The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) and UNC Kenan-Flagler Executive Education are presenting a Growth Strategy Seminar Series in 2004 for the area’s entrepreneurial executives.

Created under CED’s Leadership and Management Development Initiative (LMDI), the Growth Strategy Seminar Series will offer management development training specifically designed for CED member entrepreneurs of emerging growth companies.

The custom program, which is limited to a small group of executives, features five Friday sessions CED starting in March 2004 and concluding in June 2004. Each session will include an interactive morning lecture segment along with an afternoon case discussion that incorporates participants’ own business plans and experiences, as well as a simulation exercise of the concepts spanning all five sessions.

Randy Myer, professor of management and strategy at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, said the Growth Strategy Seminar Series will help entrepreneurial companies plan for a growth strategy.

“The instructors leading each section were chosen based on their real world experience in helping young companies through their growth era,” said Myer, who is coordinator and lead instructor for the series. “We intend to draw out each of the participants during the course to relate their own company experience to the concepts taught.”

Topics and instructors for the Growth Strategy Seminar Series are broken up into five sessions.

In Session 1: “Developing a Growth Strategy Within Your Current Business Model,” the guest lecturer/instructor is Hugh O’Neill, former editor for Academy of Management Executive. O’Neill was also founding director of the regional office for the Connecticut Small Business Development Center.

Bill Shulby is the instructor in Session 2: “Beyond Your Market Niche.” Shulby is founder of Customer Asset Management Co. and has more than 17 years of experience in database marketing and customer relationship management.

For Session 3: “Strategic Partnerships and Global Alliances,” Doug Levin will lecture. Levin is recent COO of MessageMachines and has served as CEO, president and director of X-Collaboration Software Corp.

Session 4: “Managing Your Sales and Marketing Resources for Growth” will feature Bill Howe, president and CEO of Virginia-based Strategic Marketing Group. Howe has more than 20 years experience in four diverse industries including consumer packaged goods and telecommunications.

Jay Deasai hosts the final event of the series, Session 5: “Implementing a Growth Strategy.” Desai, CEO and founder of the Institute of Global Competitiveness, has over 30 years of executive and senior management experience in 15 different industries.

Merrill Mason, a member of CED’s LMDI Committee and founding partner of Hutchison & Mason, said the lectures will address management’s vital role in building a successful high-growth company.

“The Growth Strategy Series will offer a world-class learning lab for entrepreneurial executives,” Mason said. “To have this specially-designed program available locally is a tremendous step for the Triangle.”

CED: www.cednc.org

UNC: www.unc.edu