The International Center Launches Cross-Cultural Leadership Development Series

INDIANAPOLIS - March 16, 2015 - PRLog -- For many Indiana businesses, globalization is more than a buzzword: If it’s not a goal, it is already a reality. In response to companies’ growing need to improve their global leadership infrastructure in order to effectively expand their global operations, The International Center has launched Leadership Across Cultures, a leadership development series designed for leaders who work in today’s global market,  that spans three Fridays in late April and early May, 2015. The series has been developed in collaboration with the Indiana Tech Global Leadership Ph.D. program.

Following a highly successful pilot for Leadership Across Cultures undertaken in 2014, The Center has assembled an impressive list of program presenters who, together with The Center’s subject matter experts, will address cultural competency, communication and leadership styles, and how to manage cultural diversity both at home and abroad, among other relevant topics.

Presenters include Michael Overdorf, vice president of corporate strategy at Eli Illy and Company; Brian Cox, global talent management and staffing director for Elanco Animal Health; Rajan Gajaria, vice president of the Americas for Dow AgroSciences; and Dr. Yulia Tolstikov-Mast, assistant professor and lead faculty at the Ph.D. program in Global Leadership at Indiana Tech.

The series will kick off on April 17 with a thought leadership breakfast attended by current and emerging community leaders seeking to advance Indiana’s global agenda through collaboration across sectors and borders. Led by moderator Gerry Dick, president of Inside Indiana Business, the invitation-only event will feature a panel of leaders from the corporate, government, public-private partnership and academic sectors. Panelists include Dr. Kathy Lee, chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College; Kent Anderson, vice president of business development at IEDC; and Zachary Scott, president of the Ohio Valley District of UPS.

Full day workshop sessions will be conducted on April 17 and 24, with the third and final session on May 1.

The Leadership Across Cultures program is designed for professionals who work with diversity abroad and at home. These individuals may already manage across cultures and seek a deeper understanding of these interactions, or have little to no experience working across cultures but aspire to learn as they transition into increasingly global roles.

The course seeks to build on previous multicultural experiences to which participants may have been exposed. Using an academically validated assessment instrument, participants will have the opportunity to evaluate themselves on global leadership competencies when functioning in multicultural settings, and to receive feedback on personal development opportunities to become more effective.

The program will include guided modules featuring a combination of presentations, role-playing scenarios, case studies, and small group discussions. Also included is a protocol session on international business and dining etiquette.

According to Martin Baier, vice president of programs and services for The International Center, “We have worked with private and public sector clients for several years to instill in the emerging leaders within their employee ranks a deeper understanding of cultural interactions by acquiring the knowledge and skills required to conduct business with other cultures.

“However, the need for this specialized business acumen is on the increase,” he added, “and Leadership Across Cultures provides a cost effective alternative to other, more costly avenues that businesses might pursue to address the growing need for employees who are equipped to be successful in overseas assignments or in ongoing virtual global environments.”

The Indiana Commission for Continuing Legal Education has approved Leadership Across Cultures for 12 Non-Legal Subject (NLS) credits per day of attendance, for a maximum of 36 hours. The International Center will also assist other participants if they choose to apply for continuing education credits through their respective accrediting agency.

Enrollment for the Spring 2015 Leadership Across Cultures series is now open with space available for up to 25 participants. Online registration can be accessed at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-2015-leadership-across....

Program sponsors for the Spring 2015 series are PNC Bank and Luna Language Services.