Go beyond the buzzwords to understand how digital platforms, ecosystems and AI are changing the way businesses compete.
Become confident in evaluating digital opportunities for value creation.
Form your own researched-based view on what this new paradigm for competition driven by digitalisation means.
Put yourself in the shoes of the decision-makers in cutting-edge cases and hear the perspectives of leading experts in the field.
Develop a personal plan that will be pressure-tested by a mentor.
Understand organisational and governance levers that will enable winning in the world of digital platforms and ecosystems.
Develop bold leaders who are prepared to compete in the new paradigm of digitalisation.
Enable your decision-makers to identify opportunities to compete in spaces where industries digitise and collide.
Rethink existing approaches to partnerships to take a step change in value creation and become more digitally aware.
Interpret the latest developments and technology/market signals to define your organisation’s approach to AI.
Define the role of metaverse/NFTs/blockchain/crypto in the broader strategy of your organisation.
Right for you
This programme is designed for senior executives, venture capital and private equity investment professionals and entrepreneurs. Attendees will include:
8
8
or more years of professional experience
CEOs and leaders of major business units of large corporates, who are seeking new ways for their organisations to compete in a digitalised world
Chief Strategy Officers, heads of innovation, heads of business development, heads of corporate development
Venture capital and private equity investment professionals who take an active role in the governance of their portfolio companies as Board members or observers.
Founders seeking to identify opportunities for their new businesses and wanting to rethink business models to make the most of what technology has to offer
Programme content
Compete with the wildest of digital wildcards
Develop new strategic perspectives that will enable your company to thrive in the age in digital innovation
How to build a multi-product digital ecosystem, drawing on complementors
Find out how AI affects competitive dynamics and how it is shaped by Big Tech strategy
Assess high-growth business opportunities more rigorously by building on frontier research
Understand blockchain and its application to disrupt and complement existing firms
Understand the metaverse, who drives it, and how firms can engage in it
Guest speakers with direct, global experience will be different each day and will showcase how they’ve leveraged frontier digital technology for competitive gain
We have brought together the world’s leading minds on digital strategies and frontier technology to LBS in this unique 5-day programme.
LBS faculty and a diverse group of guest speakers will demonstrate how to harness technology for new forms of value creation for your business. You’ll develop a personal plan (pressure-tested by a mentor) outlining the next steps for your organisation. The course is split over five days. You’ll take part in practical case study discussions in class and within your smaller project teams of 4-5 participants.
Day one | on campus Introduction; Platforms and Digital Competition
Prepare yourself for an intense and dynamic five days on campus. After an introduction to the course and its objectives, find out what drives the success and failure of platform business models. Our first day will involve on-campus learning from LBS faculty as well as guest speakers, setting project groups and meeting your mentors. You’ll discover how to make the most of platform dynamics whatever role you play.
Day two | on campus & off campus trip
Design your Ecosystem Play
Learn what it takes to build your own business ecosystem, and how to attract partners and customers. Figure out what distinct roles there are in ecosystems, what role is best suited for your business and what that means for your strategy. LBS faculty, guest contributors and a visit to a Microsoft UK HQ will provide participants with both practical and theoretical knowledge of how to design their ecosystem play and how industry leaders think about ecosystem strategy. The day ends with participants meeting entrepreneurs exploring innovative business models to pressure test their ideas.
Day three | on campus The Role of AI
Navigate the landscape of AI technologies and use cases. Get to know the main players in this space and their strategies. Understand the role regulation and geopolitics play. Figure out how all of it changes the way businesses – both tech and non-tech – compete and what the implications are for your organisation. Guest speakers from widely varying industries bring to life the breadth of the opportunity of AI in business.
Day four | on campus Competing in the shadow of Big Tech and digital wildcards Develop a nuanced understanding of Big Tech business models and their quest to expand and reshape our world. Consider how regulatory efforts change these models and what that means for broader competitive dynamics. The day’s guest speakers and LBS faculty will explore digital wildcards – such as metaverse, blockchain & crypto – beyond the buzzwords and support you to form your own view of them.
