Today's global business environment offers many exciting prospects for talented executives and ambitious organizations. To take full advantage of emerging opportunities in Greater China and beyond, businesses need exceptional leaders—forward-thinking executives who are skilled at strategy and ready to tackle challenges in the Chinese market, such as copycat competitors, labor costs, and other factors that can slow growth.

Taught in a series of modules offered in Boston and Shanghai, this China senior executive leadership program helps you become a stronger leader who can deliver value in a global context, drive new levels of innovation, and build accountable, high-performance organizations.

Summary

Key Benefits

Taught in both Chinese and English with simultaneous translation, this program is designed to strengthen the leadership capacity of growing companies. You will expand your ability to assess your business as a whole—to look outward and craft local, regional, and global strategies and to look inward and lead organizational changes that create value and drive performance. Developing these skills on the job can take years—but this program speeds the process by preparing you to contribute to corporate success on a more strategic and senior level.

Key Benefits

Gain new ability to think strategically, seize growth opportunities, and compete successfully both within the region and globally
Foster the innovations that will improve your organization's ability to deliver value to customers and build brand equity
Measure, monitor, and communicate corporate performance while driving critical change
Lead authentically and ethically at all levels and nurture a culture of accountability
Build confidence in yourself as a leader, decision-maker, and negotiator
Develop enduring bonds with accomplished peers who span functions, industries, and countries
Take advantage of resources for lifelong learning as a member of the global HBS alumni community

Who Should Attend

Senior executives, senior functional leaders, or general managers leading successful, established companies in Greater China who want to sharpen their management and leadership skills and are preparing to assume new responsibilities or drive growth initiatives. Additionally, executives planning to establish or expand presence within Greater China.

Who Should Attend

Participants typically represent growth-oriented organizations, including:

Large, established companies, either private or state-owned
Entrepreneurial ventures—either new companies or new ventures within established companies
Growing family businesses
Multinational firms with an increased presence in Greater China
Others whose business interests include success within the region or with a partner in the region
Nonprofit organizations
Government agencies, especially those working closely with the private sector

The program content is global in nature and applicable to the Chinese business environment. The program's location will naturally draw extensive participation from Greater China, affording valuable networking opportunities to participants from the region and to those from organizations initiating or expanding their presence in China.

Dive Deeper into the Experience

We Celebrate New Ways of Thinking. Are You Ready?

Thrive in a learning environment that welcomes diverse ideas and perspectives.

Inside the Classroom

See how exchange with faculty and peers yields new insights into critical business trends.

Discover more about business. And yourself.

Global perspectives > Leadership growth > Organizational impact.

An Exceptional Learning Experience

When you participate in an HBS Executive Education program, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your small learning group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.

An Exceptional Learning Experience

While in Boston, you will spend most of your time in an area of the HBS campus designed for Executive Education, with living quarters and amenities that maximize your comfort while facilitating small group discussions. Classrooms, supported by the latest technology, are designed to foster dynamic and fast-paced interactions among participants and faculty.

For the Shanghai modules, program sessions are held at the Harvard Center Shanghai, a state-of-the-art facility providing the same amphitheater-style classroom, technology support, and other amenities offered in Boston. You and your peers will reside in a nearby hotel

Alumni Status and Lifelong Learning

Upon completing the Senior Executive Leadership Program—China, you will become a lifetime member of the HBS alumni community—gaining exclusive access to our vast global alumni network and an array of resources that facilitate lifelong learning, growth, and success. Learn more.

Alumni Status and Lifelong Learning: Upon completing the Senior Executive Leadership Program—China, you will become a lifetime member of the HBS alumni community—gaining exclusive access to our vast global alumni network and an array of resources that facilitate lifelong learning, growth, and success. Learn more.

Admissions Criteria and Process

We admit candidates to specific sessions on a rolling, space-available basis, and encourage you to apply as early as possible. Although most programs have no formal educational requirements, admission is a selective process based on your professional achievement and organizational responsibilities.

The Application Process

We select applicants who embrace challenges, seek genuine personal and professional growth, and are ready to innovate—in themselves and in their organizations. The curious, open-minded executive who commits wholeheartedly to the program will find the Senior Executive Leadership Program—China to be a highly stimulating, rewarding—even life-changing—experience.To apply, submit the application, telling us about your experience, your organization, and your current responsibilities, goals, and challenges

Answering Your Questions

Our Program Advising team can help you at any stage of the admissions process—starting with identifying the program that best addresses your learning and development goals. Contact a program advisor via email or call 1.800.427.5577 (outside the U.S., call +1.617.495.6555).

