How Today’s Leaders Should Be Prepared for Technological Changes Ahead

Corporate investment in digital transformation is expected to reach nearly $2 trillion by 2022. Business practices, products, and organizations as we know them will radically change if they haven’t already. We’ll all need to adapt, and we’ll all be better off if our corporate leaders are equipped to guide the way.

OpenClassrooms exist to make sure that everyone has access to quality education – at every stage in their careers. Learning does not end when we enter the workforce; rather, we’re just getting started.

A new program and a new partnership

.Today, we’re announcing a new executive education program, in collaboration with Stanford Online, part of Stanford University. Together, we have designed this program to arm today’s leaders and managers with the skills and confidence they need to transform companies, big and small.

This program – which includes licensed course content developed by Stanford University faculty and instructors – will have all the elements of an OpenClassrooms degree level program that our community has come to expect: a dedicated, one-on-one mentor that is a practicing professional experienced in leading digital transformation; project-based learning and assessment, with the opportunity to graduate with a complete portfolio; a flexible model that allows you to move at your own speed; and more.

The curriculum

The modular, 6-month, the fully online masters-level program includes reinventing business models, becoming a data-driven organization, and discovering the potential of disruptive technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence.

What will you learn?

Achieving digital transformation is essential in modern business. It is the successful adoption of digital technologies by an organization to improve the customer experience or to introduce a new business model. The International Data Corporation estimates that annual spending on digital transformation will grow to $2.3 trillion a year by 2023 worldwide.

Digital transformation is a complex undertaking, full of challenges, including internal opposition. It can be costly in the workforce and capital expenditure, so getting transformation right is crucial.

Whether you are a senior leader, a mid-career executive, or looking to develop a new career in digital transformation, this program will prove essential.

By the end of this path, students will have learned, applied, and mastered the key skills behind a digital transformation. They will be able to:

Win support for a digital transformation project.

Structure data collection to become a data-driven organization.

Describe the potential of disruptive technologies (IoT, blockchain, cloud, robotics, IA...).

Lead an overhaul of the skills needed by the people in an organization.

Reinvent business models that are redefining value creation and customer relationships.

These fundamental skills underpin the success of any digital transformation project.

Why invest in your education about digital transformation now?

A wide range of disruptive, technologies including AI, the cloud, IoT, blockchain, robotics, machine learning, and more, have altered the balance of power between organizations and their customers. This has created both threats and opportunities.

Emerging technologies have changed the playing field, bringing about a new wave of "challengers" that are claiming market share from traditional giants.

Senior leaders need to be aware of the stakes involved in digital transformation and lead their company in the right direction. They need to be able to identify opportunities throughout their organization, recognize challenges, and set priorities once they commit to transformation initiatives. Along with understanding what it will take to transform from within, they need to understand the marketplace and how their company stacks up against the competition. They also need to absorb best practices, even when they’ve been defined outside their own industry. Finally, leaders have to be able to create a culture that promotes change throughout the company as a whole.

Mid-career executives and digital transformation consultants help convince leadership to allocate resources to the right projects, oversee the roll-out of change management strategies within the company, and regularly report on their outcomes.