Celebrate the penultimate day of the programme with a dinner in London at a private member’s club with a high profile key-note speaker.
Day five | on campus Workshop and reflections
Wrap up with a workshop that puts the business models discussed under the spotlight. What will they mean for your industry and for your organisation? What does everything you have learnt here mean for you personally? Group presentations with LBS faculty and your mentors will shine a light on how you can take learnings from the week and make impactful changes in your business.
Learn face-to-face on our London campus in a mixture of whole cohort classroom sessions and smaller learning teams of 4-5 participants with continual support of mentors throughout
This programme benefits from being taught by LBS faculty with support from a list of global guest speakers, each with their own specialisation to share
Outside the classroom connect and build relationships with other business leaders with an interest in digital strategy and ecosystems, and leveraging these in practice
Build on insights from the course by developing a personal plan pressure-tested by a mentor
After the programme prepare a written (or video) reflection to share with other participants
Stay in touch with peers from the programme to share insights, progress together and stimulate each other’s thinking on ecosystems
What is the application process?
You can apply to the programme of your choice online. Acceptance is not automatic and your application will be reviewed by our team of Programme Consultants to ensure the best fit between applicants and programmes. Spaces on our programmes can fill up quickly so we encourage you to apply early and ensure your application is as comprehensive as possible.
Will I have to do any preparation before attending the programme?
You'll receive communication from your Programme Manager around six weeks before starting the programme. The information we send will direct you to our online learning platform which will include the programme timetable, pre-programme reading and preparation work, and an introduction to your fellow participants.
Do I need to obtain a visa if I’m coming from overseas?
Visa requirements vary depending on your nationality and country of residence. We encourage you to use the ‘check if you need a visa’ tool or to consult the UK consulate or embassy in your home country.
Michael studies industry evolution, value migration, firm boundaries and organisation design. His recent work has shed light on the emergence and development of digital platforms and ecosystems, and has examined the strategic and policy issues this raises.
Experience
Michael is the Lead Advisor of Evolution Ltd and an Academic Advisor to the Boston Consulting Group. He works on strategy with corporates such as Haier, Huawei, MasMovil, Vodafone, Nokia, SAP, Enel, Santander, Helvetia, Zurich, CS, Airbus, DeBeers, Burberry, MerckSerono and the NHS.
Yuri studies how businesses create and capture value through innovative business models, including platforms and business ecosystems.
Experience
Yuri is a lecturer, researcher and consultant on strategy. He has more than 15 years of consulting experience supporting business leaders and private equity investors and 10 years of teaching experience at academic institutions around the world. His primary industry experience is in retail, consumer goods and technology. He holds an MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School and a Doctorate in Business Administration from SDA Bocconi.
Guest Lecturer, Chaired Professor in Digital Economy and Director of the Centre of Digital Economy at the University of Surrey
Experience
Professor Gawer is a world-class academic pioneer in platform strategy, and a thought leader and expert strategy adviser to senior business leaders and tech entrepreneurs on the business of digital platforms and platform-based innovation ecosystems. Having previously advised the European Commission on the regulation of online platforms, she also regularly consults for major international corporations on platform and ecosystem strategy.
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Ioannis Ioannou
Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship
Dr Ioannis Ioannou is a strategy scholar whose research focuses on Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility. He seeks to understand whether, how, and the extent to which the modern business organisation contributes towards building a sustainable future.
Recent Clients
Ioannis is a member of the Advisory Board of Ethical Corporation and collaborates as the Strategy Expert with KKS Advisors, a leading sustainable business consulting firm. He also consults internationally with companies as well as asset managers on how ESG strategies can be strategically selected, and successfully implemented. He is highly active on social media and a frequent contributor to articles in the popular and managerial press including outlets such as the Financial Times, Bloomberg, The Guardian, BBC, Le Monde, and Forbes. In further recognition of his impactful work, Professor Ioannou has been recognised by various rankings as one of the top social media influencers around the world for issues of sustainability and corporate responsibility.
