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Designed for professionals ready to take the next step in their careers, the Management Essentials Program delivers more than just business fundamentals. For Dunja Vujosevic, Project Manager at Elanco, it was a powerful catalyst for personal growth, leadership development, and lasting peer connections. With a passion for continuous learning and leadership development, she embarked on this three-module journey covering leadership, finance, and entrepreneurship and corporate innovation.

Here is what she shared with us about the program:

“Signing up for the Management Essentials Program was like stepping into a playground for grown-up learners. I was eager to immerse myself in new ideas, sharpen my skills, and grow in a supportive environment. What I found went far beyond my expectations. The program fostered a dynamic community where learning extended beyond the classroom. Social events felt like mini-mastermind sessions where we shared our experiences, challenges, and victories. These interactions were incredibly valuable, offering not only insights but also inspiration from peers.

The program, structured around three modules – Leadership Essentials, Financial Literacy, and Innovation & Corporate Entrepreneurship Essentials – offered great tools and insights that have helped me develop as a leader and as a manager. Each module provided a unique perspective on essential business topics, putting together theory with practical application in a way that was both engaging and impactful.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the program was the diverse group of professionals I had the privilege of working alongside. Each group in each module included highly motivated individuals from different industries, ranging from entrepreneurship to financial services, automotive, pharmaceutical industry, consumer goods, and many others. I felt fortunate to be surrounded by such accomplished peers, and the collaborative nature of the program enhanced our learning experience tremendously.

The balance of traditional lectures led by experienced professors and interactive group work with fellow participants was just right. It created an environment where learning and networking thrived, and the depth of knowledge exchanged was exceptional.

The Leadership Essentials module, led by Professor Martin Högl, provided fresh perspectives on leading in times of uncertainty and change. His insights and practical tips were immediately applicable in my day-to-day role. I left each session with new strategies for managing teams and navigating complex organizational dynamics.

The Innovation and Corporate Entrepreneurship Essentials module, taught by Professor Dries Faems, was equally transformative. It was an intensive program that pushed us to rethink how we approach innovation. We explored everything from leveraging AI for business growth to navigating digital transformation and disruption. We even delved into the world of innovation ecosystems and learned how to apply lean startup methods to launch new ventures. This module equipped me with advanced tools to drive innovation and foster transformation within my organization.

Financial Literacy, led by Professor Christian Andres, was the perfect complement to the other two modules. He broke down complex financial concepts in a way that was both accessible and immediately actionable. My main takeaway from this module is the confidence to apply financial tools and techniques effectively in both business and private life.

In summary, this program has been an incredible learning journey – one that has enriched my leadership capabilities, strengthened my business acumen, and expanded my ability to drive innovation. I am grateful to the professors for their wisdom and to my peers for their collaboration and inspiration. The Management Essentials Program has not only provided me with new insights and tools but also equipped me the confidence to apply them in real-world scenarios.

I highly recommend this program to anyone seeking to elevate their leadership, enhance their innovation skills or become an entrepreneur, and sharpen their business acumen in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing business landscape.”

About the program

Gain the core skills needed for effective leadership and decision-making. The Management Essentials Program is designed for professionals transitioning into leadership roles or looking to strengthen their general management expertise.

What you will gain:

• Build a strong foundation in general management by completing 3 out of 4 essential modules
• Strengthen your leadership, strategic thinking, and financial decision-making skills
• Learn how to foster innovation and entrepreneurial thinking within your organization
• Understand your leadership style through a personalized Birkman profile and analysis
• Earn a Certificate of Excellence in General Management to support your next career move
• Optionally, earn 6 ECTS credits to document your academic achievement

This program combines strategic, financial, and leadership knowledge with personal development to help you lead with confidence and foresight.

Learn more about the program

Leadership Essentials Program

May 18, 2026 - May 20, 2026

Düsseldorf

3 days

Crafted for future & young managers

Discover who you are as a leader and why others should follow you. This program empowers emerging leaders to build confidence, lead teams effectively, and strengthen their leadership impact, starting with their own identity.

Find out moreSchedule a call

Strategy Essentials Program

Sep 07, 2026 - Sep 09, 2026

3 days

For young managers

Learn to develop and implement strategies that align with your organization's goals. This strategy program provides comprehensive training for effective strategic management and sustainable growth.

Find out moreSchedule a call

Innovation & Corporate Entrepreneurship Essentials Program

Nov 04, 2026 - Nov 06, 2026

Düsseldorf

3 days

For young managers

Interactive program | 3 days | Practical tools & agile methods for innovation | Guest lectures from experienced practitioners | For young professionals, middle managers, & executives

Find out moreSchedule a call

Financial Literacy Program

Feb 22, 2027 - Feb 24, 2027

3 days & self-paced learning

For young & middle managers

Intensive program | 3 days | Foundation in finance & accounting | Interpretation of relevant financial information to decision making situations | For managers who are not financial specialists

Find out moreSchedule a call

Like any major technological innovation, technology can be used for good and bad purposes and can be used with good and bad intentions. That was the case when a finance worker at a multinational firm was tricked into paying out $25 million to fraudsters using deep fake technology to pose as the company’s chief financial officer in a video conference call.

