Leading ESG and Sustainability

This four-day course provides the opportunity to explore ESG and sustainability strategies from a 360 degree perspective, with emphasis on evolving investor preferences, regulatory context, and evidence based research.

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Through this interactive classroom-based experience, you will take part in ongoing debates, conversations, discussions with your peers, and listen to guest speakers from the industry allowing you to develop your network and grow professionally.

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Day one:

• Learn how to make the transition from shareholder value, to ESG formatted stakeholder value
• Explore and debate the establishment of your organisation’s ESG driven firm purpose
• Understand the challenges of moving to becoming a stakeholder value-driven firm

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Day two:

• Grasp the impact of external ESG mechanisms such as reporting frameworks, ESG ratings, and stock market indices on value creation and business models
• Hear from a guest speaker on the impact of ESG ratings
• Explore best practice for ESG investability

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Day three:

• Analyse the impact of transitioning to a net-zero business model and the implications for accessing finance
• Discuss the national, global, and EU based trends in moving towards a net-zero economy
• Understand compliance with net-zero frameworks and regulation

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Day four:

• Explore ESG case studies including corporate scandals, greenwashing examples, and their implications for business
• Recognise how to effectively manage the risks associated with developing ESG strategies
• Present your learnings from the course to the group and course leader for feedback

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There will be a networking drinks reception on evening one where you will get to know your course colleagues. There will also be a course dinner on evening three, offering the opportunity for your class to come together with a wider cohort of short-course learners to expand your networking opportunities.

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Delivered face-to-face at Alliance Manchester Business School’s Executive Education centre, this course involves a range of interactive learning styles that connect theory with practice which ensures delegates finish the course with applied, up to date knowledge of ESG and sustainability.  

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Throughout the course, you will hear from experienced  industry experts, network with a variety of business leaders and work with other delegates to apply core aspects of the course to your organisation.

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During your time on this course, you will gain several stand-out learning experiences, including:

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Applied Learning - A learning environment created by the course facilitator that draws on the experience and input of your course peers.

Knowledge Transfer - A steady stream of feedback from participating peers with diverse business backgrounds to help build your leadership skills.

Reflection - A rare time-out to contemplate your own leadership capabilities and challenges while engaging with our world-class experts in the ESG and sustainability field.

Network Expansion - An expanding professional network drawn from your peers.

Personal Growth - An expanding self-awareness of your own leadership competencies and how they can be honed in the context of ESG and sustainability.

Behavioural Change - An adoption of new rationales and mindsets that improve your managerial skills.

• Gain skills to develop and contribute to ESG and sustainability strategy
• Communicate the contribution of ESG and sustainability to your company effectively
• Confidently assess the impact of prioritising international and national ESG and sustainability compliance
• Gain confidence in suggesting strategies for tackling the increasingly critical global challenges faced by your business
• Learn from expert insights through real-world case studies and industry speakers
• Become a member of the AMBS Executive Education Network and benefit from top-class speaker events, regular updates, and networking opportunities with like-minded professionals

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This course is relevant to senior or middle managers working in sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility, and ESG functions and teams who are looking to influence change from a focus on sustainability and social responsibility to ESG strategy.

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Whether you come from a private, public or not-for-profit organisation, this short, applicable and holistic course will help you update your sustainability management capabilities through gaining new frameworks, perspectives, and best practice examples.

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This session explores the key drivers of productivity and how leaders can identify practical opportunities to improve performance. You will consider the wider economic policy levers that shape productivity, the factors within an organisation's control, and the trade-offs leaders need to navigate when seeking sustainable improvement.

• Explore the drivers of productivity and how they affect firm-level performance.
• Use a practical framework and checklist to identify opportunities for improvement.

This session helps leaders build confidence in understanding and applying AI responsibly. You will explore the opportunities, risks and governance considerations linked to AI adoption, while experimenting with practical tools that can support leadership tasks and organisational decision-making.

• Understand key AI concepts and how they can support productivity and decision-making.
• Identify responsible approaches to AI adoption within your organisation.

This session explores how organisational design, operating models and processes influence performance. You will consider practical ways to improve effectiveness, manage resources and support continuous improvement in complex and changing environments.

• Explore how structures, systems and processes shape organisational performance.
• Identify practical actions to strengthen effectiveness and adaptability.

This session explores how leaders can support people and organisations through change and transition. You will use practical models and tools to understand why change can be unpredictable, communicate with clarity and build confidence during periods of uncertainty.

• Apply practical tools to communicate clearly and support teams through change.
• Use models such as Bridges’ Transition Model and the 4C framework to strengthen leadership effectiveness.

This session explores strategy as the art of making choices. You will consider how leaders can assess strategic options, make effective trade-offs and allocate resources in a fast-paced world, including the importance of stopping some activities to focus on the priorities most likely to deliver successful outcomes.

• Explore how to judge strategic choices and trade-offs in different situations.
• Apply simple strategic models to support focus, resource allocation and decision-making.

This session introduces risk appetite and enterprise risk management as practical tools for leadership decision-making. You will explore how organisations identify, assess and manage risk, while considering how risk appetite can support responsible business growth.

• Understand how risk appetite supports better leadership decisions.
• Explore practical ways to assess, prioritise and manage organisational risk.

This session explores how leaders can build, protect and manage organisational reputation in complex environments. You will consider the links between governance, strategy, trust and legitimacy, and examine how organisations can respond effectively during reputational challenge or crisis.

• Explore the drivers of reputation, trust and legitimacy.
• Consider practical approaches to managing reputational challenges and values-based relationships.