Proposal documents

Prepared by The Thunderbird School of Global Management

May 22, 2019

Project Proposal for The Oman IPA Center for Leadership Development

May 3, 2019

Dr. Firasat Khan

Lenco Project Manager

Oman OAPFD/IPA Project

Dear Dr. Khan,

It is with great enthusiasm that I submit this proposal for your consideration on behalf of the Thunderbird School of Global Management, a unit of Arizona State University’s Knowledge Enterprise. I hope that you will agree that Thunderbird, home to the world’s #1-ranked Master in Global Management, is the ideal partner for this highly anticipated project for the Sultanate of Oman’s Omani Authority Partnership Development benefiting Oman’s Institute of Public Administration (IPA).

We acknowledge the wonderful vision in place to shape the future of Oman by developing talented global managers to lead in key industries including tourism, logistics, retail, transportation, healthcare and education through the new Leadership Development Center. Lenco Armored Vehicles, through your expertise, has clearly shaped this request with thoughtful and inclusive guidelines.

It would be an honor for us to participate in shaping the comprehensive design of this initiative. We would be conscientiously aligned to the mission of the project and would design the program around a sustainable model that can be easily shaped for expansion in scope and content into the future as the flagship IPA Leadership Preparation Program and IPA Leadership Development Center.

Each of the identified industries, and more importantly, the entrepreneurial mindset that shapes leaders, are areas where Thunderbird brings deep expertise. We are looking to the future ourselves as we examine work in this highly tech-driven world where digital transformations are occurring rapidly. This requires a steady hand to navigate meaningful preparations that build ecosystems based on human talent that is communicative, entrepreneurial, visionary, transcendent, intuitive and intelligent.

We have prepared this proposal for you based on the details of the RFP, and in addition to the expertise of our Thunderbird faculty and practitioners, we have included the talents of our colleagues in the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. This is just one of the reasons that makes Thunderbird’s becoming part of Arizona State University, the number one most innovative university in the country, an exceptional metamorphosis bridging access for cross-sector learning.

Again, we thank you for this opportunity to prepare this proposal for your review. Thank you.

With regards,

Dr. Sanjeev Khagram Dean and Director General

Thunderbird School of Global Management

Table of Contents

4 Organizational Information

5 General Experience & Qualifications

7 Leadership Preparation Program

14 Leadership Development Center

15 Financial Proposal

18 Institutional References

23 Project Advisors and Subject Matter Experts

A Deeply Committed Aspiration & Collaboration Partner

For nearly 75 years, Thunderbird School of Global Management has produced leaders capable of tackling the world’s greatest challenges. This is largely due to our deeply collaborative and partner value-centered approach. As the world continues innovating and technology changes the way that we live and work, we’re thrilled by the prospect to work closely with you to develop nimble, ethical, global leaders who can seize the opportunities offered by the Fourth Industrial Revolution to create sustainable prosperity. Now a part of the Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise, Thunderbird brings the world’s #1-ranked Master’s In Management and renowned Professional and Executive Education offerings under the umbrella of the nation’s #1-ranked University for Innovation to offer unmatched innovation access, learning and development expertise scale, and global experience – with a singular focus on learner and partner success. We are thrilled by the prospect to work closely with you to catalyze a Leadership Center capable and worthy to reside at the center of a vibrant learning and development ecosystem – a tremendous benefit at home and a gold standard signal to the region and beyond. We respectfully submit this proposal for your consideration.

With regards,

B. Tom Hunsaker Associate Dean, Innovation

Thunderbird School of Global Management Lead Liaison for Lenco

Organizational Information

History

On April 8, 1946, Thunderbird School of Global Management (originally known as the American Institute for Foreign Trade [AIFT]) was chartered on the Glendale, Arizona World War II airbase, Thunderbird Field, where pilots from around the world came for training during wartime. General Barton Kyle Yount obtained the airfield with the express purpose of developing a school focused exclusively on international trade and global relations. General Yount was named Thunderbird’s first president, and established a vision for the school that remains today—built on the phrase coined by original faculty member Dr. William Lytle Schurz, “Borders frequented by trade seldom need soldiers.” With that, Thunderbird’s mission to “educate global leaders who create sustainable prosperity worldwide” was born.

As AIFT, Thunderbird became the first-ever higher-education institution to focus exclusively on international management by concentrating curriculum on cross-cultural communication, regional business studies and hands-on, real-world training in global business nuances. Thunderbird continues to deliver global management education in this same fashion today, with world-renowned faculty who have extensive practitioner and consultant experience in all facets of international business.

Joining the Nation’s Most Innovative Public University

In 2014, Thunderbird became an independent unit of the Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise, combining Thunderbird’s multi-decade heritage of developing global business leaders with ASU’s expansive resources, and in 2018 relocated to ASU’s vibrant Downtown Phoenix, Arizona campus. The move brought the world’s #1-ranked master’s in management under the umbrella of the nation’s #1-ranked school for innovation.

