Position Description: Lake Forest and Schaumburg, Illinois. For the Position of: President and CEO. March 2014

Transcription

1 Position Description: Lake Forest and Schaumburg, Illinois For the Position of: President and CEO March 2014 This report has been prepared exclusively for Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and includes sensitive information. The use of this report should therefore be controlled and limited to those concerned directly with this assignment.

2 Position Description Title: Organization: Reports to: Location: Website: President and CEO Lake Forest Graduate School of Management Board of Directors Lake Forest and Schaumburg, Illinois Summary of the Opportunity The Board of Directors of the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management (LFGSM) seeks an experienced leader, innovator, and strategic thinker for the position of President and CEO. A private, not for profit graduate institution with a unique educational model of business leaders teaching working professionals, LFGSM is among the largest providers of MBA degrees in the Chicago region. Closely tied to the business community for more than 65 years, Lake Forest is dedicated to improving the management skills, knowledge, and experience of working professionals to enhance their career progression and impact on their companies and organizations. This position calls for vision, breadth, and good judgment; proven business leadership skills; an enthusiasm for marketing and advancing the School; demonstrated financial and staff management experience; an entrepreneurial mindset that can identify new opportunities; and the collegial bent and deft interpersonal ability to lead, motivate, and inspire within an academic environment. The successful candidate will demonstrate competence as reflected in career accomplishments; a strong commitment to academic excellence; and a passion for the School s mission. Candidates must possess proven fiscal acumen, strong strategic skills in attaining challenging objectives, excellent communication skills with the ability to interact with constituents at all levels, and political astuteness and understanding of the intricacies of a business oriented private professional school operating in a highly competitive environment. In addition, candidates must have a high degree of integrity and the ability to inspire trust. Page 2

3 The Institution Lake Forest Graduate School of Management (LFGSM) is a private, independent, not for profit, professional academic institution providing practical, high quality management education to working adults through degree and non degree programs. From its inception in 1946, LFGSM s mission has been to bring its students the best in business knowledge, both practical and theoretical, to prepare them for leadership roles and increasing responsibility in their companies. LFGSM s faculty members are all successful business leaders who provide practical relevant education and real life experiences that can be immediately applied in the workplace. This unique model has been a significant point of differentiation for the institution. LFGSM was created to respond to an acute shortage of broadly trained middle management professionals in the post World War II era. Three leading Illinois companies Abbott Laboratories, Fansteel Metallurgical Corporation, and Johns Manville Products Corporation joined with Lake Forest College to form the Lake Forest College Industrial Management Institute to provide practical, applicable management knowledge and experience to help managers meets the rapidly changing needs of business in a high growth environment. LFGSM formally separated from Lake Forest College in the 1960 s to become an independent entity. The Graduate School was accredited by the Higher Learning Commission in 1978 and recognized by the Illinois Board of Higher Education as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) granting institution in LFGSM s goals are captured in its statement of mission and aspirations and its core values: We are an independent, not for profit business management education enterprise dedicated to improving the competence, confidence and ability of working professionals and organizations to make significant business contributions that lead to outstanding and measurable results. LFGSM is committed to three core values that guide our decisions, priorities and actions commitment to customers, continuous improvement, and integrity. Today, LFGSM is among the top five largest not for profit MBA programs in the region, serving approximately 600 students in programs that are offered on campuses in Lake Forest and Schaumburg, in corporate locations, and on line. Approximately 85 percent of students are enrolled in the flagship Leadership MBA (LMBA) for experienced business professionals who want to develop strong management and leadership skills. Approximately 15 percent of students enroll in LFGSM s newest program, the Immersion MBA (imba), for aspiring business leaders with more limited business experience who want to develop a wide range of business skills or ignite or transition their careers. Students can also earn graduate level certificates in Page 3

