Executive Education at the University of Richmond Teams with Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council to Provide Leadership Training for Minority Executives

Leadership skills are always necessary for successful business executives and that is even more true now, as the faltering economy has claimed jobs and shuttered businesses.

The Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council has designed, along with the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business an innovative leadership development program exclusively for chief executive officers of certified minority businesses to assist as these business leaders grow their businesses and stave off the effects of the financial markets. Leadership skills, business expansion and customer service are at the forefront of these offerings. This initiative secured founding sponsors that include three major Central Virginia-based corporations, Altria Group, Dominion Resources and MeadWestvaco.

This spring, after a rigorous application process, VMSDC selected the first 20 executives. In June, the selected executives arrived on the University of Richmond campus for a three-day intensive session, which will be followed by a second three-day session scheduled for mid-September.

“As always we’re committed to education and training,” said Connie Smith, VMSDC chair and who also heads supplier diversity development for the Altria family of companies. “This program will provide the right information at the right time to suppliers that are ready to evolve to the next level. We’re excited to provide this program through the University of Richmond.”

Robins School faculty with expertise in strategic management, finance, marketing and entrepreneurship collaborated with staff from the school’s Executive Education division to design a curriculum tailored specifically to VMSDC’s membership.

“We look forward to having our faculty members apply their expertise in a way that is sure to make a difference in Virginia’s future economy,” said Richard Coughlan, senior associate dean in the Robins School of Business.  “By helping chief executives expand their firms’ capabilities, we aim to increase their chances for building new partnerships with major corporations across the country.”

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