An exceptional learning and development programme run by the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB) and Standard Bank has won a Gold award in the Professional Development category in the prestigious EFMD Excellence in Practice (EiP) Awards. The UCT GSB is the first African business school to win this award. The award ceremony will take place during the next EFMD Executive Development Conference to be held at IESE in Spain on 11-13 November 2019.
The Masterclass in Strategic Client Management Programme (MSCMP), a customised executive education learning interventionco-designed by the UCT GSB in partnership with Standard Bank, has been running since 2014 and has graduated nearly 400 delegates from 17 African countries.
EFMD Global, an accreditation body for business schools with more than 900 members across 91 countries, plays a central role in shaping the global approach to management education and provides a unique forum for information, research and debate on innovation and best practice. The EiP Award seeks to build a bridge between business education institutions and corporations.
Kenny Fihla, Chief Executive, Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank Group says, “the MSCMP programme represents our Corporate and Investment Banking wide focus on delivering exceptional client experiences in all markets in which we operate and it’s wonderful to be acknowledged by the EFMD for excellence in delivering an impactful learning experience for our people in partnership with UCT GSB.”
Director of Executive Education at the UCT GSB, Kumeshnee West, notes that the win is a joint achievement. “The award acknowledges the importance of collaboration between the corporate and the learning provider to develop and deliver high-impact and sustainable results. It also celebrates excellence in the design, delivery and evaluation of the MSCMP programme.”
She adds, “As a business school focused on delivering sustainable impact in African business and society, this award is an affirmation of what we can achieve with our clients and shows that we can deliver on par with other global institutions.”
Winners in the Excellence in Practice awards are chosen by an international judging panel based on the real and measurable impact that a learning and development initiative has had on the people and the organisation.
The success of the MSCMP programme is grounded in the fact that it was leader-led from the start, says Rayner Canning, Director of Business Development at the UCT GSB. “The Bank’s top Corporate and Investment executives attended the first programme and helped shaped its content, structure and delivery. The Executive’s active participation on assessment panels and redesign processes kept the programme firmly on an upward trajectory within the bank and maintained the very high standards.”
But ultimately, he says it was the strong and responsive partnership between the UCT GSB and Standard Bank’s Learning and Development team that has ensured the programme continues to deliver on its mandate. He says the UCT GSB strives to provide all its clients with dedicated support and real partnership to develop and deliver learning interventions that advance their business.
