The Robins School’s signature program, the Mini MBA®, is currently accepting registrations for the Fall 2008 class. The program begins Monday, September 15th. 

The Mini MBA® is a non-credit evening program that provides a practical foundation in current business theory and practices in an intensive, 14-week format. The program is designed for professionals who are thinking about pursuing their MBA or looking to update their business skills and education. 

Course topics include Leadership Strategies, Creativity and Innovation, Finance, Marketing, and more. 

For more information and registration information, call (804) 289-8019 or visit http://business.richmond.edu/execed/MGTI520N.html.

How did you find out about this program?  What make you choose the University of Richmond?

My home institution in Spain, Universidad de Deusto San Sebastian, has an exchange agreement with the University of Richmond, in which each year 4 students come to UR, 3 as undergraduate for one semester and 1 for a graduate program for the whole year. That is how I found out this program.

I wanted to go to an English speaking country for a whole year, so that left me with several European countries and few American universities, one of them UR. I decided to come to the US as I haven't been there before and I wanted to know another culture.

Why UR?

Because it is a very well known university, specially its MBA program. They also offered me a summer internship and the possibility to take the summer courses as well. It sounds like a great opportunity for me that I couldn't let it pass me by. I have to admit that the pictures of the beautiful campus and the facilities also helped me to make my decision.

What courses are you taking while here?  What has been your favorite so far?

In the summer I'm taking Organizational Behavior, but I haven't started it yet. During the spring semester I took 4 courses: financial management, statistics for business, economics for managers and marketing management. It is difficult to say my favorite, because each one has its positive and negative aspects. Some of them have presentations, which was really hard for me because of the language difficulties but I really had fun doing them.  Other classes had group projects which I enjoyed as it gave my the opportunity to meet American people and make new friends. Overall, I liked all of them, I cannot choose just one!

Tell me about your internship with the Greater Richmond Partnership.
How did that come about?

Yes that is an internship that I'll be doing during both summer courses, 14 weeks in total. I haven't started it yet so I cannot tell you my experience there, but I can say that I really like the job they are doing, to help grow the Greater Richmond economy by attracting new high quality jobs and investments. I am really excited about what I'll do there during this summer. I knew that UR would help me find an internship for the summer but I didn't know about the GRP.  Dr. Coughlan put me in touch with them and assisted through the process. 

What places in the US have you visited?  Any favorites?

I have to admit that I have traveled a lot with other UR exchange students. I have been to Washington DC, New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Las Vegas, where I visited Grand Canyon.

The cities that I liked the most were Chicago, Boston and San Francisco, although I went in February and was very cold. The Grand Canyon was also amazing and beautiful.

What are your plans after graduation?

In December I'll graduate from Deusto San Sebastian (undergraduate program) and from UR (MBA program) in Business Administration. In February I'll start working in Madrid for McKinsey and Company, a consulting firm.

Alfa Laval is the latest company to join the list of organizations working with the Robins School to create a leadership development program for mid- and upper-level management. 

Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of specialized products and engineered solutions.  In the US, they market and supply heat exchangers, separators, decanters, pumps, valves, fittings and tank cleaning equipment to customers in a wide range of market segments. These products help their clients heat, cool, separate and transport products such as oil, water, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

An international company based out of Sweden, Alfa Laval’s sales headquarters is located in Richmond. With a presence in almost 100 countries, the company had many universities and programs to choose from. Why did such a high-profile international company select the Robins School for educating their managers? 

“We could have selected a university anywhere in the country. We chose the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business because of their outstanding reputation and strong business program,” said Alessandro Terenghi, President and CEO of Alfa Laval, Inc., the USA sales company of Alfa Laval. “The location in Richmond was not the reason for us; it was just an added bonus.”

Alfa Laval first met with the Robins School last year and over the past several months, they have worked together to put together a curriculum that addresses the company’s specific needs. One goal of the program is to strengthen cultural awareness and bridge cultural gaps between North American and European employees. “With such a global presence, it is important that our employees understand the cultures of all their colleagues. Cross-cultural communication is a must for any successful international organization,” said Terenghi.

Beginning next month, the company will send 20 managers through the new Alfa Laval Leadership Development Program. For three days, the participants will take courses on cultural awareness, communication, principle-based decision making, and relationship-centered leadership. They will also meet with company executives and learn more about the company’s strategic plan and vision. In the fall, the same group of people will come back for three more days, and have the opportunity to discuss some of the initiatives implemented over the summer.

Executive Education continues to partner with a variety of local, national and companies.  Some of their clients include LandAmerica Financial, CapTech, Bon Secours, Capital One, Evonik-Goldschmidt, and Dominion Resources. For more information on Executive Education’s customized programs, visit their website.