Olin Business School fine-tunes courses to address the economic crisis

April 7, 2009 -- In response to the challenges of managing during the current economic crisis, the Olin Business School at Washington University is shifting the focus of executive education seminars. Faculty are fine-tuning their lectures and case studies to address the recession and its effect on many aspects of business.

"Ever since the Olin Partners' Program began in January 2005, Olin faculty and administrators have worked hard to ensure that our executive education seminars are relevant to the immediate and long-term needs of St. Louis area businesses," says Tom Conway, Director of the Olin Partners' Program - Executive Education Seminars.

Conway notes that 6 upcoming seminars have been modified to deal head-on with the new economic challenges. "One example is a new seminar Revitalizing Performance & Motivation during Difficult Economic Times: The Noble Enterprise Approach. It's ideal for managers and directors trying to help their employees and their organizations navigate through these turbulent economic times and be prepared for better days ahead."

This one-day seminar will be held on April 16 and led by Darwin Gillett a business author and international speaker on strategies for building competitive advantage and sustainable success. With degrees from Yale and the University of Chicago in economics and business, Gillett is a pioneer in the field of strategic planning and the leadership of knowledge-based businesses. The seminar will specifically address the challenge of maintaining employees' high performance and motivation during an economic crisis.

The following seminars are among the courses making changes to address the economic crisis:

• Finance for Nonfinancial Managers will devote part of the seminar to addressing in plain language why stock values are currently so low and what to look for as signs of 'thawing' in these markets. April 8, 2009

• Managing Innovation in the Established Company includes a discussion of how different established companies have innovated and prospered in different economic climates. July 16, 2009

• Growth Engine has been modified to address the twin challenges of maintaining profitable growth in the downturn while simultaneously preparing for continued growth as the economy improves. Sept. 24, 2009

• Critical Thinking devotes significant time to the difficulties faced by federal officials in defining the exact cause of the economic downturn and formulating effective solutions to revive the economy. It offers a "ripped from the headlines" case study as a guide to problem formulation and solution. Fall 2009

• Risk Management in Supply Chains has been modified to place greater emphasis on the current financial risks (exchange rates, interest rates, capital sources, bank stability, supplier creditworthiness) affecting domestic and global supply chains. Fall 2009

All seminars are held at the Charles F. Knight Executive Education and Conference Center on the Washington University Danforth campus.

For more information on the Olin Partners' Program seminars, go to:
http://www.olin.wustl.edu/executiveeducation/ExecutivePrograms/opp/UpcomingSeminars/Pages/default.aspx