Today

With nearly 75 years of experience developing holistic leaders ready to tackle the world’s greatest challenges, Thunderbird is the ideal partner for this highly anticipated project for the Sultanate of Oman’s Omani Authority Partnership Development benefitting Oman’s Institute of Public Administration (IPA). The comprehensive nature of the creation and development of a leadership preparation program and a leadership development center for the Institute of Public Administration is essential to preparing for the unprecedented growth and opportunities that lie ahead.

Thunderbird has been one of the top-ranked international management schools for decades and continues to produce leaders capable of tackling the world’s greatest challenges. As the world continues innovating and the technology changes of the 4th Industrial Revolution alter the way we live and work, Thunderbird is developing nimble, ethical, global leaders who are equipped to develop sustainable businesses, economies, cultures and environments around the world for the 21st century.

General Experience

Lead Affiliate Liaison for Lenco

Dr. Tom Hunsaker tom.hunsaker@thunderbird.asu.edu

PHONE +1 (602) 496-7072

FAX +1 (602) 496-7109

Mailing address: Mail Code 2521

400 E. Van Buren Street, Suite 900 Phoenix, Arizona 85004

Technologies are reshaping individual lives, transforming business processes, changing societal dynamics, and influencing government policies. The effects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are both substantial and unpredictable – and they will impact businesses, lives and environments. These changes require a revitalized brand of global leader.

As part of the merger with ASU, Thunderbird transformed its MBA program into an innovative Master of Global Management (MGM), which was ranked #1 by the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education for 2019. Students now choose from 15 concentration opportunities and benefit from the combination of Thunderbird’s rich history of training global leaders in skills like cross-cultural management, crosslanguage communication, and cross-border negotiation and ASU’s rich history of innovation in disciplines from bio design to journalism, space science to humanities. The degree portfolio also includes the prestigious Executive Master of Global Leadership & Strategy, the Online Master of Applied Leadership & Management and two bachelor’s degrees: the Bachelor of Global Management and the Bachelor of Science in International Trade.

Thunderbird also continues to lead the way in Executive Education delivering world-class global enterprise and leadership success development through open programs for individuals seeking career development opportunities and custom programs for global organizations looking for individualized development solutions for their unique challenges. Ranked among the world’s best executive education programs, Thunderbird’s product offerings have expanded over the years to include a robust selection of online executive certificate programs, international consortia programs, executive coaching, and more. As part of the merger, all executive education programs delivered across the ASU enterprise will be consolidated under Thunderbird, broadening the portfolio and its global reach.

Thunderbird is the first-ever higher-education institution to focus exclusively on international management by concentrating curriculum on cross-cultural communication, regional business studies and hands-on, real-world training in global business nuances. The school has often been called a “mini-United Nations” because of its diverse and inclusive global student body. Thunderbird is also known worldwide for its vast and engaged alumni network of more than 45,000 individuals in nearly 150 nations around the globe. Thunderbird has more than 170 alumni chapters that meet regularly in 70 countries. Thunderbird’s global

footprint is expanding as well with operating hubs in Geneva, Switzerland, Moscow, Russia, Dubai, UAE, Tokyo, Japan, Nairobi, Kenya, Washington D. C., Los Angeles, California, Shanghai, China and Seoul, Korea. The School has plans to expand to twenty global hubs by 2025.

Additionally, we collaborate with many of the schools and colleges at Arizona State University and for this particular project, we will enlist the participation of the Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions.

The Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions is made up of four schools and more than 20 research centers—all with a shared goal of advancing research and discovery of public value, and furthering the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities that they serve. The degree programs cover the spectrum of public service. The research addresses challenges that affect communities both locally and globally. They bring creativity, systems-level thinking and entrepreneurial spirit to their mission of creating, sustaining and promoting dynamic, prosperous communities.

Public service is a cornerstone of their academic programs, research endeavors and student experiences. They bring a spirit of experimentation and systems-level thinking to the shared challenge of creating and maintaining public goods. Their research is use-inspired, integrating the theoretical and the applied approaches to find solutions to complex issues of urban living and governance.

With the 4th Industrial Revolution underway, Thunderbird is developing nimble, ethical, global leaders who are equipped to craft sustainable businesses, economies, cultures and environments around the world for the 21st century.

Thunderbird Global Innovation Hubs

Existing Hubs

• Moscow

• Geneva

• Dubai

• Tokyo

• Seoul

• Washington DC

• Los Angeles

• Nairobi

Future Hubs

• Sydney

• London

• Ho Chi Minh

• Shanghai (Pending)

• Jakarta

• Mexico City

• Toronto

• São Paolo

• Silicon Valley

• Berlin

• Istanbul

• Mumbai

• Cape Town

Leadership Preparation Program

We are enthusiastic about this opportunity to collaborate with Sultanate of Oman’s Omani Authority Partnership Development benefiting Oman’s Institute of Public Administration (IPA). It would be an honor for us to participate in shaping the comprehensive design of this initiative. We would be conscientiously aligned to your vison for the project and would design the program and the business plan around a sustainable model that can be easily shaped for expansion in scope and content – and scale into the future as the flagship IPA Leadership Preparation Program (LPP) and IPA Leadership Development Center (LDC). We respect and appreciate the commitment to this process that will focus on the individuals involved as well as taking into consideration their cross-sectorial background.

