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TORONTO, August 20, 2001 -- The graduation of 21 executives from the inaugural class of a new aerospace program marks a major step to ensure Canadian companies continue as global competitors in the fast-changing world of aerospace, aeronautics and related technologies.

The Aerospace Executive Management Program will graduate its first class for the certificate stage on Monday August 27, 2001. The successful participants will earn the Aerospace Executive Management Certificate after completing an Executive MBA-style curriculum customized to the specialized needs of the aerospace industry. Successful candidates will now go on to the diploma stage.

The next Aerospace Executive Management Certificate program begins February 2002. Registrations are now being accepted from qualified aerospace professionals. The deadline for program applications is November 30, 2001.

The program is a joint initiative of the Ontario Aerospace Council (OAC) and the University of Toronto’s Joseph L. Rotman School of Management. The partners designed the program for aerospace companies that want to develop world-class business expertise and enhance the decision-making abilities of their senior managers and executives.

To ensure an industry focus, the curriculum benefited from the recommendations of OAC’s training committee, spearheaded by Bombardier Inc. The Rotman School then worked closely with OAC member companies to create a series of new case studies that use contemporary aerospace situations to illustrate management concepts.

“In today’s competitive aerospace sector, winning companies are the ones that make the smartest decisions. Through the Aerospace Executive Management Program, high achievers in our industry are able to learn and apply current best practices to their work,” said Ken Laver, president of the OAC and president of the aircraft landing gear manufacturer, Messier-Dowty Inc.

“This is the first program of its kind where a group of aerospace companies work with a top-tier business school to create a specialized executive-level program for their future corporate decision-makers. This is one of the key ways that Canada’s aerospace companies will strengthen their long-term global competitiveness,” he said.

The first class of graduates represent 12 aerospace companies, including Boeing, Honeywell, Magellan Aerospace Corp., Messier-Dowty Inc., Orenda Aerospace Corp., as well as regional and Ontario-based aerospace suppliers and companies. More information is available at www.rotman.utoronto.ca/aerospace.

“The graduates from this program represent organizations that recognize the importance of executive education as a competitive advantage,” said Program Director Joseph D’Cruz, Professor of Strategic Management at the Rotman School. “The executives and senior managers who are earning their certificate have taken the first steps to becoming future leaders at their companies. At the same time, their employers are enhancing their corporate knowledge-based resources, a competency that is crucial for success in world markets.”

The aerospace certificate program is based on a foundation of first year MBA courses including leadership, finance, marketing and operations management/strategy. After completing the certificate, the graduates will continue their studies at the Rotman School by enrolling in the Aerospace Executive Management Diploma. The diploma curriculum is a second stage of MBA-type courses and covers more advanced industry competencies, including strategic management, accounting for executives and developing global alliances. Participants who earn both the certificate and diploma can then apply to the second year of the Executive MBA Program at the Rotman School.

The OAC is an industry-led forum of strategic action for the Ontario aerospace sector. It was formed in 1994. The OAC’s 100 member companies represent approximately 60% of Ontario’s aerospace sector. The industry employs more than 25,000 people, including approximately 2,500 managers.

The University of Toronto’s Rotman School offers leading-edge research and degree programs, including the prestigious Rotman MBA, the newly redesigned Part-Time MBA, the Executive MBA, a first-rate Doctoral Program, the distinctive Master of Management & Professional Accounting program, the undergraduate Commerce program in partnership with the Faculty of Arts and Science, combined programs with the University of Toronto faculties of Law, Engineering and Nursing, and an innovative series of Executive Programs tailored to the current needs of businesses and individual managers.

Ken McGuffin
Media Relations Officer
Rotman School of Management
Voice: (416) 946-3818
E-mail: mcguffin@rotman.utoronto.ca

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