With a global push underway to cut greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, business leaders are discovering that embracing net zero is not only good for the environment, but also good for business.
To help them on their journey, Columbia Business School's Executive Education Division recently launched its new Business and Climate: The Journey to Net Zero program, which offers an in-depth look at current climate change policy, green finance, and how to establish strategies to help drive an organization toward a net zero future.
The School's Executive Education division offers in-person and virtual short-term non-degree programs for professionals working in managerial and executive roles, as well as custom programs for various organizations looking to train larger numbers of employees.
We recently checked in with Pierre Yared, the MUTB Professor of International Business, senior vice dean for faculty affairs and vice dean for executive education at Columbia Business School, who shared his thoughts on the Executive Education department's priorities and goals for the coming year.
CBS: Tell us about the surge in demand you've seen over the past few months.
Pierre Yared: This is happening for a few reasons. First, many companies are facing pressure in terms of hiring or retaining employees so they are providing learning and development opportunities as an indirect way to compensate them. Companies are also interested in ensuring that employees who are promoted internally have the skills to do their new and bigger job.
A second reason for the significant growth in demand is that we have moved into an incredible new facility here in New York, and that creates an opportunity for individuals and corporations to come and visit us and to experience our programs.
CBS: What are your new programs?
Yared: There are several new programs that have come over the past few months. We have a very successful long-form hybrid program for current or future chief financial officers that involves some online elements and has portions that are in person here at our new Manhattanville campus. And we have another that's focused on venture capital and private equity that has been extremely successful and really speaks to the school's strength in finance — not just because of our faculty and our alumni, but also because of our location and ties to the New York City finance community.
CBS: What's in the works?
Yared: We have one program on the future of finance that's focused on topics such as blockchain, crypto, and fintech, and how those new technologies and digital transformation overall are changing the world of finance. And there's another on business analytics that looks at the data-driven techniques that are transforming modern businesses and organizations.
Our revamped Executive Development Program, which is our general management program for senior leaders, focuses on formulating business strategies in a rapidly changing world.
Every single one of our programs has both a content element where we showcase Columbia Business School's cutting-edge research and thought leadership, as well as an important leadership component where we help managers figure out how to appropriately build strategies and how to effectively lead their teams in achieving that strategy.
