Great leaders build successful companies, and with ongoing skill development, they sustain that success. The Executive and Professional Development (EPD) programs at the Haskayne School of Business offer ongoing development to anyone looking
to hone their leadership skills.
As part of the non-credit professional development arm of the business school, Haskayne's EPD meets leaders where they are. For individuals who want to take their professional development to the next level, EPD has open-enrolment programs — no prerequisites required — with short-format programs that include strategy, leadership, finance, negotiation, AI, innovation and more. The governance stream of EPD offers board-ready programming, designed to prepare leaders to shape oversight and long-term strategy. And for businesses ready to invest in their leaders, Haskayne's custom programs are tailored to all company needs.
Tanya Verhulp, the director of Executive and Professional Development, recognizes that many organizations offer leadership development programs for companies, but what sets Haskayne apart is how it works with its clients to custom-create programs. Not to mention, the programs are backed by an accredited university institution. “It's the how that's innovative,†she says. “We focus on the impact and return on investment, but the innovation is in the pieces that we build with organizations by tailoring programs together.â€
TARGETED OUTCOMES
When organizations approach Haskayne for custom leadership development in their business, the process begins with a needs analysis. “We really want to understand the strengths of the organization, what challenges they're facing and what's currently happening. We work with them to understand their strategy and goals,†explains Loriel Anderson, learning and development programs manager.
From there, Haskayne designs and develops programs suited to individual business needs. EPD looks at big-picture themes, such as strategy execution and effective decision making. The programs also offer action learning projects that tackle real business challenges. This process creates cross-functional teams, mentors the learners and pushes projects forward, providing a significant return on investment for the organization. “Leadership development is no longer a nice-to-have; it's a strategic move for an organization to invest in this way, given the world's pace of change and complexity,†says Verhulp. “It gives learners a structured space to step back from day-to-day operations and think strategically about a bigger picture — how to create value, foster innovation and lead through uncertainty.â€
DELIVERED RESULTS
Haskayne built EPD's custom leadership development model around a simple but powerful principle: Education must move performance. The principle has proven successful in delivering real-world impact — EPD has seen participants go on and create millions of dollars in revenue thanks to strategies such as new asset utilization. One example of impact is Spartan Controls, an industrial automation company that has participated in EPD programming for six years.
Haskayne custom-developed the Emerging Leaders Program for Spartan, helping mentor and upskill more than 200 individuals across the company, with many receiving promotions and taking on additional leadership responsibilities with these new skills. “Investing in your people is probably the biggest return on investment you can get,†says Anderson. “When you have leaders who understand strategy, execution and why they're doing what they do — not just how to do it — the potential for impact is huge.â€
