Kenan-Flagler Develops Leadership Program With Wachovia

enan-Flagler created a new Executive Leadership Program for Wachovia Corp. designed in close partnership with the company's senior leaders.

"The partnership with Wachovia and the recent merger have created an opportunity to develop a unique program that will support the current leaders through this critical transition and help them address their most important integration challenges," said Steve Hicks, Kenan-Flagler's director for the Wachovia Program.

The program covers such topics as leading change in organizations, strategic decision-making, risk management, financial services trends, services marketing, e-business, systems thinking and human-capital development.

The Executive Education program began in May and will conclude in October. Executives-in-residence for the first module included Ken Thompson, president and CEO, and Jean Davis, a UNC-Chapel Hill alum who is senior vice president and head of information technology, e-commerce and operations. Barnes Hauptfuhrer and Ben Jenkins, two operating committee members, also participated.

UNC-Chapel Hill has a long history with both Wachovia and First Union, but this is the first initiative created since the two banks' merger, which created the fourth largest financial services institution in the United States.

"We must challenge the thinking and support the development of these experienced leaders at this new stage in their evolution as they are now a much larger, more complex organization," said Linda Bowen, professor and academic program director.

Kenan-Flagler's programs for executives are consistently ranked highly.