Experience
Ioannis is a Professor, an Advisor, and a Keynote Speaker on Sustainability Leadership and Corporate Responsibility. As a leading expert, Professor Ioannou's research provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities organizations encounter when developing sustainable business models. His award-winning academic work on strategic ESG integration, coupled with his focus on the investment community and financial markets, has established him as a thought leader in the field.
Professor Ioannou actively engages with leading companies, boards, and executives, providing valuable perspectives on the implications of transitioning to sustainability leadership for both businesses and investors. As a sought-after speaker and advisor, he has delivered numerous keynote speeches globally at high-profile events and industry conferences, and his work has been featured in popular and managerial press outlets worldwide.
Deeply involved in the world of practice, Ioannis' expertise has secured him positions on various advisory boards, such as the Sustainability Advisory Panel of Merck KGaA, the ESG Advisory Board of the DWS Group, and as a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Expert Network, where he offers expert guidance on Sustainable Development.
His research is published in top-tier peer-reviewed academic journals, such as the Strategic Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, and Management Science. He is the most cited scholar of his graduating cohort and consistently ranks in the top 100 authors on the social science research network (SSRN). He is also an Associate Editor of the Strategic Management Journal. He has also been recognized by several rankings as one of the top social media influencers on issues of corporate Sustainability and he is frequently quoted in articles in the press including outlets such as the Financial Times, Bloomberg, The Guardian, BBC, and Forbes, among others.
Ioannis graduated magna cum laude from Yale University, majoring in Economics and Mathematics and holds a Ph.D. in Business Economics from Harvard University and the Harvard Business School. He is currently an Associate Professor with tenure at LBS and teaches on various degree programs, and he is also a regular contributor to numerous LBS executive education programs, including modules on Responsible Business and Sustainability.
Keyvan's research is broadly focused on understanding the factors that promote creativity and innovation at the individual, team, organisation, and industry levels, using a variety of experimental and quasi-experimental designs, quantitative data methods and textual analysis.
Experience
Real-world experience: Before joining academia, Keyvan was an entrepreneur and worked as a consultant. In 2006, he founded a video game production company, which was acquired by Samsung Co, three years later. As a consultant, he worked with executives in a range of industries such as auto, oil, education, software and hardware.
Guest Speaker, CIO of PingAn and CEO of Voyager Fund
Experience
Jonathan Larsen is now Chief Innovation Officer of Ping An Group and Chairman and CEO of the Ping An Global Voyager Fund.
He has been at the leading edge of the financial services industry for the last 31 years across the Asia Pacific region and globally. He brings a unique blend of strategic vision, operational depth, and understanding of the new technology landscape.
Arka is Product Lead at OpenAi and an LBS Sloan 2022 Alumni.
Prior to OpenAi, Arka was co-founder and CEO at Zinier responsible for driving the company’s overall strategy and expanding to new verticals and global markets. Zinier is an intelligent field service automation platform that helps organisations work smarter, faster, and more efficiently.
Cristina Caffarra is an antitrust expert with a long career advising on competition cases – for nearly 20 years as Head of the CRA Europe and then of Keystone Europe. She appeared as expert witness in multiple high-profile merger and conduct cases before the courts, the EC and national agencies. Most recently she was the lead economist in Europe on Microsoft/Activision. She is Honorary Professor at UCL and Co-Founder and Vice Chair of CEPR Competition Research Policy Network.
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Martin Bruncko
Guest Speaker, Minister of Research & Tech of Slovakia, Head of Europe for WEF and Deep Tech investor
Guest Speaker, Minister of Research & Tech of Slovakia, Head of Europe for WEF and Deep Tech investor
Experience
Martin Bruncko is a technology entrepreneur, executive, investor, and former senior public policy leader. He has extensive expertise from building transformational deep tech and fintech companies, as well as from top echelons of national and international policymaking in the areas of finance and innovations.