Thunderbird’s expertise includes professional development programs designed to challenge future leaders to think and manage more effectively in a constantly evolving and turbulent international world. The unparalleled curriculum, the distinguished faculty and the diverse cultural and professional networking opportunities combine to create an ideal learning experience.

For businesses and governments to be among the best in the world it has been identified that entrepreneurship plays a key role in unlocking the potential in individuals that enables them to be a driving force within their organizations – leaders – who will shape economic development. For many, the entrepreneurial culture has not been introduced in schools, universities or the workplace previously and it has become clear that in order for talent to grow an often-overlooked cohort within the workforce must be cultivated - middle managers. As IPA has accurately identified, this is a particularly crucial demographic. Thunderbird is expressly experienced to partner with IPA in identifying the individuals to participate in this opportunity as they will become the inaugural cohort for this innovative Leadership Preparation Program.

In order for the LPP to be most meaningful it is essential to examine and understand the development needs of the local culture and environment. By doing so, the community persona is embedded into the

offerings ensuring that an authentic representation of the program is representative of the local challenges and development needs. These observations can be drawn from local case studies and through interactions with the partnership with IPA. It is also important that the content experts presenting these programs be experienced with the local culture as the nuanced nature of communications must be represented. Additionally, as the duality of language plays a key role, the courses will be offered in English (with Arabic translation of content made available) in the new IPA facility in Muscat, Oman.

The initial rollout of the Leadership Preparation Program is envisioned to consist of two groups, of up to 30 participants each, who will either be current middle managers or those positioned for promotion in the near future. Participants will be selected by combining the best from general psychometric standards with a collaboratively informed, locally relevant standard for key leadership potential indicators, including social, psychological, and intellectual capital, enterprising orientation, collective collaboration will, and curiosity for new discovery. Through the LPP these individuals will develop a mindset that shapes leadership through creativity, responsibility, innovation, and excellence, and will sharpen their abilities to think through problems in order to plan effective solutions.

The development areas that IPA identified are parallel to the skills cultivation aligned with the Global Mindset approach and its importance to managers in cross-cultural, cross-competency roles. The Global Mindset takes into consideration the profiles of the participants. As global business is the norm, learning how the cultures of diverse countries and the diversity of communication styles in those cultures will have an impact is essential to be ‘globe smart’ in order to build a dynamic and trust-centered working culture.

Identifying competencies for middle managers will be integral to the process. The skills, abilities and knowledge that the candidates will need in order to excel in their respective and new positions must be mapped in order to identify the current strengths and the observed weaknesses, thus creating an inventory assessment within the cohort. This will allow the program to specifically address the areas of need. The LPP design then becomes a relevant tool based on authentic deliverables that will build and enhance the individuals’ personal levels exponentially. Each of the identified development areas and the current identified challenges will be woven into the learning modules, and their respective relevancies will align with the module formats.

The Key Management Competencies (KMCs) identified in the RFP clearly address the scope and depth of program goals and will be important in the planning phase in consultation with IPA to be finalized by Lenco. As each module is developed and refined these will include in Module 1 Unit 1A, Overview and Organizational Competencies, an introduction and overview that explores the role of public administration and management from various perspectives: the public, the private sector, and the government as well as the leadership and management objectives.

Module 1 | Unit 1B

In Module 1 Unit 1B, this teaching module aims to develop and refine participants’ abilities to manage employees and work units in a strategic way, including using performance information, metrics and data to set goals, evaluate individual and team performance, ensure organizational learning, and collect systematic feedback for self-improvement. The module combines science-based introductions to strategic performance management, goal-setting theory, pay-for-performance, and organizational learning systems with active learning exercises that immerse participants in simulated experiences of how to strategically manage for better results and develop organization capabilities.

Key Mapped Competencies:

• Strategic Orientation

• Results Orientation

• Developing Organization Capabilities

Survey of content:

• Goal setting and vision building

• Goal conflicts, stakeholders, and ambiguity

• Performance information and metrics

• Performance evaluations

• Contingent reward and extrinsic motivation

• Organizational learning

Active Learning Components:

• Goal setting and stakeholder exercise based on local Omani case

• Selecting good performance metrics

• Pay for performance team project – role-playing exercise

• Performance evaluation exercises based on local Omani case

Module 2 | Unit 2A

The proposed content for Module 2, Unit 2A represents a teaching module that aims to enhance participants’ personal leadership competencies. This includes active reflection and identification of areas for development. This module explores topics such as leadership and personality, biases in self-assessments and decision-making, and motivations for working in the public sector. Finally, the module also covers various aspects of leadership in and of teams. The module combines science-based introductions to leadership trait

theory, work motivation theories, heuristics and biases, and team leadership with active learning exercises that immerse participants in simulated experiences of how to ensure inclusiveness and collaboration when leading teams.

Key Mapped Competencies:

• Inclusiveness

• Collaboration and Influence

• Team Leadership

Survey of content:

• Motivations for working in the public sector: Extrinsic, intrinsic and prosocial

• Bias and heuristics in evaluations and decision making

• 360-degree feedback and self-other agreement

• Leadership and personality

• Leadership in teams

Active learning components:

• Work motivation exercise based on local Omani case

• Biases in decision-making based on local Omani case – role-playing exercise

• 360-degree feedback reports – personalized to participants as vehicle for identifying areas of selfdevelopment – basis for building “leadership action plan”.

