Top executives catch up with technology in post-pandemic world

Edtech startup Emeritus said there’s been an increase in demand from organisations to help them set up internal learning academies and curate learning journeys built for each level.

Following the pandemic, Indian companies are keeping their top executives abreast of the latest developments in the business world, including technologies such as artificial intelligence and augmented and virtual reality. Besides, there is a special focus on building an empathic leadership that understands the importance of flexibility.

Global University Systems (GUS), an international network of higher-education institutions in the UK, Canada, Israel and Europe, has a programme called LEAP in India that provides opportunities for upcoming leaders under 40 and entails training for new-age technologies, discussions, leadership nuances from sports, and a CEO masterclass, among others.

Post-Covid, there is more emphasis on flexibility, collaboration, communication, dealing with challenges on the go, and empathy, said Sharad Mehra, CEO of APAC at GUS.

At Goldman Sachs, the focus is to build a diverse leadership bench including mentoring, leadership acceleration programmes and career development opportunities. Some programmes that were initiated from India include MD Learning and Senior VP Development.

The top three topics with the most learning interest in India last year were technical competencies (AI/machine learning, cloud, and software development), data analytics and modelling, and client service.

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Edtech startup Emeritus said there’s been an increase in demand from organisations to help them set up internal learning academies and curate learning journeys built for each level. The big themes and skills today in executive education include data literacy and analytics, digital leadership, design thinking, emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence, virtual collaboration and ethical leadership.

Emeritus is a platform that provides executive-level programmes for working professionals.

While most top executives and emerging CXOs prefer to enrol in development programmes in partnership with top-tier business schools in India and abroad, some insist on Ivy League school immersions, said Ganesh S, CHRO at Emeritus.

Godrej & Boyce has over 40 training modules on leadership and functional areas along with a learning repository of more than 510 external courses for employees, enabling them to stay relevant and competitive.

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With technology evolving rapidly, it’s important to stay relevant and hence focused efforts are being put on enhancing skills and capabilities in line with the changing world, said Harpreet Kaur, head of corporate personnel and administration at Godrej & Boyce.