A Tailor-Made Programme for Developing All-Round Leaders at Pfizer

Pfizer came to us with a very specific demand. They wanted Solvay Lifelong Learning to develop a one-week training programme for their business unit leaders. Their aim? To provide them with the necessary skills to develop their business acumen and make them better leaders in a changing bus...

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Co-creation as a Keystone

Given their objective, Pfizer clearly did not want to work with an off-the-shelf curriculum, which is why they came to Solvay Lifelong Learning. They joined heads with our Company-Specific Programmes (CSP) team started to develop a tailor-made curriculum, and discussed the topics with all the professors involved in the programme.

Being an industry leader, Pfizer did not want the business cases to present challenges from their own industry. ‘Our world has grown volatile and uncertain, and we need to be prepared,’ says Serge Premer, Senior Director L&D, Europe Japan-Korea-ANZ at Pfizer. ‘...Which is why it is very important for our future leaders to broaden their horizons and to draw insights from other industries.’

A Business Game to Break Down Silos

The programme also incorporates a one-day business game facilitated by Solvay Lifelong Learning academics. Participants engage in making management decisions that affect different divisions and operational outcomes. This exercise breaks down silos and encourages a more global approach to decision-making, allowing the application of insights gained in a high-pressure context.

The Business Game is a powerful tool for participants to comprehend how management choices influence other divisions and operational outcomes. It effectively breaks down silos and promotes a more holistic approach to management decisions. -Serge Premer

Investing in Tomorrow's Leaders

To date, the programme has successfully met its objectives, with Pfizer and Solvay Lifelong Learning committed to continuous enhancement based on feedback from educators and participants. Thanks to the blend of theory, cross-industry business cases, and the business game, programme completers find themselves inspired and invigorated. More significantly, they are now better prepared to tackle the challenges in a rapidly evolving business environment that a top pharmaceutical company faces.

“We are still tinkering with the formula, using the feedback of teachers and participants to make it better with each edition. For the participants, it is a sizeable investment: they need to spend a whole week away from their business unit and travel to Belgium. So we want to make sure to pack a lot of added value! In that respect, combining theory with real-life experiences from other industries is a magical formula for participant inspiration and satisfaction… And indeed, the programme generates a lot of traction at Pfizer!

Want to know how Solvay Brussels School can help your company innovate? Request a tailor-made programme!