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Thunderbird and American Express renew partnership to support development of social sector emerging leaders

Thunderbird School of Global Management and the American Express Foundation are pleased to announce the second annual Social Sector Emerging Leader Consortia. This partnership supports a joint vision between the two organizations: to develop and deliver an emerging leadership development program for some of the world’s top social sector organizations.

Twenty-five leaders from approximately 10 global nonprofit and non-governmental organizations will participate in the program to be held April 26-30 at Thunderbird’s Glendale, Ariz., campus. Participating organizations include Acumen Fund; Ashoka; Aravind Eye Care System; Care; Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders; Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; Heifer International; Pro Mujer; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; and the World Wildlife Fund.

The leadership consortium is funded by a grant from the American Express Foundation as part of its Developing New Leaders for Tomorrow philanthropic initiative. It will be delivered by Thunderbird’s top global faculty with a focus on developing leadership skills which can deliver maximum benefit to organizations facing constant change in the 21st century.

“American Express is committed to being good citizens in the communities in which we live and work,” said Leslie Motter, general manager for American Express in Phoenix. “We recognize the significant impact that social sector leaders have in our society. The fact that we can bring these strong global leaders to this program through the collaboration of American Express and Thunderbird is a huge win.”

Key learning themes of the program include strategy, leadership, critical thinking, executive communication, service marketing and brand management, ethics, change management and innovation—all within a global context. The learning experience also brings in a strong element of coaching and mentoring, pre-, during- and post-program, both with the Thunderbird faculty team as well as with the executive sponsors of each participant.

According to Thunderbird Professor Dr. Mary Teagarden, academic director of the program, participants are expected to identify their own leadership gaps given today’s challenging, changing and globalizing environment for social sector organizations. She said emerging leaders will work with other consortia participants and Thunderbird’s faculty to find creative approaches for closing leadership skills, knowledge, resources and network gaps and to develop plans of action to take back to their organizations for their continued development and that of their followers.

“Thunderbird has a strong commitment to provide an outstanding learning experience to the nominated participants of these notable global organizations,” said Associate Vice President, Thunderbird Corporate Learning and Director of the Social Sector Program, Joy Lubeck, a 1986 Thunderbird alumna. “The Thunderbird leadership development approach integrates individual leadership together with impact to the organization, and ultimately the entire social sector.  Further, Thunderbird’s core pillars are brought into the learning experience: Global Leadership, Global Mindset, Global Entrepreneurship, Global Citizenship and Global Learning Network.”