Why are More International Managers Travelling to Canada for Executive Development?

Once Karin Gummerus made the decision to take some time out of her busy career to pursue management training, she embarked upon an extensive review of executive development providers with several important criteria in mind: she wanted to immerse herself in an intensive yet stimulating program that would allow ample time to explore key ideas in greater detail; the content had to be comprehensive, incorporating a wide array of relevant topics to her work; and she wanted a school with a proven track record.

For Gummerus, the Director of Competence Development for the Finnish Institute for International Trade (FINTRA), the obvious choice was Queen’s School of Business in Kingston, Canada, where she spent three weeks recently as a participant in Queen’s Executive Program. It didn’t disappoint: “The program delivered what was promised —and much more. This was an outstanding learning experience and a unique opportunity to focus on my own career goals, as well as [a chance to] deepen my understanding and perspective of key business areas.”

Gummerus is not alone in her experience as a European-bred executive who has traveled to Kingston to pursue executive development. In recent years, executives from the United States, Mexico, France, Germany, the U.K., Italy, Denmark, and Poland and as far afield as Hong Kong, Japan, and Kazakhstan have made the trip to Queen’s for management training. Gummerus’ experience is also indicative of Queen’s growing international reputation as a major player in the field of management education.

In recent years, the School has had impressive showings in such international rankings as BusinessWeek, which awarded Queen’s its coveted #1 ranking of non-U.S. business schools, and the U.K.’s Financial Times that has consistently named Queen’s among the best in the world for open-enrolment executive development.

It would seem that managers throughout the United States, Europe and Asia are just now beginning to realize what many Canadian managers have known for some time — that Queen’s is a world leader in executive education. Since its inception in 1981, Queen’s Executive Development Centre (QEDC) has welcomed more than 15,000 managers from more than 1,400 organizations. In Canada, two out of every three senior managers who attend a university-based executive development program come to Queen’s.

So to what does Tom Anger, the Executive Director of QEDC, attribute the school’s success? Says Tom Anger, “I think it’s the whole experience: the practical nature of the programs, the quality of the session leaders, the tremendous networking opportunities, and the level of customer service we’re able to offer our participants.”

According to Tom Anger, the relevance of the course material is the underlying strength of the programs’ structure. The curriculum centres on key business concepts and trends that are particularly applicable to the way business is conducted today. One manner in which Tom Anger has been able to ensure the relevancy of the content is to encourage managers themselves to take part in the development of the programs, an initiative known as Queen’s Custom Programs. As opposed to open-enrolment programs in which executives like Gummerus join managers from all walks of life to tackle a pre-selected line-up of topics, Queen’s Custom Programs — as the name suggests — are tailored to the specific training and development needs of an organization. Once the content has been determined, Queen’s applies the same program delivery standards used in its open-enrolment programs to the custom programs.

In recent years, Tom Anger notes, a growing number of companies outside North America have found Queen’s Custom Programs to be an effective means of addressing their specific organizational needs — such as the executive team of a Danish manufacturing company who travelled to Kingston to participate in a strategic planning session that had been developed for them.

Content aside, Queen’s is also flexible with regard to the location of the custom program. While organizations are invited to stage their program on Queen’s campus in Kingston, some companies elect to host the program at their own facilities, or at an off-site location of their choosing. Earlier this year, Queen’s collaborated with Collahuasi, a Chilean mining company, on a custom program that was delivered entirely on location in South America.

But it’s clear from speaking with Tom Anger he feels the school’s true competitive advantage is rooted in the level of service provided to participants. He says considerable emphasis has been placed on encouraging the visiting managers to look after their personal — as well their professional — well-being: “We encourage participants, while they’re with us, to develop a balanced lifestyle that they can employ upon their return to their organizations.” Participants stay at the Donald Gordon Conference Centre, a facility consistently ranked by Financial Times (UK) as one of the top ten executive education properties in the world. Among the highlights of the Centre is the fully restored, century-old Coach House Pub where participants and speakers alike often retire for the evening after a long day of discussion and debate.

Now back in her native Finland, Karin Gummerus is immersing herself in the competitive and challenging environment of international trade. Fondly recalling her time at Queen’s, Gummerus encourages other executives to consider the small Canadian school with the growing international reputation as a bona fide destination for executive development. “At Queen’s, you have time to reflect, share your experiences with fellow executives, and experience session leaders who will provide you with new ideas that will help you excel in management and become an effective leader.” And if Gummerus’ experience is any indication, it’s not surprising that Tom Anger and his staff have been welcoming more and more American and European managers to Kingston.