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UGA & Univ. of Michigan to collaborate on 2010 Atlanta Leadership Symposium

The University of Georgia and the University of Michigan to collaborate on 2010 Atlanta Leadership Symposium

Athens, Ga. – The business schools at the University of Georgia and the University of Michigan announced Tuesday their collaboration on a new executive program to be called the Atlanta Leadership Symposium.

This marks the first time UGA’s Terry College of Business and Michigan’s Ross School of Business have combined efforts on an executive education initiative, said Dan Stotz, the Terry College’s director of strategic partnerships.

The six-part series will be held at Terry’s Executive Education Center in Atlanta and will feature a faculty-led leadership curriculum designed for entrepreneurs, senior managers and rising corporate executives. The symposium sessions will start in January. More information is available at www.terry.uga.edu/exec_ed/symposium/.

“We’re pleased to be working with the highly regarded Ross School of Business and believe companies are looking at executive development more than ever as a creative and cost-effective solution for doing more with less,” said Terry College Dean Robert T. Sumichrast. “We have several companies already committed to the full program, and we are expecting more than 100 managers and executives at each session. Bringing the best and brightest business minds in the state together like this, the experience is sure to help Georgia companies push past this recession and toward economic recovery.”

“The University of Michigan has an active alumni population in the Southeast, and we are looking forward to partnering with Georgia’s flagship business school on an executive program of high importance to the business community right now,” said Melanie Barnett, chief executive of executive education at the Ross School of Business. “This is an excellent opportunity for us to reach out to alumni with a lifelong learning program and to provide an exciting new platform for leadership transformation to a broader market.”

In today’s troubled economic climate, companies are crying out for new ideas and fresh perspectives to improve business outcomes and better meet customer demands, Stotz said. The Atlanta Leadership Symposium answers that call with a new leadership development program uniquely designed to maximize leadership skills development while minimizing time away from the office.

Six top professors from each school will pair up to teach a progressive curriculum focused on leadership as it relates to executing strategy, managing change, driving innovation and creating a positive organizational culture. Attendees will be joined by some of Atlanta’s top executives selected as panelists and develop new skills through collaboration with scholars, thought leaders, experts and peers.

Sessions will be held each month at the Terry Executive Education Center, UGA’s executive learning facility, located at 3475 Lenox Road N.E., in Atlanta’s Buckhead business district. To register or to inquire about the leadership symposium, call 404/842-4829 or email BusinessLeadership@terry.uga.edu.

About the Terry College of Business

Founded in 1912, the University of Georgia Terry College of Business is the oldest business school in the South and one of 16 schools and colleges at the oldest state-chartered university in the country. Consistently ranked among the top business schools in the country, the Terry College is home to several nationally ranked programs, including risk management and insurance, real estate, management information systems, and accounting.

About the Ross School of Business

The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business is consistently ranked among the world’s top business schools for the depth, breadth and quality of its executive development programs. Executive education at Ross provides organizations around the world a dynamic solution for accessing extraordinary expertise to achieve high-impact results. U-M faculty include some of the world’s best-known and well-respected thought leaders, experts at integrating knowledge with competitive insights and practical application. Michigan’s unique, results-driven approach is one reason that thousands of executives from more than 70 countries around the globe choose Ross for Executive Education. U-M’s worldwide presence includes offices in Hong Kong, Dubai and India.