• Personality assessments and leadership mapping exercise

• Role-playing exercise to illustrate do’s and don’ts of team leadership

Module 2 | Unit 2B

Further, the content for Description of proposed content for Module 2, Unit 2B will focus on enhancing and refining participants’ written and verbal communication skills. Participants will be introduced to and work with communication tactics that have proven to be useful tools for conveying inspiration and motivation around an organizational mission. Effective communication is a key leadership skill, and this module will develop participants’ abilities to craft messages – both verbal and written – that instill motivation in their followers and arouse commitment to the mission of their organization. This module takes participants through a series of active learning activities designed to provide participants with opportunities to practice effective communication, receive verbal and video feedback, and to be inspired by their peers.

Key Mapped Competencies:

• Effective communication

• Charismatic communication tactics

Survey of content:

• Vision and values

• Charismatic and transformational leadership

• Rhetorical techniques and charismatic leadership tactics

• Verbal and nonverbal communication cues

• Media-richness and selection of media

Active learning components:

• Crafting leadership speech using charismatic leadership tactics

• Enacting leadership speech in groups and individually

• Instructor and peer feedback using pre-and post-video recordings

• Selecting the right media for different messages – case exercise based on local Omani scenarios

Module 3

Module 3, that addresses change management and the business perspective. Unit 3A and Unit 3B examines the influences that cause change and the skills needed to leverage decision-making abilities to capture and manage that momentum and business perspectives and inter-sector expectations.

Technologies are reshaping individual lives, transforming business processes, changing societal dynamics, and influencing government policies. The effects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are both substantial and unpredictable–and they will impact businesses, lives and environments. These changes require a revitalized brand of global leader.

Key Mapped Competencies:

• Future work activities will require social and emotional skills

• Advanced cognitive capabilities, including high-level logical reasoning – capabilities that are required today for only a limited number of jobs.

Survey of content:

• This will be a challenge for education, training, and skills assessment models, which currently do not always emphasize soft skills such as social and emotional reasoning and sensing.

• These are skill sets that are developed through the various Thunderbird methodologies.

• To be among the best in the world of business, leading identifiers include innovation, entrepreneurship and R&D indicators.

Active learning components:

• More work activities will require social and emotional skills and advanced cognitive capabilities, such as high-level logical reasoning – capabilities that are required today for only a limited number of jobs.

• This will be a challenge for education, training, and skills assessment models, which currently do not always emphasize soft skills such as social and emotional reasoning and sensing.

• Participants will role play interactions between public/private sector clients.

• Public and private sectors are compared and contrasted.

Module 4

Cross-sector Engagement and Capstone

Unit 4A – Cross-sector Visits and Interviews will be central to this closing phase of the training as students used applied learning methodologies to demonstrate competency. As participants are introduced to public sector agencies, they will also engage in a mock inter-agency exercise that illustrates and clarifies effective responsiveness and cooperation.

Unit 4B – LPP Capstone – As the title suggests, this is the moment for the students to bring together all the various modules in the program. Team activities will be implemented in order for the student to experience simulation in a more realistic manner by taking on roles of other agencies in the public sector. This active learning style is most effective and ensures that these skills are retained and applied as these participants move into new roles.

Summary: The overarching goal of this Leadership Preparation Program is to present a comprehensive array of coursework that endeavors to both train the students and to prepare them to be future trainers as they will lead by example. The middle manager is an extremely valuable human resource and the time and investment to cultivate their talents is vital to be able to source talent for the future of the various sectors where they will work and develop into successful lead managers moving forward. As any strong program, the LPP will be systematically refined to examine the skills, abilities and knowledge that the candidates will need to thrive in these leadership roles. The key pillars outlined in this RFP for the Leadership Preparation Program are the core elements needed to establish this flagship program. The most outstanding feature will be the development of experienced Omani trainers at the end of the project.

The Thunderbird team will diligently monitor all program completion requirements established jointly with the client. Our dedicated program staff will provide regular updates capturing group learning progress via appropriate measurement criteria and capture tools. Representative examples may include progress and completion reports, periodic updates or assessments administered at a certain program interval. Upon completion of all program requirements, Thunderbird will issue a certificate of completion to each program participant who successfully met the mutually-agreed on criteria.

A New Kind of Enterprise Leader

Leadership Development Center Future Ready and Built to Last

This collaboration envisions nothing short of a world-class leadership development center with the physical, intellectual, and network attributes to anchor a vibrant learning ecosystem locally and to be an aspirational model regionally – and beyond. With this objective in mind, lockstep collaboration and beneficial knowledge, capacity, and tailored intellectual property transfer have been considered for each element of the partnership. Mindful and locally adapted selection tools and efforts, outcome centered and state-of-the art action learning approaches enriched by leading expert supported integrated learning journey pathways, world-class faculty and facilitators, meaningful and repeatable pre and post evaluation, and follow-on webinar offerings to refresh and further embed learnings highlight some key elements of the participant experience.