Application Submission

We recommend that you apply as soon as you can, and at least four weeks before the program start date. You may use our online form or download an application. HBS maintains all application information in strict confidentiality. We acknowledge receipt of applications via email. In the unlikely event that you do not receive an acknowledgment, please email us at harvardchina@hbs.edu or call +86.138.1650.3936/+86.21.3852.3888.

Language

This program is taught in both English and Chinese with translation. Participants will preselect either Chinese or English for their classroom materials. When forming discussion groups, program administrators consider each executive's language capabilities to ensure an optimal exchange of ideas

Learning Commitment

Residency is required for each module—on campus for Boston modules and at the Harvard Center Shanghai for Shanghai modules. Your active participation in all classroom sessions, case discussions, and other program activities is essential, so you must be free of other responsibilities during the program. In addition, you must be able to set aside sufficient time for the individual strategy project between modules

Application Review

To optimize the learning experience and maximize the exchange of ideas, our Admissions Committee makes selections that balance each participant's experience, scope of current responsibilities, and type of organization. HBS seeks candidates who reflect a broad range of industries, functions, countries, and backgrounds. We review applications monthly and will contact you via email with the Admissions Committee's decision.

Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

The program fee covers tuition, books, case materials, accommodations, and most meals. No payment is necessary until you have been accepted. Payment is required prior to the program start date. If you need to cancel or defer participation, you must submit your request in writing more than 30 days before the start of the program to receive a full refund. Cancellations or deferrals received 14 to 30 days prior to the start of the program are subject to a fee of one-half of the program fee. Requests received within 14 days are subject to full payment.

Admissions Criteria and Process

The Application Process

Answering Your Questions

Application Submission

Language

Learning Commitment

Application Review

Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

What You Will Learn

The innovative and comprehensive curriculum of the Senior Executive Leadership Program—China focuses on the challenges of greatest concern to corporate leaders today—across China and the globe. Requiring just seven weeks away from the office over the course of seven months, the unique format maximizes learning and the development of a global perspective, while minimizing consecutive days away from home and work.

Four intensive learning modules—two in Boston and two in Shanghai—include faculty presentations, case discussions, guest speakers, professional coaching, skill-building exercises, and field-based learning. You will examine the practices of successful business leaders around the world and assess your own leadership approach. Between modules, you will work on an individual strategy project and sharpen your leadership skills. As you try out new approaches in your workplace, you will reflect on your experience, receive feedback from your boss and colleagues, and bring new insights back to the classroom.

What You Will Learn

Key AreasExpand All Collapse All

Module 1: Positioning your company for success Module 1: Positioning your company for success

Format: HBS Campus, Boston (1 week)

This first module expands your ability to consider your company as a whole in the context of the local, regional, and global business environments. Diving quickly into the case method of learning, you will gain new insights into leading organizational change.

Assessing the competition and boosting your firm's competitive edge
Creating differentiation through innovative products and brands
Transitioning from labor-cost advantage to premium products
Succeeding in a slower-growth environment by streamlining your organization and optimizing your supply chain
Recognizing and selecting the best opportunities in both developed and emerging markets
Evaluating your leadership style with guidance from faculty, peers, and your professional coach

Module 2: Creating a high-performance culture in your organization Module 2: Creating a high-performance culture in your organization

Format: Harvard Center Shanghai, Shanghai (2 weeks)

You will explore proven ways to create an innovation-driven, high-performance culture. This module will help you lead and manage your teams effectively to ensure alignment between business goals and company direction.

Mastering the essentials of finance for senior executives, including global investing, capital markets, and risk management
Creating corporate value by strengthening financial management
Managing the tensions among profit, growth, and control
Translating mission and strategy into a comprehensive set of performance targets and measures
Choosing organizational structures and management systems that promote high-performance cultures
Understanding the roles of the board of directors, capital market institutions, investors, and independent auditors
Creating and leading an innovative organization and taking advantage of disruptive technologies and open innovation

Module 3: Creating customer value and strategic advantage Module 3: Creating customer value and strategic advantage

Format: Harvard Center Shanghai, Shanghai (2 weeks)

You will explore the nature of market strategy and examine how companies build competitive advantage by focusing on specific markets and delivering what customers truly value. You also will work on a Value Mapping strategy project while continuing to work with your professional coach.

