Digital Business Leadership Program

Innovate and create value in the digital age

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Course Date

STARTS ON

February 26, 2024

Course Duration

DURATION

7 Months
Online and In Person

Course Fee

PROGRAM FEE

US$32,000 and get US$1,600 off with a referral US$200 application fee

Course Information Flexible payment available

Early Registration Benefit

Apply now to secure your place at US$27,000 by . Connect with a learning advisor for more information.

Welcome

To claim your US$1,000 program fee coupon for Digital Business Leadership Program, please complete the information form.

Synergizing Business and Technology

New digital technologies and disruptive threats are transforming every industry. In order to adapt and thrive, organizations need leaders who can think strategically and harness each wave of digital change to create new value for customers and new opportunities for their organizations.

The Digital Business Leadership Program from Columbia Business School Executive Education is a comprehensive program that prepares global executives to create innovative digital strategies and business models and lead their organizations toward success in the digital age.

Designed for Your Success

The Digital Business Leadership Program is designed with the needs of busy executives in mind. The program offers a blended learning format, including online and in-person faculty sessions, guest lectures, and case studies for maximum career and business impact.

Learn

Draw upon the cutting-edge research and groundbreaking thought leadership of Ivy League faculty and some of the top business minds from the world’s global business hub.

Engage

Exchange insights with accomplished peers, industry practitioners, and expert faculty during immersive in-person modules on Columbia Business School Executive Education's Manhattanville campus in New York City.

Implement

Devise solutions to real-world challenges, with a strong emphasis on implementation, using the theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience you have acquired.

What You Will Learn

This immersive learning experience will enable you to:

  • Master the skills, tools, and frameworks necessary to provide digital leadership and drive transformation in your organization
  • Understand the principles of digital business models, rapid innovation, and organizational change
  • Gain the strategic leadership skills needed to navigate an era of technological shifts and disruptive business models
  • Develop a roadmap for organizational change in your own or a client's organization
  • Apply principles of iterative innovation to a real-world digital product

Key Program Features

Expertly Developed Curriculum

Grow your skills for the digital age in the areas of strategy, innovation, data, new business models, and transformation leadership

Ivy League Faculty

Learn from world-renowned Columbia Business School Executive Education faculty who bring deep research and industry experience to the program

Two Capstone Projects

Work individually and as part of a team on capstone projects that bring together the learnings on digital transformation and innovation

Peer Interaction

Engage with accomplished fellow participants from across sectors who contribute diverse experiences, cultures, and perspectives

Eminent Speakers

Hear from leaders in the startup ecosystem, investors, and innovation hubs and gain new insights

Elite Alumni Network

Join a distinguished network of over 47,000 alumni worldwide, and receive select Columbia Business School Executive Education alumni benefits

Immersive Learning

Engage with peers, industry experts, and faculty during in-person modules held on the Columbia Business School Executive Education campus in New York City

Curriculum

The program's curriculum is highly integrated and designed to maximize linkages across three key themes related to digital transformation and innovation leadership.
    • The five domains of digital strategies
    • Employing data as a strategic asset
    • Platforms and multi-sided business models
    • Leveraging AI for competitive advantage
    • Adapting your value proposition
    • Customer networks and the new path to purchase
    • The challenge of corporate innovation
    • Lean startup: the customer development method
    • The four stages of business model validation
    • Innovating through experimentation: a/b tests, mvps, and failing smart
    • Innovation at enterprise scale: structures, boards, and teams
    • Managing the three paths to growth
    • The digital transformation road map
    • Defining a shared vision for digital change
    • Picking the problems that matter most
    • Managing growth and innovation at scale
    • Digital capabilities: technology, talent, and culture
    • Digital leadership and the bottom-up organization

Capstone Projects

The program’s two capstone projects are a crucial part of the learning journey. One is to be completed individually and the other as part of a group.

  • Develop a roadmap for organizational change in your own or a client's organization
  • Apply principles of iterative innovation to a real-world digital product in your team project

Meet the Faculty

David Rogers is the world’s leading expert on digital transformation and the author of five books. His landmark bestseller, The Digital Transformation Playbook, was the first book on digital transformation and put the topic on the map. He has helped organizations around the world transform their businesses for the digital age and regularly delivers keynotes at conferences on six continents. His recent research focuses on new business models, innovation through experimentation, governance for growth, and barriers to change in digital transformation.

—DAVID ROGERS
Academic Director in Executive Education

Contributing Faculty

Bob Dorf

Customer Development Expert

Oded Netzer

Arthur J. Samberg Professor of Business

Faculty Member Chris LaSala

Chris LaSala

Former Google Executive, Senior Lecturer in Marketing

Bob Dorf

Customer Development Expert

Oded Netzer

Arthur J. Samberg Professor of Business

Faculty Member Chris LaSala

Chris LaSala

Former Google Executive, Senior Lecturer in Marketing

Past Speakers

Joe Brown, Director, IDEO

David Glick, Chief Technology Officer, Flexe

Laura Kornhauser, Chief Executive Officer, Stratyfy

Steve Serra, Chief Digital Officer, United Technologies

Vanessa Colella, Chief Innovation Officer, Citi

Seth Goodman, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, SiteR

Tim Reis, Director, Google

Dan Siroker, Co-Founder, Scribe

Douglas Feagin, Senior Vice President, Ant Financial

Nick Katsivelos, Director, Microsoft

Fernando Riaza, Chief Marketing Officer, Merck

Fiona Tan, Chief Technology Officer, Walmart

Who Is This Program For?