4 Change Management, Global Business, Healthcare, Management Analytics, and/or Strategy and Execution. The LMBA program is a traditional program that uses facilitated discussions, Harvard case studies, computer simulations and exercises, role plays, team projects and presentations, web enhanced assignments including online discussion groups, and the application of classroom coursework to current workplace projects. The program consists of 16 courses 13 core and 3 electives. The imba program is an innovative model that immerses students in a virtual reality company with real products, customers, competitors, opportunities, and failures. Students spend 75% of their time in the virtual reality environment and 25% participating in online discussions and group projects with fellow students and faculty. Lake Forest has always maintained strong ties with the Chicagoland business community, and students are drawn from the region s leading corporations. These include Abbott Laboratories, Allstate Insurance Company, AbbVie, Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, CDW, CVS Caremark, Discover, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Grainger, Hollister, Hospira, HSBC, ITW, Kraft Foods, Medline, Mondelēz International, Motorola, Takeda, Walgreens, United Stationers, and US Cellular. LFGSM s 125 faculty are also drawn from the business community, and often from the home corporations of Lake Forest students. They are all part time adjuncts there is no tenure and courses are taught in the evenings to accommodate a population of working students. There are no departments; faculty members are organized by bench i.e., courses. They participate in the life of the school by serving on academic committees, assisting in open houses for prospective students, and acting as hosts for speakers in various networking events. The dynamic created by the interaction of a practitioner faculty and a student body of experienced business people is unusually stimulating and gives students exposure to managing sophisticated business problems and issues. LFGSM has a total staff of about 55. They are attracted to an organizational culture that is people focused, collegial, and supportive with an expectation for transparency and information sharing. LFGSM has won recognition as one of the best places to work in the region. There has been little turnover at the leadership level. Lake Forest s Programs are offered on two campuses in Lake Forest and Schaumburg, on site at corporate partners, and on line. The Lake Forest campus and headquarters was opened in 2004, a modern state of the art facility conveniently located within the business community of Conway Park. The Schaumburg campus was opened in 2010 on E. Woodfield Road, in the heart of the business district, to serve the northwestern suburbs. On site management education Page 4

5 programs are also offered at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Allstate Insurance Company. LFGSM generates annual revenues of approximately $11.4 million and has total assets of $19.6 million, no debt, and a healthy cash balance. Approximately 84 percent of revenue comes from student tuition with the remaining income from corporate education revenues, development support, and facilities rental fees. LFGSM raises modest amounts through fundraising about $350,000 annually mostly from direct Board facilitation. While there are some donorrestricted funds, there is no functioning endowment. The Lake Forest campus is owned by LFGSM, while the Schaumburg campus is leased through Average tuition at Lake Forest is about $50,000, placing it in the middle of MBA programs in the region, and considered a good value. LFGSM is governed by an engaged and accomplished 22 member Board of Directors, drawn from corporate leadership in the Chicagoland area. A number of Board members are graduates of LFGSM and a few serve as faculty members at the School. The Board meets four times each year. The Executive Committee is made up of the Board Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary together with the chairs of the six Board committees Academic Operations; Finance and Audit; HR and Compensation; Marketing, Admissions, Alumni Relations and Corporate Sales; Research, Development, and Innovation, and Board Development. Each Board committee is aligned with a specific division within LFGSM s organizational structure. Board members serve three year terms, renewable up to nine years without hiatus. Organizational Structure LFGSM is led by the President and CEO and is presently organized into six functional divisions, each led by a Vice President. Together these seven individuals form the Management Board of the Graduate School. The Divisions include the following: Educational Programs and Solutions (EPS), led by an Executive Vice President, includes academic programs (led by a Dean for Degree Programs and Faculty Relations), registration, student services, shared services, and campus operations. Corporate Learning Solutions (CLS), led by a Vice President, includes non degree corporate education programs and business education consulting services. Marketing, led by a Vice President, includes marketing, admissions, and alumni relations. Page 5

