In the Advanced Management Program (AMP), executives are immersed in a collaborative environment, in which our world-class faculty provide frameworks and tools developed at Chicago Booth that can be immediately applied in their various leadership roles. Their professors and fellow classmates offer new perspectives, challenge their thinking, and offer meaningful feedback, all with the goal of increasing their ability to effectively lead their organizations.

By attending this program, you will:

• Develop a structured method for learning from your experience and generating insights.
• Gain new perspectives on your organization, the industry in which you compete, and the challenges you face.
• Become more reflective and critical in your thinking and encourage the same of your colleagues.
• Learn how to better position your organization for growth in a rapidly and continually evolving business landscape.
• Learn how relationships, self-awareness, and leadership agility determine your competitive advantage.
• Discover how to balance your roles as a representative for your interests, your company's interests, and the interests of your profession and community at large.

AMP consists of two parts:

1. Three week-long core sessions focusing on different aspects of enterprise leadership (see Program Outline section for more detail)
2. Three elective sessions—allowing for individualized curriculum, depending on each executive’s experience and interests, and flexibility in scheduling, which is critical for senior executives

AMP is the only senior executive program to offer this individualized course of study. The three elective courses, combined with the three cohort core sessions, provide Chicago Booth AMP participants a customized learning experience unlike any other top business school.

Location

The three core sessions are held at our Gleacher Center campus in downtown Chicago.

Electives are offered at our Chicago and Hong Kong campuses.

Schedule 

The flexible schedule allows you to start the program at any point during the year and attend elective sessions around your schedule. Electives can be attended prior to the core sessions.

The three core sessions are held on set dates. Each core session is five days in duration.

• Introductory Session: 'Leader as Person'
• Midcourse Session: Leader and the Organization
• Capstone Session: Leader and the Community

Receive Executive Coaching

Between sessions, you will engage in coaching calls with an executive coach to discuss your successes and challenges in applying the course frameworks, supporting your rapid leadership development. You'll also discuss your learnings with peers in your cohort, giving you the opportunity to receive peer feedback and develop your own trusted advisory network.

The ongoing dialogue created through this format is unique to AMP and the program's culture of achieving rapid growth and learning from your own experiences. You’ll have the opportunity to continuously try new skills and techniques in the workplace while receiving valuable feedback from your coach and peers.

The Advanced Management Program is designed for senior-level executives who have achieved rapid advancement in their careers, and are looking for a customized, flexible program that addresses their specific development needs and helps them lead their organizations more effectively.

Most participants are senior-level executives who hold leadership positions one or two levels from the CEO in large organizations or hold C-suite-level positions at midsize companies with significant opportunities for growth. The executives have often been identified as central to the company’s succession plan and serve as members of executive committees, heads of major business units, senior heads of functions, and senior members of the operating group. Positions include senior vice president, vice president, executive director, general manager, managing director, and C-suite.

All participants are expected to engage in class dialogue and debate that enhances the learning experience for all. Since the program is intense, it is vital that applicants possess a commitment to preparation and active engagement. Participants should also be ready to engage in various approaches to learning and being exposed to diverse frameworks and ideas. Proficiency in written and spoken English is required for successful participation in the program.

The Advanced Management Program is comprised of three core sessions and three electives.

The Core Sessions

Introductory Session: 'Leader as Person'

"As a senior leader, you are a role model — but what are you modeling?"

The purpose of this program is to increase your impact as a leader. Two critically important factors are a strong understanding of yourself, your strengths, and how to leverage them, and an equally strong understanding of those you interact with and how to engage and motivate them.

In this session, you will learn how increased self-awareness and greater leadership agility can enhance your ability to influence others at the right time in the right way. You will be introduced to new techniques for learning rapidly and effectively from your own experiences. You'll also improve your ability to communicate in an authentic and powerful way. You will learn how to leverage your network of connections and why some senior executives perform better than others.

Midcourse Session: Leader and the Organization

Just as personal agility is essential to your career success, developing organizational agility will increase your organization's competitive advantage. Building on the first core week, this session explores how your role as an effective leader is integrated into your organization and how you can drive change, develop a results-driven culture, and create value by identifying new opportunities in engaging and mobilizing your workforce.

Capstone Session: Leader and the Community

In today's global economy, risk and opportunity can come from events down the street or on other continents. This final core session explores how to balance your roles as a representative for your interests, your company’s interests, and the interests of your profession and community at large. You will also have an opportunity to think deeply about your future plans and your legacy as a leader.

