Advanced Management Programme

YOUR LEARNING JOURNEY 

The Advanced Management Programme takes professional development to the next level. It combines rigorous academic insights with practical approaches, allowing you to learn by doing through activities, in-depth exploration and a strategic project tailored to your organisation. This holistic approach prepares you to take action. It delivers an immediate return on investment for your company. 

The Advanced Management Programme is founded on two pillars – strategic decision-making and your role as a leader. The programme takes you on a journey that reframes your entire way of thinking and your approach to leadership and makes them future-proof. 

The programme consists of four core modules, each lasting three consecutive days (including evening activities). Alongside your strategic project, supervised by a Vlerick faculty member, you will work on your personal 360° feedback process throughout the programme. This also helps you refine your leadership style and return to your company with greater confidence. 

YOUR STRATEGIC PROJECT 

Apply your new knowledge to your strategic project – and address a strategic challenge within your own company. 

At the start of the programme, you will have the opportunity to form a sounding board group of four to five participants, with whom you will work closely on your strategic project throughout the programme. 

At the end of the programme, you will present your project and new insights to a Vlerick faculty member and your fellow participants, who will assess your project based on its impact. This all takes place in a safe learning environment that allows you to adjust and refine your approach.

PROGRAMME 

During the core modules, you will build a comprehensive toolkit. The aim is twofold: to increase your impact within the company and deepen your strategic understanding. After completing the programme, you will be equipped to navigate turbulent times as a leader and guide your organisation successfully through internal and external change. 

Attending classes on campus and taking part in evening activities gives you opportunities to talk to fellow participants, expand your network and build lifelong connections. 

Module 1: Your strategic arena

We begin with a sharp focus on the winning strategy for your business environment. We outline the key elements needed to formulate that strategy effectively. What are the critical decisions you need to make when selecting your strategy? How do you craft a winning strategy? And how do you set yourself apart from other players in the same strategic arena?

The final part of this module focuses on strategy implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. What makes or breaks a successful strategic implementation? You’ll work with tools like strategy maps and scorecards, applying them to your own company during a simulation. This way, you can measure and track the success of your strategy.

After completing this module, you will meet with your sounding board group for an initial discussion on the scope of your strategic project.

What we cover: 

• Strategy formulation 
• Strategic maturity 
• Successful strategy implementation 
• Strategy maps and scorecards 

Module 2: High-performance leadership 

In this module, you will reflect on your leadership role. What does impact mean, and how much influence do you have as a leader? Additionally, we will explore organisational culture and structure. 

We will discuss how to drive change within your company. You will be introduced to a change model based on six organisational ‘batteries’. This model will help you manage both the tangible and intangible aspects of change more effectively. 

You will work with the results of your 360° feedback process. Along with your sounding board group and your Vlerick coach, you will reflect on your personal leadership challenges.  

What we cover: 

• Leadership with impact 
• Leading change 
• 360° feedback and peer coaching 
• Organisational culture and structure 

Module 3: Influence and value 

During the third module, you will dive into the various aspects of corporate finance essential for every senior executive—such as raising capital, capital budgeting, and business valuation. You will then sharpen your negotiation skills and develop a framework that elevates your negotiations to true win-win deals. 

After this module, you will have dedicated time to meet with your advisory group. You can also take advantage of additional one-on-one project coaching from our faculty. 

What we cover: 

• Financial analysis 
• Corporate finance 
• Negotiation and influencing 

Module 4: Strategic Resilience 

During this module, we focus on strategy in turbulent times: how do you steer your organisation through periods of radical uncertainty? You will learn to recognise when existing strategic frameworks fall short and which approaches help you make sound choices even in unstable times. 

We then explore the strategic impact of sustainability. Not as a compliance issue, but as a strategic driver: how can you turn ESG challenges into opportunities for your organisation, and what does this mean for your business model in practice? 

Next, we turn our attention to emerging technologies and digital strategy. The digital revolution is rewriting the rules in almost every sector. We show you how to strategically translate the opportunities offered by digitalisation and AI into a stronger competitive position for your organisation. 

Finally, we strengthen your decision-making capabilities. In a world where data is abundant, the challenge lies in turning it into better decisions. You will learn how to combine insights from decision intelligence, behavioural science, data analysis and AI to make well-informed, impactful choices, even under pressure and in complex situations. 

Module 5: Strategic integration 

In the final module, we bring together all the insights from the programme. An integration day gives participants the opportunity to work on a final strategic case that draws together the programme’s key models and frameworks. They also present the results of their in-company project, demonstrating how they have translated the programme’s insights into tangible impact within their own organisation.

• Learn to think and act strategically
• Finetune your leadership ability and become a driver of positive change 
• Strengthen your financial knowledge and insights
• Create impact in your own company by tackling a concrete strategic challenge within your organisation—with a clear focus on the future
• Gain expertise in proven Vlerick tools such as the strategic toolkit, the digital maturity scan, and the Vlerick change model—and apply them to your strategic project
• Understand how to integrate different management disciplines within your strategic framework
• Build a lifelong, diverse network with your fellow participants – and learn from their experiences  
• After graduating from this programme, you are entitled to join our alumni network. Visit the Vlerick Alumni website for more information

• General managers who want to future-proof their strategy and leadership role
• Business leaders and functional directors with a solid management background and a mandate to help shape key strategic decisions
• Business unit, regional, and functional directors with a strong management background and the authority to influence essential strategic choices
• Professionals with at least 15 years of work experience, including a minimum of four years of strategic responsibility at the business unit or corporate level
• For companies with fewer than 50 employees, we recommend the Vlerick SME Excellence programme

In previous editions, we had the pleasure of welcoming participants from companies like:

To apply for this programme, you need to complete four steps:

1. Check your eligibility: Check if you meet the admissions criteria for the programme you want to apply for.

2. Submit your application: Fill out the application form and upload it together with your cv or LinkedIn profile.

3. Take part in an interview: When we receive your application, we’ll get in touch to set up an interview. This will take about an hour and will cover:

• Your professional experience and current challenges
• Your career ambitions
• Why you want to take the programme

4. Confirm your registration: If you pass the interview, we’ll send you a registration form. You’ll have two weeks to complete and submit the form to confirm your programme place.

Boost your impact – and your budget
Did you know you may be eligible for:

• SME e-wallet (kmo-portefeuille): Flemish SMEs can apply for funding to cover training costs - If you wish to make use of the SME e-wallet, we strongly recommend registering and applying as soon as possible, as this support measure will be discontinued from 1 January 2027
• Group discount: Register three participants from the same company at the same time and get 15% off
• Alumni discount: Vlerick alumni receive 10% off as a thank you for their loyalty to the Vlerick Business School

Check all our benefits and make the most of your investment.