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Thunderbird Summit to Focus on Preparing Leaders for Global Roles

Two-day Najafi Global Mindset Institute Event to Discuss Defining, Measuring and Developing Global Mindset

The 2012 Developing Leaders For Global Roles Summit, an international platform for new thinking, ideas and best practices related to developing global leaders and increasing their management effectiveness in cross-cultural environments, will take place March 15 and 16 at the Najafi Global Mindset Institute at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona.

The Summit will be a valuable source of information and insight for those responsible for building and developing global mindset in their organizations. Attendees will include: c-suite executives; chief learning officers; human resources executives; managers of leadership development, training and learning development; as well as those in mentoring and coaching positions.

“This is an excellent opportunity to spend time and network with other like-minded colleagues, participants and global thought leaders from academia and the international business world,” said Mansour Javidan, Ph.D., Director of the Najafi Global Mindset Institute at Thunderbird.

“With speakers, panel discussions, Q & A, small-group breakout sessions, and large-group dialogue, the Summit will be a highly interactive and participative experience. Attendees will leave with a comprehensive understanding of the current status of best practices and ideas to put to work immediately in their organizations. The Summit will also provide exceptional opportunities for interacting and networking,” Dr. Javidan added.

Among the topics to be presented:

  • Rethinking Global Leadership: Cultural Adaptability and Business Success
  • Why Is Global Mindset and Developing Leaders for Global Roles Important?
  • Transforming New Managers Into Global Minded Leaders
  • Growing the Global Talent Pipeline With Strong Business Headwinds and Change
  • The World at Discontinuity: Longing for the Comfort of the Past or Attracted to the World of No Rules?

Speakers and presenters will be on hand from the following global businesses and academic institutions:

  • Thunderbird School of Global Management (USA). Mansour Javidan, Ph.D., Director, Najafi Global Mindset Institute, and Dennis Baltzley, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Executive Education
  • Ernst & Young (USA). Karen Glover, Americas Director of Recruiting and Mobility, Core Business Services
  • Corning, Inc. (USA). Gail Baity, Director of Workforce Development and Learning
  • Hogan Assessments (USA). Robert Hogan, Ph.D., President
  • ADP (USA). Michael Lindemann, Ph.D., Senior Director, International Leadership Development & Pipeline Management
  • Aon Hewitt (USA). Seymour Adler, Ph.D., Partner, Talent Solutions
  • Altana AG (Germany). Paul Mayer, Vice President, Human Resources
  • BD (USA). Deb Winjberg, Global Human Resources Leader, Talent Management
  • Lenovo (China). Peter Haddad, Vice President, Human Resources, Corporate Functions and Global Talent Acquisition
  • Tata Group (India). Satish Pradhan, Chief HR Group
  • Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (China). Bing Xiang, Ph.D., Dean
  • University of Milan (Italy). Luca Solari, Ph.D., Professor of Organizational Theory/HRM

Najafi Global Mindset Institute is located on Thunderbird School of Global Management’s historic campus in Glendale, Arizona.  The school was recently ranked No. 1 in International Business by the Financial Times for the sixth year in its annual worldwide ranking of full-time MBA programs.

The focus of the Najafi Global Mindset Institute at Thunderbird is to define, measure and develop today’s global mindset to provide global leaders with the skills they need to be more effective in cross-cultural communications and negotiations.

The cornerstone of the Institute is the Global Mindset Inventory, the world’s first psychometric assessment tool scientifically designed to help global managers identify key strengths and weaknesses. The GMI has three main components:

  • Psychological capital, or a person's capacity to thrive in unfamiliar environments
  • Social capital, or a person's ability to develop global connections with people from diverse backgrounds
  • Intellectual capital, or a person's knowledge of business practices and cultures

Managers who are strong in all three dimensions have the greatest likelihood of succeeding in international assignments.

"Success in business is as much about understanding cultures and globalization as it is about understanding finance and marketing,” Dr. Javidan added