In parallel, selected trainers not only engage through active observation and involvement during the learning journey delivery, but they receive direct coaching to ensure delivery acumen and confidence, facilitation and action learning sessions are filmed and compiled to serve as a living laboratory repository and onboarding resource, use-case materials and simulations are packaged for ongoing use, and the intellectual property developed and utilized is made available for use into perpetuity. In short, great care is given to consider “future ready and built to last” benefit at every turn.

Financial Proposal

Service Price in USD

Component One: Leadership Preparation Program

• Designing the program

• Developing local trainers

• Delivering two cohorts of 30 participants each in 4 modules over 16-20 days; pending final design

• Redesign and Translation

Component Two: IPA’s Leadership Development Center

• Developing the center’s business plan

• Implementing year 1 of business plan

• 5-Year Licensing Agreement

NOTES:

• Payment inline with Delivery

• Delivery in English language

• Price excludes venue, catering and participant travel expenses

• Price exclusive of tax withholding

• Prices reflect general fee structure and may vary based on final design specifics as mutually agreed upon and subsequently contracted.

1. Leadership Development Center Business Plan

2. LPP (Leadership Preparation Program) Design

3. LPP Participant Selection

4. LPP Train the Trainer program

5. LPP Trainer Recruitment, Engagement & Development

6. Leadership Development Center Management on Year One

7. LPP-1 First offering of the LPP Program

8. LPP-1 LPP Redesign, and Curriculum Translation to Arabic

9. LPP-2 Second offering of the Program – Aug-Oct 2020

10. Transfer of LPP & Project Closure - Oct 2020

1. Leadership Development Center - Business Plan | Jun-Sep 2019

• This credit milestone will be achieved when the Center Business Plan is produced and documents are delivered and accepted by IPA.

• This Plan will position the Center to become an exemplary provider of leadership and management programs for Omanis.

2. LPP (Leadership Preparation Program) - Design | Sep-Dec 2019

• Develop and customize curriculum content and host it on a course management system of IPA’s choice. This comprehensive design process can be applied by the IPA for future programs at no additional cost.

• Affiliate engagement ensures high quality for sustained offerings of the program in the future.

• Center’s flagship program will be associated with a world-class affiliate.

• Ongoing access to LPP curriculum and transfer of curriculum ownership to the IPA, or alternatively, get the affiliate licensed for 5-7 years.

3. LPP - Participant Selection | Jun-Aug 2019

• IPA develops a robust pool of potential participants for its offerings. IPA gains expertise in participant selection tool, psychometric assessment and overall selection process.

• This approach is transferable to all future IPA programs.

• Significant potential to impact recruitment of successful participants in the future.

4. LPP - Train the Trainer program | Sep-Oct 2019

• Provision of job description, supported by application questionnaire, and interviewing, and overall a highly effective HR process for use by the IPA.

• Ensures the Center has access to quality hiring methodology via the IPA that can be applied for trainer expansion in the future.

5. LPP - Trainer Recruitment, Engagement & Development | Oct-Dec 2019

• Local Omani trainers develop Program expertise and knowledge.

• Ongoing strengthening of IPA’s training capacity and reputation of the Center.

6. Leadership Development Center Management on Year One |

Nov 2019-Oct 2020

• Successful launch and implementation of IPA’s Leadership Development Center for sustained education of Omani public sector employees. © 2019 Lenco Armored Vehicles. Lenco RFP: Oman IPA Project Page | 14

7. LPP-1 First offering of the LPP Program | Jan-Apr 2020

• Training of middle managers.

• Local trainer development.

• Establishment of reputable and internationally-recognized Program for middle managers.

• Access to affiliate experts.

• Accessible hosted-program content (English).

• Affiliate certificate of completion adds value.

• Wider public sector impact.

8. LPP Redesign, and Curriculum Translation to Arabic (prior to 2nd offering) | May-July 2020

• Ensure participant feedback and trainer evaluation are addressed.

• Development of a more engaging and effective program.

• Ensure more mature delivery of LPP.

• Curriculum and delivery evaluation.

• Translation of LPP content to Arabic.

9. LPP-2 Second offering of the Program | Aug-Oct 2020

• Training of middle managers.

• Local trainer engaged to deliver under affiliate entity experts’ supervision.

• Further refined delivery of reputable and internationally-recognized Program for middle managers.

• Access to affiliate experts.

• Accessible hosted-program content in English (and optionally Arabic).

• Affiliate certificate of completion adds value.

• Wider public sector impact.

10. Transfer of LPP & Project Closure | Oct 2020

• Licensing of developed and customized content of this program for sustained future offerings in Oman by the IPA.

• Transfer of professionally developed learning management portal for use in future offerings.

• Transfer of affiliate licensed Program content for use in future offerings.

• Ownership of psychometric assessment tool to identity and select top potential participants.

• Significant ongoing benefits to Omani public sector employees.

Institutional References

An Innovation Collaboration

Leading Enterprises Turn to Us Saudi Aramco

Future Ready Challenge:

Develop critical transformational behaviors that align with the company’s 2020 vision and strategic focus for Aramco’s first-time supervisors.

