PHILADELPHIA, March 29, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania launched a new executive education program for managers of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. The program, held February 14 to 16 near the company's headquarters in Miami, drew more than 40 senior executives from across the global leadership of the cruise vacation company.
It was part of a broad leadership development initiative at Royal Caribbean called "Building on Talent," which focuses on identifying high-potential talent and engaging in deep assessment and development. "This was the first time in the company's history we did something like this," said Sonia Diaz-Del Oro, manager of Corporate Learning and Organization Development for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
The design of the Wharton program was customized to Royal Caribbean's development needs and strategic concerns. Faculty and staff created the design based on a detailed needs analysis, including interviews with senior managers of the firm. This process identified four focal areas around which the program was organized: strategic leadership, growth and operational excellence, financial acumen, and leveraging human capital.
Throughout the program, participants returned to a set of critical strategic questions for the organization. "One distinctive aspect of the design was that we identified a small set of strategic questions related to the topics we were discussing in the classroom, and the participants used a structured process to discuss those questions," said Mario Moussa, academic director of the program. "At the end, we had a roundtable in which representatives from each of the teams discussed the questions they were given and their recommendations."
There were also sessions with top leaders of the company, including CEO Richard Fain, which allowed for explorations of culture, communication, and other issues. "We had good discussions about our culture and the impact of our culture that have continued since that day," Diaz-Del Oro said.
The Wharton program not only offered insights from top faculty, but also created an opportunity for managers across the business to come together. Participants came from the United States, Europe, and Latin America. "This was a great group of people who are very passionate about their company and their business," said Patti Parker, executive education program director at Wharton. "They know their competition and this is a wonderful opportunity for a number of them to get together and network from various locations in this global business."
The company plans to hold additional programs for other executives from its pool of 200 top managers, and is discussing follow-up sessions for the first program, perhaps delving into specific subjects in more detail. "Senior management is committed to developing our existing and future leaders. We believe this partnership with Wharton creates the right forum to develop great leaders for our organization," said Maria Del Busto, global chief human resources officer and vice president for Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.
"We entered into this with a long-term expectation," Diaz-Del Oro said. "The relationship with Wharton has been fantastic. The level of professionalism, customization and cadre of faculty they brought in was superb."
About the Wharton School
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania -- founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school -- is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. The most comprehensive source of business knowledge in the world, Wharton bridges research and practice through its broad engagement with the global business community. The school has more than 4,600 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students; more than 8,000 annual participants in executive education programs; and an alumni network of more than 81,000 graduates.
Each year, Wharton works with more than 8,000 business leaders on its campus in Philadelphia, at Wharton West in San Francisco, and at sites around the world. The Wharton Learning Continuum is Wharton Executive Education's model for delivering Impact Through Education(tm) -- supporting companies and individuals in a 9- to 12-month learning process that is designed collaboratively with clients, delivered by Wharton faculty, and monitored to produce specific outcomes.
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About Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Pullmantur. The company has a combined total of 34 ships in service and six under construction. It also offers unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Australia, Canada, Europe and Latin America. Additional information can be found on Royal Caribbean website, Celebrity Cruises website, Pullmantur website or Investor Relations website.