Integrate Sustainability in your Organization; WholeWorks Online Professional Certification Program Teaches, Coaches Leaders & Professionals
The ‘Strategic ESG: Creating Sustainable Value’ Professional Certificate Program is a unique ‘learn, practice, apply’ approach. The next program runs Oct. 2-Nov. 12, 2023. Registration is due by Sep. 22, 2023. Learn more: https://www.wholeworks.com/esg-program
ESG reporting—and performance—has come straight to the top of Investors’ priorities, and rapidly emerging regulatory requirements support this new level of accountability. That’s the reason for WholeWorks’ Strategic ESG program. The program accelerates the abilities of seasoned professionals and experienced leaders to integrate ESG strategies into their areas of responsibility and deliver improved performance environmentally, socially, and financially.
‘Strategic ESG: Creating Sustainable Value’ is a six-week, part-time, completely virtual program designed for working professionals and leaders. The program features a highly realistic business simulation which is at the center of WholeWorks’ ‘learn, practice, apply’ approach. Participants learn cutting edge approaches to linking the most important ESG initiatives to their company’s performance via online learning modules, put them into practice immediately in the simulation, and apply the learning to their own organizations.
Teaching strategy and leadership through simulation has been WholeWorks’ approach for more than 25 years, and in the last 4 years have guided 335 professionals and leaders to successfully complete a sustainable business certification. These alumni have come from 35 countries around the world and more than 130 companies—from solo entrepreneurs to the Fortune 50. Approximately 40% of participants speak English as a second language, and WholeWorks’ programs have a 95% completion rate.
The Sustainable Value Creation Map is an integral part of the WholeWorks program. Participants practice ‘connecting the dots’ via the simulation and leave the program with a custom map for their own organization.
Participants complete 5 learning modules and 4 rounds of a simulation as well as developing an ESG project or plan for their own companies, for which they receive expert coaching and a round of peer reviews. Successful participants earn a valuable credential and gain an international network of like-minded professionals and leaders.
Simulation Makes the Program Unique
The simulation is what makes the program unique. It places participants into virtual, diverse teams of 7 to take on the roles of a fictional company, CareCo Natural, a fast-moving consumer goods company which is in trouble. This advanced simulation converts the decisions of the team into output results and a set of comprehensive reports that include financial, operational, and ESG metrics. Over 10 ‘years’—in 4 simulation rounds—the new ‘leadership team’ must extract the company from a downward spiral stemming from abuses uncovered in their supply chain, while addressing a number of issues, including clean energy, circular economy, sustainable agriculture, diverse workforce development, and market expansion to previously under-served people, among other issues—integrating all of this into an ongoing concern and delivering a rate of return demanded by their stockholders.
The Sustainability Scorecard gives participants the feedback as to how well they are progressing in the simulation against their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals; another report tracks the financial performance.
“This is not just a role-playing simulation,” explained Mayberry. “This combination of quantitative feedback from the computer simulation coupled with engaging role playing is distinctive—and powerful. It leads to rich conversations, insights and subsequent actions about complex topics.”
“It’s very realistic,” said Laura Asiala, CSO and lead facilitator for WholeWorks’ programs. “The diverse functions that are required to make a company financially successful are the same functions that are required to make a company environmentally and socially sustainable—procurement, operations, R & D, HR, marketing and sales, finance, etc. An ESG department and leader play crucial roles to orchestrate activities and build capacity, but they cannot possibly do it alone, and no company can afford duplicative services—at least for long. To be truly sustainable, ESG must be integrated in every aspect of the company.”
“One of the things that impresses me about WholeWorks’ programs is their simulations. They link sustainability to the factors that are critical to the business: revenue improvement, expense reduction, reliable supply chains, attracting and retaining talent, and the importance of ESG issues with regards to capital. They also highlight the need to collaborate with non-profit and public sectors. They are very true-to-life,” said Neil C. Hawkins, Sc.D., President of Michigan Sustainability Associates and retired Chief Sustainability Officer of Dow, Inc.
The Strategic ESG Program: Creating Sustainable Value Professional Certificate Program runs October 2- November 12, 2023, with registration due by September 22. WholeWorks partners with both GreenBiz and the University of Victoria Gustavson School of Business for certification. The program retails for $2,250.00 per person.
Sustainability Leaders Support
”If we want to enable more companies to realize the full potential of sustainability and ESG, we need more leaders who can understand how to align these initiatives with core business strategy and how to actually operationalize the changes that are needed,” said Trish Kenlon, Founder of Sustainable Career Pathways.
“We need to transform the way we do business. We cannot treat sustainability like a ‘saddlebag’—hanging off the side of the organization. It is fundamental. It needs to be integrated into every aspect of the business, from purpose to strategy to operations to metrics. WholeWorks gives people the opportunity to learn and practice how to do that,” said Stuart Hart, Ph.D., leading sustainability academic and author of Capitalism at the Crossroads.
Other sustainability leaders concur.
“We know that bringing the private, public, and social sectors together is the only way to meaningfully, and sustainably, solve the world’s biggest challenge. What I appreciate so much about this simulation is the very true-to-life case they have developed in an emerging economy, with all of the relevant tensions that businesses must work through with multiple stakeholders in order to be successful.” – Deidre White, CEO Pyxera Global
“For more than 25 years, I’ve worked with and in organizations to develop truly sustainable organizations that thrive economically, socially, and environmentally. WholeWorks’ professional certificate programs provide professionals with the content, practice and application of sustainable business—across the triple bottom line.” – Dave Stangis, Partner & CSO, Apollo Global Management Inc.
For More Information
Contact Information
Laura Asiala
WholeWorks LLC
LEASIALA@WholeWorks.com
(989) 430-4644
Imagery
WholeWorks’ Sustainable Value Creation Map:
Photo of Matt Mayberry, CEO of WholeWorks LLC
Photo of Laura Asiala, CSO of WholeWorks LLC
Photo of ESG simulation story
For more information on the program, see https://www.wholeworks.com/esg-program.
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