Future Ready Saudi Aramco & ASU/Thunderbird

Collaboration:

Thunderbird was approached by Saudi Aramco to develop a customized first-time supervisor leadership program. Taught onsite in Saudi Arabia, the program was specifically tailored to Aramco’s need for individual and leadership development and included strong emphasis on their 2020 Vision and Strategy.

Thunderbird conducted the Train-the-Trainer model working in tandem with Aramco’s trainers and coaches during the pilot program, followed by the second program to ensure a seamless transition to full scale, long-term delivery by the Aramco team.

Islamic Development Bank

Future Ready Challenge:

How to create leaders who are agile change agents, creative in their thinking and lateral decision makers

Future Ready Islamic Development Bank & ASU/ Thunderbird

Collaboration:

In collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank, Thunderbird delivered a mid-level leadership program to 30 emerging IDB leaders.

The program was structured in three in-residence modules delivered in Jeddah, KSA with key topics including how to enhance social interaction and communication skills at different levels, and sharpen their lateral decision-making skills.

Participants also learned how to promote creativity, be more agile during change, and energize their own coaching and mentoring roles.

World Bank Group

Future Ready Challenge:

How to develop a strategic understanding of how investment in the developing world can impact and are impacted by climate change.

Future Ready World Bank Group & ASU/Thunderbird Collaboration:

The World Bank Group and its private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation, traveled to ASU for expert sustainability advice. Specialized lectures, panels and discussions explored how the World Bank could contribute to climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience, as well as how climate change findings would affect the operations and priorities of the bank.

In fiscal year 2014, the World Bank Group’s climate investments increased to $11.9 billion, with the World Bank committing $8.8 billion and IFC committing $2.5 billion. MIGA, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, provided $600 million in projects. Together, these organizations manage 224 climate investment projects in over 77 countries during the fiscal year.

Government of Ras Al Khaimah

Future Ready Challenge:

How to build young leaders to face the future challenges of global business and government within industry 4.0

Future Ready Government of Ras Al Khaimah & ASU/ Thunderbird Collaboration:

In partnership with the Government of Ras Al Khaimah, Thunderbird delivered a 2-module, 4 month program focused on govern-preneurship – creating entrepreneurial focused government leaders and policies. In addition to entrepreneurial learning, the program included strategic planning, implementation, and innovation.

The program was a mix of immersive, individualized engagement and team-based learning to maximize the transformative impact and applicability of the experience.

Starbucks

Future Ready Challenge:

How to provide opportunities for baristas to achieve educational goals while working.

Future Ready Starbucks & ASU/Thunderbird Collaboration:

Starbucks College Achievement Plan (SCAP) launched in 2014 to cover four years of full ASU online tuition for benefits-eligible Starbucks partners without a bachelor’s degree. Expanded in 2015 to allow partners who are current military or veterans to designate an additional family member who can participate in SCAP.

More than 7,000 Starbucks partners have enrolled in SCAP with 2,500 SCAP graduates as of December 2018.

Merck

Future Ready Challenge:

How to consistently keep our executives future ready and prepare our leadership pipeline with the global mindset, analytical acumen, and interpersonal skills they will need to drive the enterprise forward for years to come?

Future Ready Merck & ASU/Thunderbird Collaboration:

Merck and ASU/Thunderbird work closely to custom design deeply innovative future-ready leadership development programs that deploy at three levels of the organization – ranging from the foundational leadership level to the most advanced executives.

Intel

Future Ready Challenge:

How to upskill managerial talent to close leadership competency gaps and reinforce Intel vision and values.

Future Ready Intel & ASU/Thunderbird Collaboration:

Thunderbird and Intel China’s Learning and Development team collaborated to offer The Advanced Global Leadership Program (AGLP).

The AGLP emphasized Personal Leadership Development, Business Strategy and Enterprise Leadership, Organizational Capability and Execution, and Stakeholder Articulation with a company-aligned project to drive home the learning.

Arizona State University

Aspiring Leaders Turn to Us

Future Ready Challenge:

How to upskill managerial talent to close leadership competency gaps and reinforce Intel vision and values.

University Systems, Government Ministries, and Public – Private & ASU/Thunderbird Collaboration: Universities, education systems, and large-scale public private partnerships engage with the university ranked #1 in the U.S. for innovation to position their enterprises for next-level success, with particular emphasis on: Transitioning models in higher education, leveraging technology, institutional structures and systems, and sustaining efforts.

Leading enterprises turn to us Success Cases

Selected social, institutional, and government capacity & innovation collaborations

Success Cases

Project Advisors and Subject Matter Experts

Profiles

Sanjeev Khagram

Dean & Director General | Professor | Author

Sanjeev Khagram is Dean & Director General of the Thunderbird School of Global Management as well as a world-renowned scholar and practitioner in the areas of globalization, transnationalism, leadership, strategic management, entrepreneurship, social enterprise, cross-sector innovation, public-private partnerships, inter-organizational networks, good governance, transparency, the global political economy, sustainable development, human security, and the data revolution.

