The Oxford Advanced Management Programme is changing
Since its inception in 1983, the Oxford Advanced Management Programme (Oxford AMP) has attracted more than 1100 senior executives from over 80
countries worldwide. Board members, executives from private and public enterprises, government agencies, social organisations and business owners have been among those to have undertaken the
prestigious programme.
In 2008, a new version of the Oxford AMP will be launched by Dr Lalit Johri, the new Programme Director, to reflect emerging issues faced by its
participants and their organisations.
Dr Lalit Johri joined the Saïd Business School in 2007 to spearhead the research and development required to redesign the programme. ‘The Oxford
AMP is one of the flagship programmes of the Saïd Business School and has established a reputation for relevance, impact and excellence in the marketplace,’ comments Dr Johri. ‘The programme has
had many revisions over the years to ensure it was keeping pace with the latest thinking and with management education best-practices, but we wanted to initiate a more comprehensive and
thorough-going review of the programme to ensure it retains its leading position in the market, and continues to meet precisely the needs of its participants. Based on extensive market research
with past participants and some of our corporate partners in different parts of the world, we have redesigned the programme and it is now highly relevant for the environment in which
organisations are operating.’
Dr Jeff Sampler, one of the team of AMP tutors added: ‘We have been careful to retain the distinctive and much-valued features of the AMP such as
the individual tutoring which is such a characteristic of Oxford’s approach, the incredible international diversity of the participants and the public/private sector mix, whilst introducing a
range of innovations. The new programme focuses heavily on the issues and challenges facing CEOs and the task of visioning and steering organisations. We explore the notion of inspirational
leadership, using the insights of high-profile leaders who share their experiences of navigating extreme situations of physical and mental stress so we can work out how to face seemingly
impossible issues. We discuss the importance of using impactful communication with performance and voice professionals, utilising techniques from story telling and linking words and emotions. We
also work with senior executives on real life, real-time case studies to allow participants to put their learning into practice – with immediate feedback. This is a rich and innovative learning
experience for senior executives.’
Gay Haskins, Dean of Executive Education at Saïd commented: ‘We are delighted with the work that the AMP team has undertaken to redevelop this
well-regarded programme. We now have a vibrant and highly relevant AMP programme which incorporates the considerable experience of the past 25 years of working with the participants, but which
embraces the latest thinking in executive education, and thought leadership in business education, arising from the School’s strong focus on world-class research’.
The Oxford AMP is an intensive four week programme providing a compelling forum for participants to share views on how external and internal
pressures affect them as individuals and their organisations. In an intellectually stimulating environment, participants reflect on their executive experiences and explore ways to design and
implement innovative strategies and develop an action plan to enhance their leadership skills.
The programme focuses on four key areas of development; Global Insights; Organisational Challenges; The Leader in You; Creating Your Future.
These topics are explored through discussions, debates, role-plays, simulations, live case-studies, classroom sessions, guest speaker talks, company visits, individual tutored sessions and a
range of other distinctive approaches to learning. Participants work with a personal tutor in one-to-one sessions throughout the programme to assist the learning process and to support personal
and career development.
The Oxford AMP is well known for the wide geographical diversity of its participants and the range of experience they have, from the public and
private sectors, social organisations and civil services. Typically, in the past, 47% of participants have come from North America and Europe, 43% from all regions of Asia and Africa and 10% from
Australasia – learning about how managers navigate political and economic uncertainties; social trends and changing preferences of consumers; technological innovations and competitive pressures;
financial and investment risks; and the challenges in managing public-private partnerships including changing mindsets in civil services.
The new Oxford AMP experience has been recognised by Saudi Arabian businesses and governmental agencies as the best executive programme for
educating their senior corporate leaders and civil servants. From December 2008, the Oxford AMP will also be delivered in Saudi Arabia, alongside the twice yearly programme in Oxford.
www.sbs.ox.ac.uk
