Unique learning event for co-op executives

Co-operative CEOs and senior managers in the UK and Canada have the opportunity to take part in a unique new three-day learning and network event.

The Executive Education Course, run by St Mary’s University of Halifax, Canada, is an interactive professional development opportunity that will focus on enhancing business performance through co-operative management practices. A number of themes will be explored, including how to strengthen identity, loyalty participation and the co-operative difference.

The UK course is being run in partnership with the Co-operative College and Sheffield Hallam University on 17-19 May 2017, and is being hosted by the Co-operative Group in Manchester. The course in Canada is taking place on 1-3 November 2017, hosted by Vancity Credit Union in Vancouver. Attendees will receive a certification of participation from the three institutions.

“We’re delighted to be offering this professional leadership programme to executives of co-operatives, the first course of its kind in the UK,” said Simon Parkinson, CEO and principal of the Co-operative College, and one of the facilitators of the UK course. “This is a great opportunity to demonstrate that there is a difference and a great benefit in co-operative leadership.”

Mr Parkinson will be joined in Manchester by Cilla Ross (College vice-principal), Rory Ridley-Duff (Sheffield University), Vivian Woodell (CEO, the Phone Co-op) and Ursula Lidbetter (CEO, Lincolnshire Co-operative Society). Daniel Côté and Karen Miner (St Mary’s University) will facilitate both courses.

Course participants will look at the historical perspective of the co-operative movement and model, combined with how current day co-op enterprises fits within a wider social solidarity economy. They will address issues of core values and their purpose, the co-operative business model, and co-operative equilibrium, with emphasis on the alignment from co-op values to key performance indicators.

The course will also look at the move from a potential identity crisis to the New Co-operative Paradigm (NCP), a model that takes into consideration both co-operative rules and market rules, and discuss emerging concepts in the field of management and governance in the context of co-operative enterprises.

• The three day course costs £1200 (UK) / C$1500 (Canada) and includes coffee and pastries in the morning, health breaks and lunches. A complimentary group evening dinner will be hosted at a local restaurant for all course participants on day 1. Some course fee subsidies are available on the basis of financial need. For more information and to book, visit the Co-operative College (UK course) or St Mary’s University (Canada course).