The Digital Business Leadership Program is ideal for:

  • Senior executives looking to take on larger digital transformation roles
  • Experienced professionals from large or medium-sized organizations that are focused on digital transformation and innovation

Program eligibility criteria include:

  • A minimum of 10 years of work experience
  • International exposure (preferred)
  • Fluency in written and spoken English

Hear from Our Alumni

Faculty Member Kevin Brown

Kevin Brown

Partner, Ernst & Young

“The program is a great balance of theory and practical learning as well as organizational visits and tours of innovative centers. Since the completion of the program, my views on digital have changed. I am much clearer on the many ways to define ‘digital.’ The pace of change is so fast that the old ways won't last in the future, and therefore, being open to a whole new paradigm is key.”
Faculty Member Gladys Morales

Gladys Morales

CEO and Founder, GHMG Strategies

“What really drove me to choose this program was the opportunity to meet people who are top leaders going through change and facing challenges and to share experiences and potential solutions to organizational problems. The faculty at Columbia Business School provide a wealth of knowledge bringing their firsthand experience in advising top organizations that have been facing disruption successfully.”

Select Alumni Benefits

Join Columbia Business School’s worldwide network of more than 47,000 alumni and receive select benefits, including:

  • Access to Columbia Business School Alumni Career Services resources
  • Invitations to alumni events and programs around the world
  • Global networking opportunities
  • An additional tuition benefit on eligible future programs
  • Lifetime Columbia Business School forwarding email address

Certificate

Certificate

Upon completion of the Digital Business Leadership Program, participants will be awarded a Certificate in Business Excellence from Columbia Business School Executive Education.

Program Calendar

The program journey features in-person immersion modules, online and live-online modules, and two capstone projects. The in-person modules provide the opportunity to immerse yourself in New York City’s thriving technology sector and engage with Ivy League faculty and digital experts. During the live-online sessions, you will learn from organizations at the forefront of the digital revolution and interact with eminent speakers from startups, investors, and large organizations.

Program Kickoff | October 16, 2023
Live online | One-hour program introduction session and pre-readings

Module 1 | Digital Strategies for Business | October 23–December 16, 2023
Online | Eight weeks, three to four hours per week

Module 2 | January 8, 2024
Live online | Three hours of faculty lectures and guest speakers

Module 2 | Project Work | January 9–28, 2024
Individual capstone project: future landscape and right to win
Team capstone project: online meetings with assigned teams

Module 3 | January 31–February 2, 2024
Three days of in-person learning in New York City
Individual capstone project: meet with peer mentors
Team capstone project: meet and begin working in teams

Module 4 | Project Work | February 5–March 17, 2024
Individual capstone project: northstar Impact and Business Theory
Team capstone project: customer interviews and initial testing of hypotheses
Coaching (live online): one hour of coaching per team

Module 5 | Part 1: March 18–20, 2024 | Part 2: March 21–22, 2024
Live online | Five three-hour sessions with faculty, guest speakers, and industry experts

Module 6 | Project Work | March 25–May 8, 2024
Individual capstone project: innovation stack and culture gaps
Team capstone project: testing of MVPs with customers
Coaching (live online): one hour of coaching per team

Module 7 | May 9–10, 2024
Two days of in-person learning in New York City
Individual capstone project: final meeting with peer mentors
Team capstone project: final team presentations on lessons learned
Graduation dinner on May 10, 2024

FAQs

  • The Digital Business Leadership Program from Columbia Business School Executive Education is an intensive Ivy League learning journey that prepares global executives to innovate new strategies and business models and lead their organizations to thrive in the digital age. It equips digital leaders with the skills to drive digital transformation in their respective organizations. Upon completion of the program, participants receive select Columbia Business School alumni benefits.

  • Participants in the Digital Business Leadership Program come from large or medium-sized organizations focused on digital transformation and innovation within existing industries. The learning experience is designed specifically for participants with a minimum work experience of 10 years.

  • The Digital Business Leadership Program kicks off with an online introduction session, followed by a mix of online modules and in-person modules at the Columbia Business School campus in New York City.

  • Upon completion of the Digital Business Leadership Program, participants will be awarded a Certificate in Business Excellence from Columbia Business School Executive Education.

  • Applications to the Digital Business Leadership Program can be made online and should include an updated resume/LinkedIn profile as well as professional references. The application fees vary by rounds—applying earlier helps your chances of being accepted into the program.

Questions? Connect with a Learning Advisor.

Email: dblp_columbia@emeritus.org

Phone: +1 567 587 1669 (U.S.) / +44 1156 471398 (U.K.) / +971 80 00321209 (U.A.E.) / +52 55930 20507 (LATAM)

Application Details

Round 1

Closed

Round 2

Closed

Round 3

Closed

Round 4

Deadline: October 3, 2023
Application fee: US$200

The program fee covers teaching fees, all academic material, and access to online coursework. The fee does not include accommodations for the two-day annual in-person reunion and networking event, travel expenses (domestic, international, visa fee, and more), and other expenses not specifically mentioned in the program fee.

Apply Now

Early registrations are encouraged. Seats fill up quickly!

Flexible payment options available. Learn more.