The Lord Ashcroft International Business School (LAIBS) was engaged by Crawford & Company in 2007 for leadership and management training to support the training needs of Crawford's middle/senior managers within the UK and throughout Europe. The programme is taught at AIBS in Chelmsford, with cohorts of up to 50 students per year. LAIBS lecturers provide the majority of the taught input, although Crawford staff provide guest seminars to ensure the topics are clearly contextualised to the company.

The course content includes:

• Classical and contemporary leadership theories
• Development of leadership skills and competencies
• Leadership & finance
• Leadership and the business environment
• Strategic leadership and business planning
• Leading change and organisational transformation
• Creativity and entrepreneurship within leadership.

The MBA is tailored specifically to align to the Crawford Leadership Competency Framework and to Crawford's business needs and objectives. Crawford & Company sum up the outcomes of the programme as follows:

• Contemporary teaching and learning strategies enable individuals to solve present day leadership problems and issues.
• Individuals acquire a theoretical and practical knowledge of leadership based on a variety of organisations, gaining the necessary strategic tools to help facilitate management decision-making.
• Programme design reflects actual Crawford corporate needs in finding solutions to real issues and challenges. The knowledge attained has direct application within the business (a symbiotic relationship).
• A unique 'first to market' with a Crawford branded professional academic qualification, aligning to Crawford's commitment to continuous learning, improvement and innovation.
• Development of Crawford's 'emerging leader' population is crucial to the organisation's future health; Crawford seeks to retain 'high potentials' and tangibly demonstrate commitment to them.
• The qualification is a pre-requisite to attaining a senior management position.
• The programme provides follow-up to the IMT programme delivered in Atlanta (an in-house training programme), further demonstrating the Company's commitment to 'high potentials'.
• The leadership training programme is linked to a transparent leadership development track for each individual, including clear objectives and milestones.
• The individual benefits from the attainment of a recognised professional academic qualification, supported by Crawford from a financial perspective as well as via the provision of time for attending formal lectures.
• The Crawford Leadership Programme has recently won the prestigious Insurance Times Training Programme of the Year Award 2008.

For further information, please contact Jon Salkeld, Director of Corporate Partnerships, Lord Ashcroft International Business School.