Cambridge General Management Programme

Organisations need people who are very comfortable across cultures.

The participants come in with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

When you are here, you can’t help but think you’re around people who are at the top of their field. And that’s going to rub off on you.

The programme is designed to be outward-looking from the organisation, to cover the more standard areas like evaluation, marketing, strategy, but is also internally focused. We have a fairly heavy emphasis on the operational side of a business. The course itself, it involves a lot of experiential learning. But, at the same time, the material that we teach is very heavily informed by a firm theoretical foundation.

I present a more realistic, comprehensive, and holistic description of how consumer make decisions, which is largely driven by their emotion. So this is based on the most current research finding in the field of psychology.

The participants in this programme are typically of the order of around 30 years old. And they come from all over the world. They’re usually high performers already, high flyers. This gives them an opportunity to reach into parts of management which they would not yet have touched on.

I think they also benefit very greatly from the international character of the programme. It’s quite an important networking opportunity for them.

We evaluate the different business schools. And we thought that Cambridge programme was the best option, in terms of time, courses, and of course as a reputation.

Participants on the programme can expect to be able to build on their specialist knowledge to become effective general managers. The two weeks are energising, challenging, and a lot of fun.

I come from a management consultant background. So the students have a foundation of operations theory as well as the examples I had from my consulting experience. And they get the practical elements as well as the theoretical side.

Cambridge is a city that has been a centre for learning and reflection for centuries and is a wonderful place for people to take some time out.

It is a place that really inspire you. So I enjoy sharing my knowledge with the student. At the same time, students stimulate me tremendously. I also borrow a lot of insights which develop through my own research. And then I share my research finding with participant in the programme and help them to understand how to gain competitive advantage.

What strikes me most about the programme is the increase in confidence which the participants develop over the two weeks and the readiness to take on challenges which they might not have been so keen to take on before.

I love teaching on this programme because of the calibre of the participants, because of their enthusiasm for their learning, the fun and the banter that they have with each other. But, at the same time, they’re sharing their knowledge of their areas.

They will go back and look at their organisations or the processes that they work with and be able to more critically assess them and say, does this operation align with what we’re trying to achieve with our business strategy?

Overview

We will test you, challenge you, encourage you and inspire you.

Gain essential strategic knowledge, skills and insight to drive performance.

This two-week intensive programme provides an understanding of the concepts and fundamental principles in key management disciplines, and how to apply them to improve decision-making within your organisation.

“

Join us for two weeks that will stretch your thinking, increase your confidence and accelerate your career. There will be the opportunity for you to reflect on your performance to date and consider how to develop your skills to ensure future success. It is also one of the best ways to gain international experience through exposure to an impressive peer group drawn from all over the world and from a wide range of sectors. You WILL be different when you leave. Are you ready? ”

Professor Jochen Runde, Academic Programme Director of the GMP

Why Cambridge?

Cambridge Judge Business School offers a distinctive approach born out of the University of Cambridge way.

Your experience here will be one of unrivalled quality, relevance, intensity and challenge.

Leading-edge research

With cutting-edge academic research from a business school with 16 research centres, participants draw upon the latest thinking; as one would expect from one of the foremost universities in the world.

Smaller class sizes

The University of Cambridge has always emphasised smaller class sizes for maximum interaction and focused effort between world-class faculty and world-class participants. Cambridge Judge is no exception.

Intensity and focus

Smaller class sizes and leading-edge faculty mean focus and intensity. Your programme will may be shorter than elsewhere, but you will likely be stretched as you have never known.

Isn’t that the point?

Ganesh Naidoo, Medical Director, Primary Healthcare GMP Participant – June 2018
Ewan Wilson, CEO, Wilson Aviation Consultants GMP Participant – June 2018
Tshireletso Matshego, Senior Manager, South African Reserve Bank GMP Participant – June 2018

Why go down the further learning path?

For a senior executive who has already found success in their field, what’s the draw of Executive Education – where’s the value in business learning?

That was the question a cohort of participants on our most recent General Management Programme tackled in a recent round-table discussion…

Read about their discussion

Reserve your place & find out more

Demand for this programme is high and we encourage prospective candidates to reserve a place; this ensures we hold a provisional place whilst allowing time to complete the application documents.

Reserve a place on the GMP

Topics

You will be provided with an understanding of the concepts and fundamental principles in key business management disciplines including:

Accounting
Collaborative leadership
Communication & negotiation strategies
Creative approaches to problem-solving
Finance
Innovation
Macroeconomics
Marketing
Operations
Organisational behaviour
Strategic management
Risk & uncertainty
High performance wellbeing

Your two weeks will contain a variety of teaching methods, including faculty lectures, guest speakers, case studies and group work sessions.

“

The programme is extremely well-designed and offers a great balance between theoretical and practical management principles. ”

Sergio A. Febles, Corporate Commercial & Marketing Director, Lopesan Hotel Group

“

I don’t think there was a single session when I didn’t leave thinking “we could do things differently and for the better”. ”

Simon Bradbeer, Director of Research, Development & Innovation, Gatic

What new skills and knowledge will you benefit from?

How to increase team performance with enhanced leadership skills
Improved decision-making processes and analysis
A broader understanding of financial and accounting principles
An appreciation of strategic issues in a global marketplace
How to identify new trends and market demands in a complex business and economic environment
How to integrate marketing, operations and strategy into a strategic business perspective
Increased insight into topical issues through discussion with thought leaders
An opportunity to customise your programme via a series of electives that allow deep dives into specialist areas and topics of current interest.