Electives: Charting your own Course

The Advanced Management Program allows you to dive deeper into material that supports your business needs, professional development interests, and career goals.

Choose three electives to match your schedule and development needs. Electives are held in Chicago, with some offered at UChicago's Hong Kong campus -- a unique opportunity to grow your global experience and network. Here’s a representative list of AMP electives; click the program name for more information:

ELECTIVES

Finance 

• The Executive Finance Program
• Financial Analysis for Nonfinancial Managers
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• The Executive Program for Prospective CFOs

Strategy, Innovation, and Analytics

• Digital Innovation Strategy and Management
• Executive Program in Corporate Strategy
• Value Creation
  

Leadership & Management

• High-Performance Leadership
• Executive Decision-Making and Negotiations
• Physician Leadership Program
• The Executive Development Program for Private Companies

Global Programs (Hong Kong campus)

• Talent Leadership: People and Performance—in Hong Kong
• Negotiations: Strategies and Processes for Impactful Outcomes—in Hong Kong
• Strategic Digital Transformation—in Hong Kong

I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but any anxiety I had quickly dissipated because I learned early on that leadership—regardless of one's industry—transcends the business world and the same principles apply to what makes a great leader. 

—P. Justin Tortolani, MD, Director at the Spine Institute University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center and Clinical Professor at the University of Maryland Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Read more about Justin's AMP experience »

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Over the years, I've known and engaged with several undergraduate and graduate students from Chicago Booth; therefore, I just knew the level of rigor and the caliber of the other students would be unparalleled and provide the best experience.

Being able to make connections with fellow participants from all over has been great. I think the social capital piece is a huge part of the AMP experience.

—Kelly Jin, Vice President for Community and National Initiatives at the Knight Foundation. Read more about Kelly's AMP experience »

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This program was exactly what I needed to help me transition to my new role. The lessons that I learned from AMP were immediately applicable in terms of developing strategy, evolving company culture, and driving bottom-line results. Not only have I benefited from world-class professors, I've also met an invaluable network of business leaders who have helped me to grow both personally and professionally.

—Elana Schrader, M.D., Vice President, Marketing Blue Cross and Blue Shield Florida

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My expectations were that the Advanced Management Program would help me become a more effective and efficient business manager and bolster my professional biography. By the time I had completed the AMP, my initial objectives remained valid and clearly met; however, I came to understand that I gained something much more important to my development as a person and a professional. I left the program with a keen desire to find greater fulfillment from my work, and as a result, became a better leader in the process. I now find myself filled with a new level of curiosity that will help me gain broader perspectives and a better understanding of my role(s) in the process of collaborating with my colleagues, customers, and my broader community.

—Mark Mowat, Managing Director, Frontier Capital

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I had the option of attending any of the top-tier business schools, but for me, Chicago Booth was the only choice. Booth has an excellent reputation for providing students with cutting-edge information that can be immediately applied...For anyone who’s interested in remaining on the leading edge of the most current business information, and who wishes to engage in data-driven discussions with proven business leaders, Booth’s Advanced Management Program is a great program to take.

—Bill Mairson, Deputy Principal Associate Director at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Read more about Bill's AMP experience »

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Chicago Booth provides the optimal educational experience for executives seeking to enhance the business acumen and leadership abilities needed to thrive in today's complex business environment. Its holistic approach couples dedicated professors who stress the synergism of ideas with expertly tailored courses to ensure opportunities for personal growth, exceptional networking, and the flourishing of ingenuity.

—David Andalcio, Chief Executive Officer, Wyndalco Enterprises

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I chose Chicago because of the reputation of the school and the flexibility of attending classes one week at the time. I'm in a very flat organization, so having a senior member of the management team gone for six weeks would be hard on everybody. AMP has given me a chance to think outside of what I normally do on a daily basis, not as a physician, but as a manager. Even though there's practicality to the knowledge, there's challenge to the thought process, which enhances my critical thinking skills. It's given me a fresh perspective on how to look my business.

—Dr. Joseph Cacchione, Chairman of Business Operations & Strategy, Cleveland Clinic

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I had many years of experience under my belt so I was looking for a targeted program that would allow me to select areas of interest to further my career. In the Advanced Management Program, I was able to select courses that would help me grow both professionally and personally. I have to say the program far exceeded my highest expectations. As an accountant, I am always looking at the ROI on an investment and this was a clear success.