Martin has held senior executive and board positions in several highly innovative fintech and R&D-based companies, including as Executive Vice President for Europe at Binance. Prior to joining Binance, Martin was the founder and managing director of London-based deep tech and fintech investment and advisory firm Steam Capital and member of the investment committee of the European Innovation Council Fund, which is the largest deep tech investment fund in Europe.
Nima Abbasi has 25+ years of working at the intersection of business innovation and new technology, always exploring the "Near Future" of the Digital Revolution.
Nima is currently the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Maison Meta, a leading AI Studio & Lab working with companies such as Moncler, Google, Revolve, UBS, Zara, Victoria's Secret, Mango, Unilver, BrandTech Group, L'Oreal and Campari amongst others.
Guest Speaker, Education Minister and former Minister of State and Digital Governance Minister of Greece
Experience
A computer and political scientist, Kyriakos has notably worked as Innovation Coordinator at Athens Information Technology (AIT), as an advisor to the Greek Ministry of Economic Development, as well as a researcher at both the MIT’s Centre for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR) and the Centre for American Progress. He has also worked on technology policy for various research institutes in Greece and abroad. He was previously Director of Research of diaNEOsis Research and Policy Institute, a think tank based in Athens, focusing on the economic and social reconstruction of the country.
Thanos specialises in Technology Management and Entrepreneurship. He has 20 years of field experience, first as a consultant with Cambridge Technology Partners and subsequently as the founder or co-founder of a number of US and EU-based companies, including AlphaDetail, mbriyo, giaola, and M2Cmedia and he was the founding partner of Charge Ventures.
He’s now President and Chari of Board at Moveo, an enterprise-grade platform, driven by generative AI and proprietary Large Language Models (LLMs), their mission is to demystify AI, making it accessible and simple to use, empowering enterprises to leverage their data, scale their operations and elevate customer experiences.
Clare is Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft UK where she is responsible for all of Microsoft's product and service offerings in the UK and for supporting the success of our commercial customers and partners. Prior to October 2020, Clare was Microsoft UK's Chief Operating Officer for four years where she orchestrated the direction and success of the sales, marketing, and services resources in each of Microsoft UK's business groups.
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Martin Reeves
Guest Speaker, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute
Guest Speaker, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute
Experience
Martin is the Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute and one of BCG's most prolific strategic minds. He is a regular contributor to HBR, MIT SMR, Fortune and other management journals on business strategy and management, as well as a regular public speaker and a repeat TED@BCG presenter.
Martin is co-author of The Imagination Machine, an executive’s guide to systematically harnessing imagination for corporate reinvention and rejuvenation. He is also the host of the BCG Henderson Institute's flagship Thinkers & Ideas podcast.
Martin has led a broad range of strategy assignments in the Financial Institutions, Consumer Goods, Industrial Goods and Health Care sectors. He has particular expertise in the areas of adaptive strategy, strategy for multi-business systems, sustainability strategies, ecosystem strategies, collective learning and innovation, corporate vitality, and trust.
Martin holds an MBA from Cranfield University School of Management and an MA in natural sciences from the University of Cambridge.
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Certificate in Management
This programme can also be taken as part of the Certificate in Management. Enhance your leadership approach, hone your business skills and curate your own curriculum with a blend of online and in-person learning.
We recommend you apply at least three months before the programme starts to guarantee your place. The application form will take approximately 15 to 30 minutes to complete.
We’ll acknowledge receipt of your application by email within 48 hours, if it’s received during normal working hours (Mon-Fri – 09:00-18:00 GMT). We will review and respond to your application within two working days. We do this in order of receipt and acceptance is not automatic.
Yes. We can hold a provisional place for you for up to two weeks, but be aware that completed applications take priority and programmes often fill up several months in advance. You can reserve a place online, by phone or by email.
The programme is taught in English, so a good working knowledge of the language is essential. If English is not your first language, we may ask you for evidence of your proficiency.
Enhance your leadership and business skills with a comprehensive learning journey tailored to you. Create a personalised curriculum by selecting four short courses from our extensive, world-class portfolio, guided by our expert advisors.
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