Professor Khagram most recently led the establishment of the cross-sectoral Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and International Open Data Charter. He also previously founded and was the architect of the multi-stakeholder Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency (GIFT). Khagram was selected as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and authored UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s Report on the Impacts of the Global Economic Crisis in 2009. He was dean of the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre, Foundation and Trust from 2003- 2005, and he was Senior Policy and Strategy Director at the World Commission on Dams where he was the lead writer of the Commission’s widely acclaimed Final Report from 1998-2000. Khagram was the John Parke Young Professor of Global Political Economy, Diplomacy and World Affairs at Occidental College from 2012–18.

Khagram has worked extensively with global start-ups, corporations, governments, civil society groups, multilateral organizations, cross-sectoral action networks, public-private partnerships, foundations, professional associations and universities all over the world from the local to the international levels. He has lived and worked for extended periods in Brazil, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, Germany and the United Kingdom. He holds a bachelor’s in development studies and engineering, a master’s degree and doctoral degree minor in economics and doctorate in political economy, all from Stanford University.

Mark Esposito

Professor | Speaker | Author

Mark Esposito is recognized internationally as a top global thought-leader in matters relating to The Fourth Industrial Revolution, the changes and opportunities that technology will bring to industry. Mark holds numerous senior positions at prestigious Institutes. He is a member of the teaching faculty at the Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education where he teaches Economic Strategy and Competitiveness. He also serves as a CoLeader at the Institutes Council for the Microeconomics of Competitiveness program (MOC) at Harvard Business School.

Mark is a Professor of Business & Economics at Thunderbird School of Global Management. He is an appointed Research Fellow in the Circular Economy Center, at the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School. He is also a Fellow for the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai. Mark is the CoFounder and Chief Strategic Officer of Nexus Frontier Tech, an AI Studio, dedicated to the productions of AI solutions.

He is a prolific author and his articles can be found on ResearchGate and his books on Amazon. Mark serves as a global expert for the World Economic Forum. He is the co-author of the best seller Understanding How the Future Unfolds: Using DRIVE to Harness the Power of Today’s Megatrends. The framework contained therein was nominated for the CK Prahalad Breakthrough Idea Award by Thinkers50, the most prestigious award in business thought leadership.

Mark holds a PhD in Business and Economics from the International School of Management in Paris/ New York and an Executive Doctorate in Business Administration from Ecole des Ponts ParisTech in Paris.

Cheryl Heller

Designer | Trailblazer | Author

Cheryl Heller is the Director of Design Integration and Professor of Practice at Arizona State University. Before joining ASU, Heller founded the first MFA program in Design for Social Innovation at SVA and President of the design lab CommonWise. She was recently awarded a Rockefeller Bellagio Fellowship, and is a recipient of the prestigious AIGA Medal for her contribution to the field of design. She founded the first design department in a major advertising agency and as president, grew the division to $50m in billings when it was spun off as an independent entity. As a strategist, she has helped grow businesses from small regional enterprises to multi-billion global market leaders, launched category-redefining divisions and products, reinvigorated moribund cultures, and designed strategies for hundreds of successful entrepreneurs.

She has taught creativity to leaders and organizations around the world. Her clients have included Ford Motor Company, American Express, Reebok, Mariott International, Renaissance Hotels, Sheraton, MeadWestvaco, StoraEnso, the Arnhold Institute for Global Health, Medtronic, Pfizer, Mars Corporation, Discovery Networks International, Cemex, Herman Miller, Gap, Bayer Corporation, Seventh Generation, L’Oreal, Elle Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, The World Wildlife Fund, and Ford Foundation.

Heller is the former Board Chair of PopTech, and a Senior Fellow at the Babson Social Innovation Lab. Her book, The Intergalactic Design Guide, was published by Island Press in 2018.

Mansour Javidan

Founder, Idea Farm | Facilitator | Speaker | Author

Multiple award-winning executive educator and author whose teaching and research interests span the globe, Dr. Mansour Javidan received his MBA and Ph.D. degrees from the Carlson School at the University of Minnesota. He is the Garvin Distinguished Professor and Director of Najafi Global Mindset Institute (www.globalmindset.com) at Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.

Mansour is the Past President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the world-renowned research project on national culture and leadership, titled GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness). He is a coeditor of the 2004 GLOBE book, which won the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology’s (SIOP) “M. Scott Myers Award for Applied Research in The Workplace”. He is also a coauthor of the latest GLOBE book, published in August, 2014 which received the 2015 University of San Diego and International Leadership Association (ILA) leadership book award for “Scholarly Rigor and Critical Thought.” Mansour’s article on global leadership recently received the Decade’s Best Paper Award (2006- 2016) by the Academy of Management Perspectives. Dr. Javidan was recently recognized as among the top 100 most influential (i.e., top 0.6%) authors in Organization Behavior in the world.

Dr. Javidan has been designated Expert Advisor (Global Leadership) by the World Bank and a Senior Research Fellow by the U.S. Army. He is the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the International Leadership Association (http://www.ila-net.org/). He has designed and taught executive development courses and workshops, conducted consulting projects, and made presentations in 27 countries. His list of clients includes Abbott Labs, Accenture, Aditya Birla, Alstom, Statoil, BAE Systems, Bank Mandiri, BP, Cisco, Coachlear, Chevron, Commerzbank, Dell Computers, Europharma, MAGNA, Merck, Dow Chemical, Huawei, and Novartis.