—David Jarrett, Partner, Performance and Value Creation, Crowe Horwath

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The faculty are top-notch and really know how to connect with the vast variety of students in each class. They become part of our team over the many months of the program and are always willing to discuss specific issues, connecting the topics with our real-world situations.

—Michael McKelvy, President and CEO of Gilbane Building Company. Read more about Michael's experience »

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I head up all the divisions that interface directly with our clients--the national sales, training and deployment, enterprise, and client services teams. I just kept going up the ladder with my career accomplishments. Without my MBA, I felt a little hesitant, but this program gave me the confidence I needed. The Core Sessions are primarily taught by Harry Davis and Ron Burt, and the two of them play off each other very well. Harry takes a very emotional approach to how business comes together, whereas Ron is more theoretical. They really ask themselves, "How do we make this special for the execs? How do we make it different, useful, and valuable knowing that they have years of experience already under their belt? What's the next step?

Every professor was very engaged and gave us everything they had. They took time to boil down the relevant issues specific to the class. They would look at the roster and say, 'OK, I see that I have 10 marketing execs in here and I know that you're going to get more out of this particular area, so I want to spend some extra time on that and answer your questions.

—Lori Hardwick, Executive Vice President, Advisory Services, Envestnet Asset Management

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I left my job and started my own company consulting in human resource management as well as executive search and career consulting and coaching. I knew I had a lack of knowledge in strategic marketing and strategic finance. I took Strategic Marketing Management with Sanjay Dhar and Pradeep Chintagunta, and they were excellent. Using this course, I gained a lot of particular knowledge that helped me strengthen my own intuition. I learned frameworks that were a great help to me as a person starting a business and positioning it in the market. I'm proud to say that when you try to find our company on the internet in Russia, it will be the first search result. It means that we are doing the right things in terms of positioning and promoting. I also took Finance for Executives, which was very helpful. Before that I had to just believe that my accountant did everything right. Now I know that he did it right because I understand it.

—Marina Vishnyakova, Managing Partner, PM Team

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I started to get involved in a lot of international business, and I needed formal, deeper preparation. I was interested in more than technical or finance skills—more ways to structure strategy and social behavior.

On the first day the professor said, ‘We are not going to teach you what to think, but how to think.’ I didn't believe it, but it was true. I found that the balance between the case analysis and walking through structural, academic facts was important. Making decisions that way has been really helpful for me and my environment, which includes more than just my organization. It includes my community as well.

One of the best things I got out of the program was a structured approach to social capital. We are citizens of big corporations, big cities and big countries. I'm engaged not just with people in my company in the U.S. but in places like China, Brazil, Colombia, and South Africa. Logging into those networks and structuring the kind of relationships I'm going to have, rather than letting them flow to what’s most convenient, is key for my success and the future of my business.

—Bernardo Valenzuela, Vice President, Global Operations, Navistar Truck Group

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I've been a part of a couple start-ups that were successful, and I turned around a company for a private equity firm that then was sold.

I started my own business that helps start-ups and middle-market companies practice the models I’ve done successfully in the past. The Chicago Booth program helped me find gaps in my strategy that I knew I had to strengthen, add new components, and refine them.

As I became more familiar with the program, what I found really interesting were the opportunities to continue that education. It was a learning continuum, not only through the Advanced Management Program, but also with the variety of organizations and networks I could plug myself into. Any time I need more information or feel I need to learn more, I have the opportunity to pursue that.

There are a lot of opportunities to engage the network of folks out there in given areas. I got involved in the university, the clubs, and the roundtables and met a lot of people that way. I know they’re going to provide certain expertise that I don’t have. The discussions are challenging and innovating. They’re practitioners talking about what they've done and how they've done it, and they share a Chicago Booth background.

—Peter Wilkins, CEO, Omaxen Group

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In my core class there is a real global flavor and diversity of people and their responsibilities. With a good topic discussion, you come away with as much from the dialogue and interaction between classmates as you do from the professors. The questions the students ask—and that everybody builds off—drive the professors to expand on subjects that are really applicable. And you get a combination of multiple professors, so it's fresh. They'll talk about their area of expertise, but they don't repeat each other or leave gaps.