6 HR and Fundraising, led by a Vice President, includes human resources, including benefits and recruitment, career services, annual giving, and development. Finance, led by a Vice President and CFO, includes financial services, accounting, financial aid, facilities and events. Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) and Information Technology, led by a Vice President, includes IT infrastructure, applications, and support and through RDI, an incubator for innovating and testing new ideas that will lead to new products and services. For example, the imba program originated within this unit but has now become part of EPS. Opportunities and Challenges LFGSM has benefited from remarkable stability of leadership over the course of its 67 year history. The Graduate School has been led since 2001 by John Popoli, its fourth president and CEO, who will be retiring in June Under his leadership, the School opened its two campuses, instituted new delivery models, introduced many quality improvement initiatives, and developed a culture that aligns people s best work with the goals of the organization. LFGSM has good relationships with its corporate partners and a strong reputation for quality within the region. LFGSM is characterized by a strong business philosophy, emphasis on customer focus and a high degree of responsiveness to its constituents. LFGSM follows a philosophy of continuous quality improvement and continues to identify ways to measure its performance in achieving excellence. In turn, faculty, staff, and students demonstrate strong loyalty and enthusiasm, a sense of common purpose, and a commitment to the mission that bodes well for LFGSM s future. At the same time, there are significant challenges and future opportunities that face LFGSM and its next leader. For example: The region has become much more competitive, with more than 35 MBA programs competing for a declining number of students. Over the last ten years, LFGSM s enrollment has been slowly but steadily declining while efforts to find new markets and new student populations have not yet produced the desired results. While LFGSM was at the forefront in devising a model of practitioner instruction with more flexible and accessible delivery formats, many other institutions including forprofit institutions are now offering similar market driven models. Page 6

7 Although the School s financial condition is healthy, continued declining enrollments will make it unsustainable without growth in key areas such as online education and corporate training. Recognition of these issues is evident in the goal of LFGSM s Strategic Plan Return the School to Growth Mode. While LFGSM has a strong reputation and is well respected in the region, it is not wellknown nationally, which impacts its reach in online education. Development and philanthropy at LFGSM are still in the nascent stages and need to be strengthened to take advantage of alumni and business relationships and advance the interests of the School. LFGSM is an unusual hybrid of academic institution and business, and its leader will need to straddle both worlds, while demonstrating particular comfort in interactions with business leaders and the business community. Addressing these issues will require strong leadership, vision, and innovation, the ability to build strong relationships with the business community, leverage opportunities and identify new approaches to delivering a high quality educational product, and the marketing skills to build enrollment and increase visibility for LFGSM in the region and beyond. The Role of the President and CEO The President and CEO of LFGSM is responsible for the leadership, strategic vision, and growth of the Graduate School. He or she provides guidance and support for the daily operational management of the institution as a whole. The President and CEO is responsible to the Board of Directors for the attainment of the School s goals and objectives, in accordance with its mission. The President and CEO will work in partnership with the Board on strategic issues and on all matters necessary for it to adopt appropriate policies, which the President and CEO will implement. In addition to accountability to the Board of Trustees, the President and CEO is ultimately accountable to the entire LFGSM community and serves as principal ambassador to its key internal and external constituents students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, accreditation authorities, business partners, and the Chicagoland community. The President and CEO exercises vision and creativity in finding ways to articulate LFGSM s core values and to ensure curriculum and program development that maintains the School s academic strength. He or Page 7

8 she manages the annual budget and plays an active role in institutional advancement as it affects enrollment and fund raising. On matters affecting Graduate School administration, the President and CEO currently works with a Management Board that includes the leaders of the six functional divisions. The new President and CEO will be expected to achieve progress on a number of important priorities. The immediate first year agenda will likely include: Becoming familiar with the strengths of LFGSM, its business model, and attraction to students. Assessing, strengthening and empowering the senior team to ensure that its work is characterized by competence, collaboration, and courage, and that it can meet LFGSM s objectives. Evaluating, enhancing, and investing in admissions, recruiting, and marketing efforts to ensure that enrollment meets expectations in a sustainable fashion. Building relationships with corporate partners and the business community. Building the plan for a sustainable growth strategy that can lead the School into the future. In addition to these key steps, the President and CEO will: Provide leadership and strategic direction for LFGSM while maintaining academic excellence in its programs of study; provide for expanded access and adoption of next generation delivery formats. Guide the Graduate School through the process of product evaluation and expansion, with an emphasis on academic quality and meeting workplace demands. Lead development and implementation of multi year strategic, financial, and technology plans. Ensure that LFGSM consistently improves its fiscal soundness and operates in a sustainable model that meets the needs and interests of its students, alumni, faculty, staff, administration, and external stakeholders and balances an innovative and entrepreneurial approach with prudent fiscal management and stewardship in an environment of scarce resources. Page 8

