Executive MBA students from Massey University get a taste of business in Whanganui

Executives engaged in a workshop about identifying and prioritising big issues at their pop-up school on Sunday. Photo / Bevan Conley

More than 60 executives exited a bus and walked on board the Waimarie Paddle Steamer for their introduction to Whanganui and the awa on Friday.

They have signed up for Massey University's Executive MBA programme, a two-year course designed to have them engaging with real life strategic challenges.

The executives spent three days in a pop-up school on Victoria Ave and on Sunday the focus was identifying and prioritising big issues.

This was part of contemporary strategy, the first of eight courses they will complete in 2019, hosted by Massey professor Hamish Gow and freelance consultant Phil Morrison.

Morrison said this was a brand new opportunity with a number of initiatives.

"One of those initiatives is this new approach of a regional partnership. It's a win-win situation. The benefit for the students is they're engaging with real life strategic challenges.

"It takes away from that stale classroom textbook-style approach. They're out meeting real business people, real community leaders and seeing the world from their perspective."

The executives have come from as far away as Northland and Otago and are involved in different sectors of the economy including business, Government and not-for-profit.

Other courses they take on throughout the year will include marketing, operations and logistics, business finance, leadership, accounting and more.

Morrison said that all of the executives would have slightly different reasons for doing the course in terms of their professional development.

"The advantage of this is it gives them an opportunity to learn about and trial new processes and practices of strategy development," he said.

"We're giving them a place to do that which is kind of safe. They can make mistakes and it doesn't matter. They can try and fail and learn."

On Saturday afternoon the group visited a number of businesses including Pacific Helmets, GDM Manufacturing and Q-West.

From 8am on Sunday the school hosted a workshop on unpacking and defining big issues, followed by morning tea with a youth panel and lunch with a Māori business panel.

Morrison praised Whanganui and Partners who partnered with Massey University to bring the new business opportunity to Whanganui.