Rethinking brand strategy in light of changing markets and consumer behavior
Recognizing the new opportunities and challenges created by digital technology
Determining whether to operate locally, regionally, or globally—and how large your organization must be to thrive
Executing successful mergers and acquisitions and building effective partnerships
Formulating strategic objectives and implementing strategies to create competitive advantage and stakeholder value
Fostering a culture of customer centricity to optimize the customer experience
Identifying actionable market segments, implementing segment-specific strategies, and assessing customer lifetime value
Developing and leveraging advantage through service excellence and operational capabilities

Module 4: Becoming a transformational leader Module 4: Becoming a transformational leader

Format: HBS Campus, Boston (2 weeks)

You will explore how to improve your personal performance as a leader and how to manage yourself, your team, and your larger organization. Focusing on a key executive skill—negotiation—you will engage in hands-on exercises that improve your ability to drive optimal outcomes. As you pull program themes together, you will emerge better prepared to build an agile company that can sustain success.

Launching and managing products, product portfolios, and brands
Investing in talent and leading and managing teams
Examining how digital technologies and big data affect business models in all industries, enabling new value creation and value capture approaches
Closing deals and resolving disputes in a manner that creates value for all parties
Managing situations in which much of the real action takes place away from the negotiating table
Understanding and driving the changes that align your organization to achieve its strategic goals
Shaping innovation, learning, and change by cultivating your leadership style and behavior
Building ambidextrous organizations that can both innovate and execute strategy

Key Areas

Module 1: Positioning your company for success

Format: HBS Campus, Boston (1 week)

Assessing the competition and boosting your firm's competitive edge
Creating differentiation through innovative products and brands
Transitioning from labor-cost advantage to premium products
Succeeding in a slower-growth environment by streamlining your organization and optimizing your supply chain
Recognizing and selecting the best opportunities in both developed and emerging markets
Evaluating your leadership style with guidance from faculty, peers, and your professional coach

Module 2: Creating a high-performance culture in your organization

Format: Harvard Center Shanghai, Shanghai (2 weeks)

Mastering the essentials of finance for senior executives, including global investing, capital markets, and risk management
Creating corporate value by strengthening financial management
Managing the tensions among profit, growth, and control
Translating mission and strategy into a comprehensive set of performance targets and measures
Choosing organizational structures and management systems that promote high-performance cultures
Understanding the roles of the board of directors, capital market institutions, investors, and independent auditors
Creating and leading an innovative organization and taking advantage of disruptive technologies and open innovation

Module 3: Creating customer value and strategic advantage

Format: Harvard Center Shanghai, Shanghai (2 weeks)

Rethinking brand strategy in light of changing markets and consumer behavior
Recognizing the new opportunities and challenges created by digital technology
Determining whether to operate locally, regionally, or globally—and how large your organization must be to thrive
Executing successful mergers and acquisitions and building effective partnerships
Formulating strategic objectives and implementing strategies to create competitive advantage and stakeholder value
Fostering a culture of customer centricity to optimize the customer experience
Identifying actionable market segments, implementing segment-specific strategies, and assessing customer lifetime value
Developing and leveraging advantage through service excellence and operational capabilities

Module 4: Becoming a transformational leader

Format: HBS Campus, Boston (2 weeks)

Launching and managing products, product portfolios, and brands
Investing in talent and leading and managing teams
Examining how digital technologies and big data affect business models in all industries, enabling new value creation and value capture approaches
Closing deals and resolving disputes in a manner that creates value for all parties
Managing situations in which much of the real action takes place away from the negotiating table
Understanding and driving the changes that align your organization to achieve its strategic goals
Shaping innovation, learning, and change by cultivating your leadership style and behavior
Building ambidextrous organizations that can both innovate and execute strategy

Special Program FeaturesExpand All Collapse All

Living/learning group work Living/learning group work

A four-module program creates the opportunity to build close, trusting relationships with a small, diverse group of peer executives who can understand your challenges—but are not part of your organization. Throughout the program, you will work with a small group of peers who will stimulate your learning as you:

Absorb global insights by working with executives from different countries, cultures, and professional backgrounds
Share diverse perspectives as you discuss cases and assignments
Complete small-group exercises and projects as a team
Give and receive feedback and advice—personal and professional—in a safe environment

While on the HBS campus in Boston, you will share living quarters with your learning group, forging relationships that serve as a valuable source of peer feedback, support, and advice.

Professional coaching Professional coaching

Each living group works with a professional coach to optimize group dynamics and maximize the value of the group learning experience. In addition, your coach will work with you one-on-one to help you develop a personal leadership style that works for you.

Value mapping strategy project Value mapping strategy project

Throughout the program, you will work on an individual project that addresses a strategic challenge facing your organization. In the process, you will:

Utilize a powerful framework for analyzing the value of your offering or business line, considering value from the customer's perspective
Compare your own offering with those of competitors
Refine your competitive strategy and develop a short presentation based on feedback from faculty, peers, and your professional coach
Share your Value Mapping strategy with your organization and team, and develop an action plan for driving the changes that will improve value and sustain success

Special Program Features

Living/learning group work

Absorb global insights by working with executives from different countries, cultures, and professional backgrounds
Share diverse perspectives as you discuss cases and assignments
Complete small-group exercises and projects as a team
Give and receive feedback and advice—personal and professional—in a safe environment

While on the HBS campus in Boston, you will share living quarters with your learning group, forging relationships that serve as a valuable source of peer feedback, support, and advice.

Professional coaching

Value mapping strategy project

Throughout the program, you will work on an individual project that addresses a strategic challenge facing your organization. In the process, you will:

Utilize a powerful framework for analyzing the value of your offering or business line, considering value from the customer's perspective
Compare your own offering with those of competitors
Refine your competitive strategy and develop a short presentation based on feedback from faculty, peers, and your professional coach
Share your Value Mapping strategy with your organization and team, and develop an action plan for driving the changes that will improve value and sustain success

The HBS Advantage

The Senior Executive Leadership Program—China is developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.

Faculty Chair

Felix Oberholzer-Gee

Andreas Andresen Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Strategy

Senior Executive Leadership Program—China

"All the case studies have been very practical, revealing interesting strategies."

"All the case studies have been very practical, revealing interesting strategies."

"I learned to reset my mindset and treat each creative work as part of a holistic business strategy."

"I learned to reset my mindset and treat each creative work as part of a holistic business strategy."

"As far as I am concerned, it is never too late to learn a new skill or gain a new perspective."

"As far as I am concerned, it is never too late to learn a new skill or gain a new perspective."

Summary

Summary

Key Benefits

Who Should Attend

An Exceptional Learning Experience

Alumni Status and Lifelong Learning

Alumni Status and Lifelong Learning

Admissions Criteria and Process

The Application Process

Answering Your Questions

Application Submission

Language

Learning Commitment

Application Review

Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

The Application Process

Answering Your Questions

Application Submission

Language

Learning Commitment

Application Review

Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

What You Will Learn

What You Will Learn

Key AreasExpand AllCollapse All

Module 1: Positioning your company for successModule 1: Positioning your company for success Dropdown down

Module 2: Creating a high-performance culture in your organizationModule 2: Creating a high-performance culture in your organization Dropdown down

Module 3: Creating customer value and strategic advantageModule 3: Creating customer value and strategic advantage Dropdown down

Module 4: Becoming a transformational leaderModule 4: Becoming a transformational leader Dropdown down

Module 1: Positioning your company for success

Module 2: Creating a high-performance culture in your organization

Module 3: Creating customer value and strategic advantage

Module 4: Becoming a transformational leader

Special Program FeaturesExpand AllCollapse All

Living/learning group workLiving/learning group work Dropdown down

Professional coachingProfessional coaching Dropdown down

Value mapping strategy projectValue mapping strategy project Dropdown down

Living/learning group work

Professional coaching

Value mapping strategy project

The HBS Advantage

The HBS Advantage

Your Peers Expand Your Learning

Your Peers Expand Your Learning

Key AreasExpand All Collapse All

Module 1: Positioning your company for success Module 1: Positioning your company for success

Module 2: Creating a high-performance culture in your organization Module 2: Creating a high-performance culture in your organization

Module 3: Creating customer value and strategic advantage Module 3: Creating customer value and strategic advantage

Module 4: Becoming a transformational leader Module 4: Becoming a transformational leader

Special Program FeaturesExpand All Collapse All

Living/learning group work Living/learning group work

Professional coaching Professional coaching

Value mapping strategy project Value mapping strategy project