—Russell Mitchell Jr., Vice President of Technology, Armstrong Building Products, Armstrong World Industries

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My last company was all about me. It was my idea; I was driving everything. It was a successful company, but the Chicago program is giving me the confidence that I can bring in other people, that I can manage a variety of new ideas from very strong-minded, experienced, knowledgeable individuals, and that I'm not going to lose control in that dynamic environment. We discussed this notion of a leadership ensemble resembling a jazz ensemble, where you define your rules of engagement up front, then pass that leadership around and play off one another's ideas. I'm so excited about it. If you pull in a group of high-level, collaborative people, you can do so much more in the world. I love the format. To go in for one week and be totally immersed is phenomenal. Plus, that gives you the opportunity to come back to the real world and experiment with some of the ideas. And for me, it's helping to provide the framework for where I want to be a year from now. So it's good to spread it over that year.

—Brenda McCaffrey, Founder, Kolea Technology

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Prior to joining Johnson Insurance, I ran and owned my own firm, which was smaller and not part of a larger financial institution. I wanted to make Johnson Insurance as successful as I could and was looking for opportunities to improve my skill set for this larger, more formal organization. Our human resources director and I began looking at different graduate programs, of course concerned with the time commitment as well as the content that would best apply to the situations I faced at Johnson Insurance.

When we read about the program at the University of Chicago, it seemed ideal. I could pick the content, I could pick the week, and I could immerse myself into the curriculum in a great environment. At the time I started the program, Johnson Insurance was expanding robustly using mergers and acquisitions. I remember coming back from a finance course with a good understanding of the calculations needed for that and how they applied to the world of finance. I immediately had a better grasp of what the tools meant and how to employ them to make better decisions at Johnson Insurance.

—Chris Lie, President and Chief Executive Officer, Johnson Insurance Services

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The Chicago Booth Advanced Management Program merges the two elements we needed most from any program--flexibility and real-world expertise. The program allows students to pick the time and the content, which was a distinct advantage, as well as providing application opportunities between each session.

In addition to the real-world business and leadership applications taught during each session, my classmates provided a built-in network of executives with whom I continue to collaborate and explore innovative ways to solve problems. LORD Corporation recognizes the Advanced Management Program as an essential tool in empowering our executives to be well-rounded, well-connected, and ready to succeed in the current global marketplace.

—Ed Auslander, President & CEO, LORD Corporation

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The flexibility of the program is one of the key reasons I chose AMP. Not only was I intrigued by the topics of the core sessions, I also liked being able to pick additional electives focusing on specific subject areas that aligned with the changes that our organization faces. Many participants in our core class have either undergone or are undergoing similar challenges. Part of the value of the program is that the professors give you the tools and frameworks for improved leadership and strategic thinking, while your peers relate their experiences with what has and has not worked for them.

—Tina Saiz, VP Strategic Planning/Business Operations, Westell Technologies

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Throughout the program, we met with some of the University’s most well-known thought leaders. In intimate settings, we were able to ask them about their work and their thoughts on current business issues. We had the incredibly unique opportunity to read a draft of a forthcoming book by one of the University’s leading economists. To have that kind of early access was both a rare privilege and a really amazing experience.

—Brad Johnston, General Manager Teck Coal

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Chief Learning Officer/Executive Sponsor Perspective

Kiewit has a long history of developing our leaders. You have to continuously sharpen the edge of the saw with external perspectives, methods of thinking and approaches to business. When we know that someone is going to have a senior role in our organization, we use the Advanced Management Program as a way to sharpen that saw and give them that external perspective and experience. The people we've put through the program speak very highly that they're growing, they're being challenged, and ultimately they're able to come back and apply those skills. More importantly, as executive leaders of the business, we can see a difference in the individuals. It forces them to step outside their comfort zone, so you see a higher level of confidence. They have the ability to look at problems differently, in nontraditional ways. They've been able to interact with a different network of people and had the ability to think about work in a setting with little or no risk so that when they come back they've had the time to step out of their normal day-to-day work and can respond to it with a lot more confidence.

—Michael Geary, Vice President of Human Resources, Kiewit

To apply for the program, candidates must submit:

1. A completed application.

2. A resume or CV.

3. A letter of recommendation from a member of the sponsoring organization's executive management, describing the applicant's background and motivation for enrolling in the program, as well as why the applicant would benefit from attending.

4. Payment commitment form signed by the applicant and member of sponsoring organization.

Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. During the review process, a member of the admissions committee may contact you or your executive sponsor to discuss your application.

To ensure your place in the program and to receive advanced preparation materials in a timely manner, please submit your application at least six weeks prior to the start of the Introductory Session. Late applications will be considered if space is available.