and Ken MacKenzie launch program for new CEOs

Melbourne Business School and Ken MacKenzie launch program for new CEOs

Melbourne Business School has launched an exclusive program for new CEOs looking to break serious ground.

The New CEO Program at Melbourne Business School

Designed in partnership with BHP Chairman and former Amcor CEO Ken MacKenzie, The New CEO Program is an invitation-only experience that will prepare leaders for life at the helm.

"Many people believe that becoming a CEO is the summit of a career. In reality, it is base camp. The biggest challenges of your career still lie ahead," Mr MacKenzie says.

"You are in a situation that only a few people experience in their lifetime. We have created an equally unique development experience, led by those who have walked in the same shoes."

Mr MacKenzie will present on the program alongside current and former CEOs of some of the world's biggest companies, such as Morgan Stanley, Bluescope, Coca Cola Amatil, HP Inc and Aristocrat Leisure.

A small group of new CEOs will be invited to participate in each session of the program, which will cover topics including establishing legitimacy and leading an organisation; elevating to a new level of strategic thinking; partnering with your board; marketing and media relations; and improving personal resilience and self-awareness.

The program was created to address an education gap for recently-appointed CEOs trying to navigate their unique position in public life.

One of the CEOs to participate in the first instalment of The New CEO Program was Tim Ford, CEO of Treasury Wines.

"The reason I went on the program was to take specific time to learn from others' experiences, both new and experienced CEOs," Mr Ford says.

"I was able to sense-check my focus and priorities both to date, six months into the role, and more importantly, over the next period.

"Asking for help and learning from other’s real-life experiences is one of the most powerful leadership traits to exhibit and it was an important takeaway from the program.

"I'll be implementing a revised and specifically-designed operating rhythm for my business that I picked up on the program. It will be to drive hyper-alignment, particularly with the executive leadership team – weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually."

The New CEO Program also features a world class faculty of subject matter experts including Stephen Miles, a leadership coach specialising in CEO succession, Roger Martin, a strategy advisor named the world's top management thinker in 2017, and board governance eminence Colin B Carter.

They will be joined by Melbourne Business School Professor Jill Klein, a globally-recognised expert on resilience and decision-making, who brings three decades of experience teaching business leaders around the world.

For more information, visit The New CEO Program page.

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