Roundtables for Practicing Managers

On June 8-13, Roundtables for Practicing Managers, a joint program of Reykjavik University and kmbs was held at the Reykjavik University Business School. Henry Mintzberg [a guru of management, professor of McGill University] and Jonathan Gosling [professor on leadership, Exeter University] took part in the event aimed at sharing experience in today’s tendencies and innovations in management.

Uniqueness of the roundtables consisted in sharing managerial experience with colleagues from all over the world. During the meeting its participants had an opportunity to communicate with experienced practicing managers, discuss managerial problems of each other, ponder over their strengths and weaknesses as managers as well as over what every member of administrative staff can bring about for their team and the company as a whole. The program’s effectiveness is already proven, as it is based on more than ten year experience of the International Masters of Practical Management program and on the collaboration of five business schools of Canada, United Kingdom, France and Japan.

Generally, the program was attended by managerial practitioners studying MBA in the best business schools of Canada, Iceland, Mexico, Brazil, Slovenia and United Kingdom. kmbs was represented by Pavlo Sheremeta [Dean of kmbs] and a friend of kmbs, Mykhailo Vlasov [Route Management Executive, Oceania & Intra-Asia, MAERSK, Shanghai].

The work was based on constant communication, debates between the participants, discussion of their experience, practical exercises with thematic materials provided by private and public organizations of the United Kingdom, as well as on some other absorbing network activities. To the circle of the project participants, some Iceland companies were also invited. The participants met with their management to discuss managerial challenges of those companies and gain deeper understanding of different corporate cultures.

It was the second time that kmbs was a partner school in the event. This time it was inspired by well-known Centre for Leadership Studies University of Exeter. Besides kmbs, such schools as EGADE Mexico, McGill University, Reykjavik University, IEDC Bled School of Management, Ibmec and International Management Institute St.Petersburg [IMISP] took part in the program.

Ibmec: Brazil, the best business school of Brazil

IEDC Bled School of Management: Slovenia, the best business school in Eastern Europe

International Management Institute St.Petersburg:Russia, the first business school in Saint-Petersburg

EGADE, Technologico de Monterrey: Mexico, the best business school in Mexico and No. 1 School in Latin America

Exeter: United Kingdom, headquarters of the Centre for Leadership Studies, a leading one in Europe

McGill: Canada, known as an innovator in management education of all levels

Reykjavik University, School of Business: Iceland, a dynamic agent of changes in a dynamic and unique environment