In his article, “The Dark Side of Superhuman Persuasion: Why We Need Education on Generative AI,” Professor Dries Faems, Chair of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technological Transformation at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management and leading expert in the field of AI, laid out the risks and threats of the new emerging technology.

Takeaways:

1. Advanced AI systems can potentially influence human behavior and decision-making to a much greater extent than humans can.
   
2. The GPT Builder application called the Election Persuader, showcases the ability of AI to tailor communications based on individual profiles and preferences, potentially influencing political decisions. The power of AI in crafting messages that resonate on a personal level could have significant implications for the future of advertising, campaigning, and even interpersonal communication.
   
3. Education is essential in the face of rapidly advancing AI technologies. While regulation is necessary, it often lags behind technological innovation, making it difficult to manage the implications of AI globally.
   

Professor Faems writes that superhuman persuasion is the concept where advanced AI systems can significantly influence human decision-making by utilizing large datasets and algorithms to create highly personalized messages. This capability allows AI to connect with individuals on a deeply personal level, making it more effective than traditional human communication.

While Professor Faems adds that Sam Altman, CEO of Open AI, discussed this as a potential risk in AI development, Professor Faems illustrates that the application called “Election Persuader” was created using GPT Builder. This chatbot can craft customized emails to voters, encouraging them to support a particular political party based on their interests and beliefs. The “Election Persuader” requires the user to upload a political party’s program and a LinkedIn profile to generate a persuasive email. This application demonstrates the potential of AI to tailor persuasive messages that can appeal to individuals’ specific preferences, even if they initially seem unlikely to support the cause.

The conversation on AI is often complex, and the importance of these issues highlight the need for a comprehensive approach. Following up on his article, we had a short interview with Professor Faems:

- Professor Faems, there are voters voting in elections all around the world this year, and we now know that AI is increasingly being used to manipulate voters with tailored content. How can the public and tech companies keep up with this?

Keeping up will be quite challenging as the technology is developing at exponential speed. Nevertheless, we should make sure that citizens are at least aware about what is happening to improve their ability to recognize the difference between content created by humans and content created by AI. In my opinion, educational institutions at all levels of the educational trajectory should start thinking about how they can prepare their students for these challenges.

- How transparent should technology companies be about their use of AI?

At the technological level, transparency is good but will not be sufficient. The problem is that technology companies themselves do not fully understand how these AI technologies exactly work. At the application level, companies should indeed be obliged to clearly disclose which AI technologies have been used for particular applications and how they are used.

What happens next?

While A.I. has taken a giant leap forward — and is evolving so rapidly that it is hard to keep up with the state of play. The big question remains, “How do we actually equip youth, our current generation and future today with AI skills and do it with diversity and inclusion?” and “How do we not leave people and students further behind when much remains unknown about the technology even as its development speeds ahead?”

Are you interested in learning more about AI and its potential to facilitate your daily work?

Save a spot in our bootcamp: Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and Generative AI for Business Development, in which Professor Faems will give an introduction on how to write effective prompts, combine different AI tools, and develop agents to execute tasks in the context of specific use cases. Registration is open until June 7th, 2024.

Learn More About the Program

Executive Education at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, with a variety of cooperative open programs already globally recognized by the Financial Times (#15 in the 2022 Ranking), continues to diversify its portfolio. WHU knows that it is more important than ever for any executive to take a 360° view of their field of practice to prepare themselves for the future. A core part of that is paying mind to how an industry can and ultimately does evolve—and understanding the potential strategic changes that new technology may bring. To date, the world of sports has secured itself a connected future and earned the reputation of being an industry well ahead of the curve. On October 3, WHU Executive Education will debut the new Transformational Technologies: Applied Lessons from Sports course running as a part of the MIT xPRO series. This brand-new curriculum uses the sports industry as an example of where the world of business is headed.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA (USA) started offering their xPRO series of courses in 2016, seeking to combine a student’s business acumen with the technical expertise necessary for the future. In line with this approach, this new asynchronous course, developed together with WHU, is the first of its kind to center around the sports industry and how it has adopted new technology—including virtual reality, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and Web 3.0. Designed for business professionals across all industries, the program will show how technological breakthroughs could forever change the way business is conducted and enable participants to apply this freshly gained knowledge to their own professional lives.

Professor Sascha L. Schmidt, holder of the Sports and Management Chair at WHU, is spearheading the course and explained, “This is a chance for business professionals to learn more about today’s technology revolution—and how it affects both their private and professional environment.” Upon successfully completing the course, participants will receive an official certification from WHU and MIT xPRO.

Those interested in enrolling in the program can find more information on the official course website.