August 13, 2008
WDI recently completed a six-week study to design policies, instruments, and institutions to promote household and corporate savings in West Bank and Gaza. The full report, as well as the interim report, is now available online. The study identified the means through which the amount of funds available for loans from individual and corporate savings is sufficient to enable the banking system to provide financing for the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises in the area.
August 11, 2008
WDI will host a Sales Management Program in Santiago, Chile on Aug. 11-12. The program for 70 sales managers and directors addresses three critical topics: the changing business environment and the key role that sales and service play in creating a market-driven organization; the ability of sales management to ensure the performance of individual sellers without micro managing them; and a discussion of the processes and tools to equip you to engage with larger customers and your own support organization on a more strategic level in order to build towards a more mutually profitable and sustainable relationship.
August 5, 2008
More than 350 leaders from NGOs, government agencies, and businesses throughout Latin America, including industry leaders such as Endeavour, Avina, Ashoka, the Ethos Institute, and CARE Brazil, will convene Aug. 6-8 in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the second annual WDI conference, “Third Sector Innovation: Sustainability and Social Impact” (TSISSI).
March 5, 2008
Ann Arbor News reporter Dave Gershman wrote an article about WDI's new partnership with Goldman Sachs. Read the article
here.
October 31, 2007
WDI Executive Director Robert Kennedy was interviewed by Detroit Free Press business reporter John Gallagher about the state of the domestic auto industry and its future prospects. To read the article, click
here.
Chronicle of Higher Education, August 24, 2007
WDI Director of Consulting Services Khalid Al-Naif is interviewed in the Aug. 24 issue of Chronicle of Higher Education on new USAID rules to ensure money does not go to support terrorism.
Global Services magazine, October 13, 2006
WDI's work with the outsourcing and insourcing advisory firm EquaTerra on a "location attractiveness index" is profiled in a recent edition of the magazine Global Services. WDI Research Manager, Globalization of Services, Ajay Sharma is interviewed for the article. The index looks at both the demand and supply sides of business process outsourcing and what countries are best suited for certain work.
Global Services magazine, October 9, 2006
While visiting India this summer to do research for his book and his MBA course on the globalization of services, WDI Executive Director Robert Kennedy was interviewed by Global Services magazine. Kennedy talks about different aspects of the globalization of services and gives a preview of his upcoming book.
September 27, 2006
Crain's Detroit Business wrote a Sept. 7 article about WDI's engagement with the Government of Rwanda. WDI Executive Director Robert Kennedy and WDI Director of Executive Education Amy Gillett are interviewed by reporter Sheri Begin for the article.
Women's Wear Daily, September 20, 2006
The trade deficit and how it impacts the global economy is the subject of a Sept. 19 article in Women's Wear Daily by reporter Evan Clark. WDI Executive Director Robert Kennedy is interviewed by Clark for the article.
September 19, 2006
Grand Rapids Press reporter Ed Golder writes about the high-profile Michigan gubernatorial race and a series of ads that has split voters. WDI Executive Director Robert Kennedy speaks with Golder about the issue surrounding whether candidate Dick DeVos offshored work to China. To read the article, click
here.
Crain's Detroit Business, September 7, 2006
The William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan has spent the past 14 years teaching management skills to corporations, nonprofits and entrepreneurs in foreign countries with transitional and emerging market economies. But the institute’s newest contract, which begins today in the formerly worn-torn African country of Rwanda, will target, among others, a new set of students — the country’s top 100 government employees. “There’s a real lack of management talent there,” said Robert Kennedy, executive director of the institute and professor of business administration at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at UM.
September 6, 2006
Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry interviewed WDI Executive Director Robert Kennedy about the Institute’s two projects in Rwanda. The piece aired Sept. 5.
Lessenberry, who contributes essays and interviews to the radio station, also recorded his thoughts on the project, Rwanda’s history and what the United States role should be in assisting the former war-torn nation.
Both pieces can be accessed
here.
August 28 - August 29, 2008, Prague, Czech Republic
The Fall 2008 HR Network Workshop will held August 28-29 at the Hotel Mercure in Prague, Czech Republic. The workshop will be lead by Professor Wayne Brockbank at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
"The HR Business Proposition"
This workshop will be based on a book published by Professors Brockbank and Dave Ulrich. The book entitled The HR Value Proposition explores their belief that a fundamental transformation of HR starts with a definition of HR value—who the receivers are and a clear statement of what they will receive from HR services.
September 02 - September 05, 2008, Kigali, Rwanda
The Goldman Sachs Entrepreneurship Certificate Program is designed for women across Rwanda who are interested in either starting a business or expanding their start-up. The program will equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to launch or expand a successful enterprise in Rwanda.
For more information, please click here.
September 18 - September 19, 2008, San Jose, Costa Rica
This program is designed for managers who are involved in identifying, developing, and growing strategic accounts within their companies. Participants will develop a structured plan to deliver “win-win” business solutions against these high potential accounts and return with actionable tools to their organizations. It will provide a methodology to build profitable and sustainable relationships with major customers, in order to increase loyalty and satisfaction levels.
The program is conducted in Spanish.
September 22 - September 24, 2008, Kigali, Rwanda
Developing a Business Plan
Dates: September 22-24
The Goldman Sachs Entrepreneurship Certificate Program, Session 2
Facilitators: 1. Valence Mushimwe
2. Ishuheri Bideri
Session Description:
We will begin with general introduction to venturing and questions entrepreneurs must ask themselves before writing a business plan or launching out with a venture. We will then look at the elements of a typical business planning – why it is necessary, what investors and funding institutions look for and how it serves as a useful roadmap for entrepreneurs in achieving their dreams. This will set the context for an in-depth treatment of the various parts that makes up the business plan. Each group will make a presentation of their business plan.
September 30 - October 03, 2008, Punta del Este, Uruguay
The William Davidson Institute and their Latin American partner, Seminarium, present:
Strategic HR Executive Program
an innovative executive education program designed for HR vice presidents, directors, and managers from throughout Latin America.
This program, to take place in Punta del Este, Uruguay from September 30th to October 3rd, will give HR executives the opportunity to strengthen and renew their professional expertise. Participants will explore the most relevant issues facing their organization’s human resource area and develop some cutting-edge approaches to problem solving.
October 02 - October 03, 2008, San Jose, Costa Rica
The Leadership for Experienced Managers provides an integrated leadership framework to enable each participant to identify and formulate a personalized action-development plan.
October 06 - October 07, 2008, Santiago, Chile
In today's fiercely competitive business environment, operations management has become an important competitive tool. This program is designed to introduce participants to cutting edge models and practical tools for effective design and management of operations.
This program is conducted in Spanish.
October 07 - October 09, 2008, Istanbul, Turkey
OVERVIEW: Learn how to develop a strategic approach to developing your brand and create a powerful marketing communications plan. Taught by Rajeev Batra, a top marketing professor and leading expert on global branding from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Open to brand managers, marketing communications managers, advertising & PR managers.