9 Establish, elevate, and maintain a climate that encourages the development and retention of exceptional talent; a high level of morale and engagement; effective working relations; a high quality service culture; and an environment with administrative and academic technological vision. Represent and advance LFGSM to ensure a positive impact on the Chicagoland region, the business community, and the higher education community. Build and expand business, community, government, and media relationships and partnerships to enhance the image of LFGSM and promote its visibility locally, at the state level, nationally, and internationally. Work with the Board of Directors to attract and cultivate new Board members and promote the advancement of LFGSM. Promote the development function and play a leadership role in fundraising to support LFGSM and the growth of its resources. Strengthen business and community relations by acting as an ambassador and advocate for the growth of enrollments, program offerings, and greater visibility for LFGSM. Ensure multi generational alumni participation and an active Alumni Association in support of enrollments, advisory, and career advancement for students, and financial support of LFGSM. Perform other related duties as assigned or delegated by the Board of Directors. Key Selection Criteria LFGSM seeks an experienced, innovative, results oriented, and forward thinking business or academic leader to build on the School s successes and core competencies and lead it towards a sustainable future. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong leadership; competence as reflected in career accomplishments; a strong commitment to academic excellence; and a passion for the School s mission. Candidates must possess proven fiscal acumen, strong strategic skills in attaining challenging objectives, excellent communication skills with the ability to interact with constituents at all levels, and political astuteness and understanding of the intricacies of leadership of a private professional school within a highly competitive Page 9

10 environment. In addition, candidates must have a high degree of integrity and the ability to inspire trust. This position calls for vision, breadth, and good judgment; proven business leadership skills; an enthusiasm for fundraising; demonstrated financial and staff management experience; an entrepreneurial mindset that can identify new opportunities; and the collegial bent and deft interpersonal ability to lead, motivate, and inspire within the academic environment. While no candidate will embody every quality, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional qualifications and personal qualities: A Bachelor s degree from an accredited institution is required with an MBA, or related advanced degree preferred; Organizational leadership experience, ideally leading a business or organization through institutional growth; a strong knowledge of business principles; proven experience leading organizational change; Vision, intellect, and excellent judgment; ability to craft and implement a strategic vision that focuses on key priorities; keen analytic, organization, and problem solving skills which support and enable sound decision making and management; a capacity to synthesize and see the big picture; Gravitas, confidence, and executive presence to be a visible and respected partner within corporate and business circles. Experience and relationships, preferably at high levels, within the business community; Significant fundraising, marketing/branding, and fiscal management experience; willingness to be actively engaged in resource development. Strong relational skills; ability to attract new supporters while maintaining strong relationships with existing donors; Exceptional communication skills; strong public speaking skills. The ability to relate well to business, community, and academic leaders. A management style that is goal oriented but flexible, that respects the capabilities and independence of staff members in accomplishing organizational objectives but provides them with a clear sense of direction. Willingness to circulate widely, communicate openly, listen well, and learn from others. Page 10

11 Demonstrated management and financial experience sufficient to oversee a complex business enterprise in a changing environment; experience in leveraging limited resources while achieving innovative results; Strong commitment to professional team development; good judgment in recognizing talent; successful track record of recruiting and retaining a diverse team; Experience working closely and successfully with a governing board and active volunteers. The highest level of integrity. Energy, creativity, resilience, flexibility, tenacity, and a can do and enabling attitude. Lake Forest Graduate School of Management is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer encouraging diversity in the workplace. Page 11

12 SEARCH TEAM AND CONTACT INFORMATION Nominations, inquiries, and expressions of interest (cover letter, cv, and five references) should be directed electronically to: Kim M. Morrisson, Ph.D., Sr. Managing Director (215) (215) Sandra L. Goldman, Vice President (267) Karen Engel, Executive Assistant Diversified Search One Commerce Square 2005 Market Street, Suite 3300 Philadelphia, PA (215) (Main) (215) (Fax) 11921/03.14 Page 12