By Thomas G. Le Vere, President | Shareholder, Weekes Forest Products, and 2020 NAWLA Chair
More than 20 years ago, I had the good fortune to attend the North American Wholesale Lumber Association’s (NAWLA) Executive Management Institute (EMI). The binder from that 1997 course – and the insight I gained – have accompanied me throughout my career and served as a reference many times since.
In addition to the highly valuable and relevant education I received, I established relationships with 20 classmates who remain not only friends but invaluable resources I can reach out to whenever I have a problem or a question.
As a member of NAWLA’s Board of Directors, and its current chair, I am committed to bringing back this class in a similar format – but with a focus on today’s business challenges. We know from member feedback that executive-level education is an area of need for the c-suite at forest product industry firms, and have been working in earnest to create a program that will exceed their expectations.
NAWLA has recently partnered with one of the world’s top-ranked business schools, the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago, to offer the next EMI in January 31-February 5, 2021.
For new and emerging senior-level executives, or for existing executives looking to hone their leadership skills, the revamped EMI is an immersive educational experience where they can master and integrate tools for leading their organizations in a constantly evolving business environment. In light of the recent impacts to our companies, the industry and the global economy of the COVID-19 pandemic, this content has never had a greater relevancy.
Unlike other courses with senior managers in mind, EMI will weave the needs, challenges and areas of opportunity for the forest products industry throughout the course. Taught by educators from Kellogg School of Management, but leveraging guidance from a task force of NAWLA volunteers, this course equips top-performing executives to make decisions and take strategic action based upon both traditional and innovative business practices.
Over the course of five days, participants will explore case studies, participate in interactive lectures, share their personal stories and experiences, engage in dynamic readings, network with fellow industry executives, collaborate in small group exercises, and connect the dots through guided reflections.
The program is organized around five themes:
•Strategy, including finance, strategic alliances, and data and analytics;
•Human capital, including talent management and development, diversity and inclusion, collaboration and compensation;
•Innovation, including design thinking and service operations;
•Negotiation, including decision making/problem solving, conflict resolution, influence and values; and
•Managing change, with a special emphasis on understanding culture.
NAWLA’s 2021 EMI course will be limited to 35 attendees to allow for that personalized educational experience, with countless chances for participants to build and strengthen their professional network and create relationships that last their entire careers.
Registration for the 2021 revamped course opened earlier this month, and the preliminary program details are currently available at nawla.org. As I mentioned, a team of NAWLA volunteers and staff will continue to work with instructional designers at Kellogg to build out the course in the coming months, and will share additional program and instructor details as they are confirmed.
NAWLA very intentionally began communicating about this course nearly a year in advance to allow member company senior leaders to budget for the registration fees and plan for your executives’ time out of the office in early 2021, as we recognize that both are significant investments.
But I assure you that the short term costs are well outweighed by the long-term benefits you will derive by sending the people who are charged with your company’s long-term successful performance. I value and have benefited from my experience with EMI more than words can express. And I am confident the person(s) you select for this opportunity will return with knowledge, connections, experiences and new perspectives that your company will benefit from for decades to come.
