eCornell Launches Online Executive Leadership Series from Cornell University

ITHACA, NEW YORK, August 5, 2004 -- Senior managers and executives can now participate in an Ivy League executive education program without losing valuable time and productivity or sacrificing learning effectiveness. Cornell University's leading executive education programs, the Johnson Graduate School of Management and the School of Hotel Administration, have partnered with eCornell to create an innovative and relevant online leadership program for leaders in any industry. While most e-learning has focused on IT skills and business productivity skills training, eCornell and Cornell University have developed an innovative online approach that is suited to the needs of more senior leaders.

Executive Leadership provides the skills necessary to differentiate organizations in an economy governed by uncertainty, increasing competitive threats, and expanding global opportunities. Developed with Cornell faculty, the course content, typically delivered via an in-person seminar over 4-5 days, is now delivered completely online. Honed through experience with major corporations in a variety of industries, it addresses the issues that are most critical in the development of corporate leaders: the ability to think and plan strategically, to make good decisions, and to innovate. This course series provides significant opportunities to interact with an online instructor as well as a group of peers, and includes case studies and rigorous assignments to provide a challenging and relevant learning experience.

“This online course series provides leaders with the opportunity to develop a plan for implementing the most current management thinking and strategic models in their organization,” says Michael J. Hostetler, Director for Leadership Studies at the Johnson School. He adds that “the innovative online format provides managers with the time to reflect and integrate the content in a way that is not possible during a traditional executive education program.”

“eCornell provides a convenient and flexible environment for executives to learn and experiment with new techniques and approaches to management, such as Professor Judi Brownell's methods for decision making,” says Tom Kline, Director of Executive Education at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration.

The courses are offered every month and a certificate can be earned in as little as eight weeks.

About the Johnson School
The Johnson School at Cornell University is Cornell's graduate school of management. The Johnson School combines leading-edge intellectual capital with "real time, real world" business practice and is ranked among the top business schools in the world. Distinctive Johnson School offerings include a wide variety of opportunities for experiential learning, such as immersion curricula and student-run venture capital and mutual funds. Programs include both twelve-month and two-year MBA degree options, an executive MBA, doctoral degrees, and a variety of customized executive education programs. For more information, visit http://www.johnson.cornell.edu.

About the School of Hotel Administration
Since 1922, the School of Hotel Administration has been a central leader in the development of the hospitality industry--an industry that has experienced vast growth and now ranks as the world's largest by revenue and number of people employed. The Cornell Hotel School has the world's most sought-after group of thought leaders focused on hospitality service-oriented management. Many large, global hospitality companies are actively involved with the faculty for executive education and training, as well as for research and consulting. As a result, the Cornell Hotel School is widely regarded as the hospitality industry's "think tank." For more information, visit http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu.

About eCornell
eCornell, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cornell University, provides many of the world’s leading organizations with online professional and executive development in the areas of leadership and management development, human resources, financial management and hospitality management. eCornell’s proven course development model and asynchronous instructor-led course delivery provide for engaging, rigorous and interactive learning. The company has delivered over 120,000 courses to more than 36,000 students in almost 200 countries. For more information visit www.ecornell.com.

Media Contact:
Will Hipwell, VP Marketing
(607) 330-3399
whipwell@ecornell.com