Diana Bowman

Associate Dean | Professor | Carnegie Fellow

Diana M. Bowman is an Associate Professor in the ASU Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, where she serves as the Associate Dean for international engagement, and the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, where she serves as the Associate Director for students. She is also a PluS Alliance Fellow (2016-2019) and team member of PlanetWorks in the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability.

Her research analyzes and informs the development of smarter governance and regulation of innovation in order to simultaneously enhance creativity, improve public health, and stimulate deliberation of the ethical, legal, and societal dimensions of emerging technologies.

Diana is an Andrew Carnegie Fellow (Class of 2018). She holds a Ph.D. in Law from Monash University a GDipLegPrac from The College of Law, Australia and an LLB from Monash University.

Rebeca Hwang

Founder | Instructurer | Lecturer | Consultant

Prior to co-founding Rivet Ventures, Rebeca Hwang cofounded YouNoodle, Cleantech Open, and Startup Nations Summit.

Rebeca was educated at MIT and Stanford and has been recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and as one of the top 35 under 35 Global Innovators by MIT Tech Review. Rebeca also serves on the Global Board of Kauffman’s GEN and the WEF’s Global Council on the Future of Migrations. She teaches Technology Entrepreneurship at Stanford University and is an inventor holding multiple patents.

Rebeca was born in Seoul, raised in Argentina and educated in the US, and has worked closely with several countries on their national startup programs, including Malaysia, South Korea, Spain, Iceland, Chile and Mexico, where she is a member of the Access to Capital committee of the Mexico-U.S. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Council.

Recently listed by Forbes as one of their 20 inspiring young female founders to follow on Twitter and is a frequent speaker at global conferences on entrepreneurship and women leadership.

Ulrich Jensen

Professor | Innovator | Researcher

Ulrich Jensen is an assistant professor in the School of Public Affairs and a faculty affiliate at the Center for Organizational Research and Design at Arizona State University. He joined ASU in 2016 from Aarhus University in Denmark where he received his Ph.D. from the Department of Political Science.

Dr. Jensen specializes in public management and organization behavior. His research interests span issues of leadership, motivation, values and performance in public service. His recent contributions focus on the behavioral implications of prosocial motivation and are either published or forthcoming in top-tier field journals such as Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory and Public Administration. Together with colleagues, Dr. Jensen recently published a new measurement instrument for transformational and transactional leadership in Administration & Society.

His research builds on new and innovative ways to understand the importance of leadership in shaping the attitudes of public service providers and the performance of their organizations. Examples include combining survey and register data, collecting repeated measures at multiple points in time, and conducting a large-scale field experiment with public and private managers. His current work uses these approaches to examine which strategies make leaders most effective in motivating their employees and conveying values in their organizations.

His research is regularly presented at the Public Management Research Association Conference, Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management Conference, International Research Society for Public Management Conference, and was recently recognized among some of the best offered by young scholars at the 2016 European Group for Public Administration Conference

Tom Hunsaker

Associate Dean | Director | Author

Tom Hunsaker is associate dean of innovation for the world’s top-ranked global management school, Thunderbird School of Global Management (a unit of Arizona State University), where he has taught in the areas of competitive and global strategy, performance leadership, and organizational consulting.

Hunsaker is also academic director of Thunderbird Applied Learning which delivers engagements that involve either extensive simulations or team-based, client-facing, projectdriven consulting experiences. Client-facing project-based engagements require the dynamic application of interdisciplinary material to real-world, real-time organizational challenges. Through the program’s capstone experiences (TEMLab and Global Consulting Laboratory) student-driven strategic consulting engagements have aided Fortune 500’s, Small & Medium Enterprises, Social Enterprises, Non-Profits, Governments, and Foundations in over 30 countries on five continents.

Hunsaker has authored prominent work in innovation management, behavioral strategy, leadership, and higher education. He is co-author of the Bridger™ model, originally published in Harvard Business Review, which outlines how people best serve as conduits for innovative ideas in organizations. Among his other noted work is Mindset Positioning™, which highlights why similarly talented people get dramatically different results from the same activities – and what organizations are to do about it.

Hunsaker’s work has appeared in many practitioner and scholarly outlets including Harvard Business Review, Business & Economy, Financial Times, Research in Higher Education, Learning in Higher Education, BizEd and on Businessweek, Bloomberg, and Business & Economy online, among others.

Hunsaker enjoys extensive global experience. He has consulted for companies (ranging in size from Fortune 500 to start-up) operating in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. He has a particular expertise in Latin America (Spanish fluent) where he has been a visiting professor at the top-ranked graduate business school in Ecuador (USFQ).

As a trainer and speaker he has addressed audiences on four continents in diverse sectors, including: consumer goods, energy, financial, healthcare, manufacturing, and telecom. He lives with his wife and children in Arizona where they enjoy the outdoors as much as possible.