As the CEO of Newsweek, Dev Pragad was looking to equip himself with the tools required to take his company to the next level and expand his own leadership skills. Dev found the Owner/President Management (OPM) program at HBS Executive Education to be the program to fit his needs. As the COVID-19 pandemic continued and OPM shifted to a virtual delivery, Dev realized there was no better time than the present to invest in his own professional development. Below, Dev shares his perspective on the virtual OPM program.
Although I've been an entrepreneur for the past 12 years, I was conscious of ways I could benefit from a formal business education. Being an owner and CEO puts you in a unique position. I wanted to top up my education in Engineering (Bachelors and PhD in Electrical Engineering) with an executive education program at a reputable institution that could meet my unique requirements.
Owner/President Management program at HBS promised to be an ideal fit for my needs. And in fact the OPM course went beyond my expectations in terms of the experience itself and the value-addition I was seeking.
I was disappointed at first to hear that the program would be virtual. But on reflection I realized the "intermission" created by the pandemic could be hugely productive if I used the time to invest in my own development as an executive. The trade-off was between gaining time by taking the virtual version versus losing time waiting for an in-person version. Time being the scarcest resource, I opted for the virtual version.
The reputation of HBS made the decision easier. I was confident that any HBS initiative would be executed at the highest level, and I was proved right. The virtual delivery was well beyond my expectations. The HBS Live Online Classroom was so impressive that I have to congratulate the team who created it. It was highly interactive, educational and engaging, and I often felt as if I was in the front row of a classroom.
The virtual version saved a significant amount of time. I have begun applying much of what I learned in Unit 1 at Newsweek and my executive team is enthusiastic and all-in. By the time in-person classes reopen, we will have already made key changes and real progress at Newsweek.
Fortunately, the schedule planned by HBS fit well with my home/work commitments. I had to devote substantial time outside the schedule for case studies and preparations. My wife was extremely supportive of me taking the course, and because I was at home rather than in Boston, I was still able to give time and attention to my kids. It was an intense 3-week period but was also one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.
We started the morning with the Virtual Living Group discussing the case studies of the day. It was the best peer-to-peer learning environment I've experienced. I wanted to attend these meetings well-prepared in order to contribute to the discussion and respond to my classmates' ideas and insights. We put healthy pressure on each other to be at the top of our game.
We had a networking event where we were encouraged to bring our families. It was a powerful way to build a strong bond among us. I now know my classmates and their families perhaps better than I would have done on campus. We often message each other to check in on everyone's families.
The pandemic is a challenging time, no question, but it brings new opportunities as well by providing time and space for work/home commitments and professional development. Even outside the pandemic, time is crucial; it may not be practical or possible for a senior executive to be away from work for a significant amount of time. The OPM virtual program comes as close as possible to an in-person learning experience. Having gone through the virtual offering and seeing first-hand the way it was organized by HBS, I can strongly recommend doing at least one unit of OPM virtually and completing the other units in person.
