Bentley Essentials of Management Mini-MBA

The program structure for our virtual program will deliver all program modules via eight, live virtual sessions. These sessions will run from 8:30AM-12:00 PM EST, (which is inclusive of a 30-minute break). Our programming will remain highly interactive, employing group exercises, discussions and case studies by leveraging breakout room capabilities within our online delivery technology.

Strategy Formulation

• Key frameworks to assess business environments
• Competitive assessment
• Firm resources and capabilities

Finance for Non-Financial Managers

• Financial statements
• Financial analysis methods
• Capital structure
• Financial planning and forecasting

Marketing

• Value proposition and brand positioning
• Research and capturing insights
• Marketing mix
• Content creation
• Inbound methodologies
• The role of social media

Leadership

• Understanding the changing nature of leadership
• Using the Zenger Folkman leadership framework to assess your leadership strengths and weaknesses
• Analyzing your leadership career stage
• Assisting you in preparing a plan for the future

Negotiations / Critical Communications

• Strategies and tactics of effective negotiation
• Positions and interests
• Effective communication

The Essentials of Management Mini-MBA™ Program has been designed for those wanting a well-rounded perspective encompassing key business elements. Through interactive engagement with a cohort of peers, participants will gain confidence in strategic business skills.

The program will especially benefit:

• Experienced managers who need a refresher or a solid foundation in the latest management and leadership disciplines
• Attorneys, medical professionals and IT managers who need exposure to business topics
• Technical specialists moving into management positions requiring more management know-how
• Anyone facing increased management responsibility which calls for enhanced business knowledge
• Individuals considering pursuing an MBA who desire an overview before commitment to a course of study

Without exception, the instructors are highly qualified experts in their fields, with extensive real-world experience. Most are also regular lecturers at the MBA level and all are actively involved in senior management consulting roles with some of the world's leading organizations.

Mini-MBA Program Director:

Alan Hoffman is a Professor of Management and a MBA Advisory Board Member at Bentley University as well as Business Visiting Professor at the Erasmus University Rotterdam School of Management in The Netherlands. Dr. Hoffman's major areas of interest include strategic management, global strategy, investment management and technology. His management insights are well-published in multiple business journals, and he is the co-author of The Strategic Management Casebook and Skill Builder textbook. He earned a Doctor of Business Administration from Indiana University.

Some faculty featured in this program include: 

Ian Cross is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at Bentley University and the Director of the Center of Marketing Technology , a state of the art marketing and research center focusing on leading edge marketing tools, techniques and intellectual capital. Ian has been a professor in the Marketing Department at Bentley University since 2001, specializing in marketing strategy, research, brand development, marketing communications and e-marketing. Alongside his teaching career, Ian has worked in sales and marketing positions for over 30 years at companies including IBM, Wang, Kodak, CGI and Thomson Reuters.

William Starner spent over 25 years in executive management roles including general management, marketing, customer service and human resources. He has extensive international business experience and possesses in-depth knowledge of a variety of industries.  Mr. Starner is an Adjunct Professor of Management at Bentley University where he teaches courses in Leadership, Negotiation and Interpersonal Relations in Management.

Elaine Walker has over 20 years of corporate and consulting experience in senior HR positions for high-performing multinational organizations. As both a lecturer and the chair of the Human Resources concentration at Bentley University, Elaine focuses on preparing HR specialists for the challenges of the future. Additionally she teaches in the Bentley MBA program in which she focuses on managing contingent workforce programs, improving global employee engagement and understanding the realities of generational differences.

R. Chip Wiggins is a Professor of Finance and the Director of the Bentley Microcredit Initiative. Previously, he has served as the Dean of the McCallum Business school and the chair of the Department of Finance and held the Edward F. Gibbons Research Professorship in Finance. His teaching and research interests focus on microfinance, corporate governance, ownership and control.