Should CEOs require a formal qualification?

Lawyers, accountants & engineers must have formal qualifications, so why not CEOs?

This question is posed by The CEO Institute as they launch a unique program offering a Certified CEO status to help CEOs make a real bottom-line difference to their organisations. The CEO Institute has partnered with Mt Eliza Executive Education to create a Certified CEO Program that it hopes will become the gold standard for professional recognition of people who lead organisations across the Asia Pacific.

The CEO Institute’s Certified CEO (CCEO) Program has its first intake of CEOs from October this year.

Program director, Ms Esmé Alfred, said while The CEO Institute was not advocating that formal qualifications should be compulsory, there were clear advantages for those CEOs who do opt for formal accreditation.

“High quality accreditation boosts CEO self-confidence and capabilities. Combining accreditation with the CEO’s life experience can positively impact the success and sustainability of a business,” she said.

The CCEO Program’s first intake in October is expected to include current and newly appointed CEOs, as well as COOs and CFOs aspiring to the top office and other leaders identified by their organisations for future CEO roles.

“Many current and aspiring CEOs are time-poor and cost-conscious,” Ms Alfred said.

“Our Certified CEO Program is cost-effective and will run over 12-15 months, with a 17 day contact program that really provides leaders with today’s required skills, knowledge and background, as well as futures thinking.

“CCEO encourages strong reflection on a CEO’s own business, so they will come out of the program with professional and personal development and a plan for their business to shift strategies so that there is a real benefit to the bottom line,” she said.

The certification program is being promoted throughout Australia and Asia and aims to provide CEOs with a greater ability to actually lead rather than just manage.

Ms Alfred said if a CEO can take time out to invest in themselves, it confirms to the rest of the organisation that ongoing development is permitted, encouraged and valued.

“It offers a chance to step outside the day-to-day business and see the best big picture for that business. It’s an exciting partnership between Mt Eliza and The CEO Institute,” she said.

There are no formal entry requirements - proof of management influence, business performance and suitability to undertake the CCEO Program will be verified through an interview process with The CEO Institute and Mt Eliza Executive Education.

Benefits of CCEO Program

• Learn about world class best practice and 'next practice' to provide your organisation with clear vision and leadership;
• Discover how to challenge assumptions that you and organisations currently use and where these may break down;
• Build strategies and narratives that incorporate new ways of thinking and help your organisation move to where they want to be in the future;
• Build your organisation's capacity to sustainably grow market share, and
• Learn with and from peers as well as develop relationships which will last long beyond the end of the program.

“It gives CEOs the time and space to work on their business, and the ability to shape their organisation in an extraordinarily profitable and rewarding way,” Ms Alfred said.

Assessment
CEOs will be asked to apply learnings to their own organisation and employees. There are no exams or long written assignments - action projects applying the learnings to each CEO’s organisation will be assessed throughout the program.

About The CEO Institute
The CEO Institute was established in 1992 as a peer-to-peer membership organisation for chief executives, with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Its members meet regularly in small groups to share ideas, experiences and challenges to be exposed to leading edge business thinking.

Access to the diverse perspectives of their peers enhances members’ knowledge and expertise enabling them to lead their organisations more effectively. The CEO Institute is Australia’s leading network of business leaders.

Download the CCEO PROGRAM BROCHURE or APPLICATION FORM or visit www.ceo.com.au/cceo.html 

For more information contact:
Kathryn Britt, Cicero Communications
Ph 0414 661 616 
E kathryn@cicero.net.au.

March 2011