On completing the Cambridge General Management Programme you will be eligible to become an associate member of Cambridge Judge Business School’s global network of graduates and business-focused University of Cambridge alumni, faculty and staff.

“

I want to sincerely thank the Cambridge General Management Programme team for a wonderful time; I must confess it was worth every penny and more. I am back to work and eager to transfer what I have learnt from the programme to the overall success of my company. I will be holding a session later this week with my team and other interested parties to give a brief lecture on the outcomes of the training and best practices to drive the company forward based on new insights from the programme. ”

Ugochukwu Weli, Commercial Manager, PFL Engineering Services

“

This programme is ideal for people with at least five years’ executive experience who are especially interested in the practical application of fundamental principles in key management disciplines, and how to apply them to improve decision-making within their organisations. ”

Professor Jochen Runde, Academic Programme Director of the GMP

Who should attend

You will be a highly motivated executive looking to develop your management skills and knowledge by engaging with faculty and an international peer group in an intensive and fast-paced learning environment. You will be ambitious and looking to take what you learn from the programme to help you make the next step in your management career.

With typically five or more years’ experience, you may be moving from a specialist function to a more general management role, or to a more senior position within your organisation. The programme has been specifically designed to support those transitioning into new roles with broader perspectives.

“

This was one of the best experiences I’ve had so far in my career development. I not only appreciated that I could learn the mind and skillset needed for business, but also the fact that each session had clear messages to understand the idea and principal, which can be applied to our daily/future business. Now I am back in my office feeling fresh, and with confidence, ready to tackle the issues I need to overcome to develop our business further. ”

Tomoko Orimoto, Section Chief, Otsuka Holdings

“

The programme offered a great range of different subjects and views on a high academic level, thus providing to me a fascinating insight into matters which I do not deal with daily but which are important for my work. For me the programme has been a stimulus to increase my knowledge of the subjects of the sessions by doing further reading. ”

Hannes Wagner, Senior Legal Counsel, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV

These figures were taken from the 2017 GMP classes.

What do you need to survive and thrive at a startup?

For Chara Georgiadou, Country Manager at trivago, it was flexibility, commitment… and two weeks on the Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education General Management Programme.

Jochen Runde

Professor of Economics

PhD (University of Cambridge)

View Jochen's profile

Shasha Lu

University Lecturer in Marketing

PhD (School of Management, Fudan University)

View Shasha's profile

Other faculty & speakers

Allègre Hadida

University Senior Lecturer in Strategy

PhD (Doctorat HEC, France)

View Allègre's profile

Jennifer Howard-Grenville

Diageo Professor in Organisation Studies

PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

View Jennifer's profile

Michael Kitson

University Senior Lecturer in International Macroeconomics

BA (University of Cambridge)

View Michael's profile

Benn Lawson

University Senior Lecturer in Operations Management

PhD (University of Melbourne)

View Benn's profile

Vincent Mak

Professor of Marketing & Decision Sciences

PhD (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

View Vincent's profile

Geoff Meeks

Emeritus Professor of Financial Accounting

PhD (University of Edinburgh)

View Geoff's profile

Nektarios (Aris) Oraiopoulos

University Lecturer in Operations Management

PhD (Georgia Institute of Technology)

View Nektarios's profile

Jaideep Prabhu

Professor of Marketing

PhD (University of Southern California)

View Jaideep's profile

Andreas Richter

Reader in Organisational Behaviour

PhD (Aston University)

View Andreas's profile

Thomas Roulet

University Senior Lecturer in Organisation Theory

PhD (HEC Paris)

View Thomas's profile

Pedro Saffi

Reader in Financial Economics

PhD (London Business School)

View Pedro's profile

David Stillwell

Reader in Computational Social Science

PhD (University of Nottingham)

View David's profile

Eden Yin

University Senior Lecturer in Marketing

PhD (University of Southern California)

View Eden's profile

Dates & fees

Dates	Duration	Fees *
Dates tbc	2 weeks**	£14,000 + VAT

VAT is charged at the prevailing rate – where applicable – which is currently 20%; e.g. £14,000 + 20% = £16,800.

* Fees include all programme materials, daytime refreshments and some evening meals, accommodation in the centre of Cambridge, some Cambridge-based activities and a gala dinner in a historic Cambridge College. Participants are expected to attend the full programme. Please note prices pre-registration are subject to change.

** 12 nights’ accommodation.

Preferential rates may be available for groups, University of Cambridge alumni and members of the School’s Alumni Association.

For information regarding payment terms, cancellation rights, transfer policies and fees, please see our terms & conditions documents:

Terms & Conditions for Self-funded Applicants (pdf, 277KB) (updated 4 September 2019)
Terms & Conditions for Organisation-funded Applicants (pdf, 295KB) (updated 4 September 2019)

Registration closes at midday two working days before the programme start date.

Participants are expected to attend the full programme.

Please ensure that you have read our Frequently Asked Questions, which provide important additional information about our face-to-face programmes, in particular during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“

I was able to see the bigger picture for my organisation and the possible changes that can be made. ”

Faisal Al Sugeiri, Saudi Industrial Development Fund

Reserve a place

Our programmes are very popular and tend to fill quickly. We cap the group size at 25. It is therefore advisable to reserve a place on specific sessions. This will simply keep your place until you are able to send in the application form, and we will remain in touch with you to inform you when the programme is almost full.

Reserve a place

If you have any questions or would like to have a chat about this programme and how it could benefit you or your organisation, please get in touch with the programme advisor: