NEW YORK—October 3, 2012—Columbia Business School Executive Education announced the launch of its first online executive education program, as part of a larger initiative to place the School as an innovative leader in executive education online learning. The program, in partnership with the Institute for Personal Leadership (IPL), offers a wider community of business professionals the opportunity to experience executive education in a dynamic online format that provides an interactive learning experience much beyond traditional online education programs.The inaugural program, Personal Leadership Online, taught by Professor Hitendra Wadhwa, Columbia Business School’s director of e–learning and founder of the Institute for Personal Leadership, provides insights and tools to gain mastery over one’s goals, values, purpose, thoughts, emotions, beliefs, mindsets and motivations, so executives can operate at their best in all moments, become a more effective leader, build stronger relationships, and experience greater fulfillment at work and in life.“As Columbia Business School’s first venture into online executive education, we created this program and online format to substantially extend the reach of executive education programs within organizations and communities worldwide,” said Professor Wadhwa. “Our online platform delivers an experience never before seen in online learning in a way that keeps participants interested and engaged.”Personal Leadership Online is offered in two versions — the Essentials Edition and Executive Edition — running from 10 to 12 weeks and priced at $989 and $1899, respectively. The program guides participants through two to three modules of core lecture content per week, with each module consisting of 30 minutes or more in high–quality video. The compelling documentary–style video lectures — produced in partnership with former BBC executive Andrea Miller — take students outside the halls of Columbia Business School to the university’s campus and other New York landmarks.In addition to video lecture content, the participants are able to engage with faculty in several live sessions through the course of the program. Participants also interact with each other throughout the program through a number of structured online formats. A second online program, Driving Strategic Impact, will commence spring 2013. About Columbia Business SchoolLed by Dean Glenn Hubbard, the Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School is at the forefront of management education for a rapidly changing world. The school’s cutting–edge curriculum bridges academic theory and practice, equipping students with an entrepreneurial mindset to recognize and capture opportunity in a competitive business environment. Beyond academic rigor and teaching excellence, the school offers programs that are designed to give students practical experience making decisions in real–world environments. The school offers MBA and Executive MBA (EMBA) degrees, as well as non–degree Executive Education programs. For more information, visit www.gsb.columbia.edu.