Cox Executive Leadership Program

An executive leading a group of business people on a project around a circular table.

Whether you are challenged to deliver sustained outcomes or disrupt the status quo, to be competitive in today’s market you must be able to boldly lead high-performing, future-prepared organizations. The best C-suite leaders know this requires sound strategic vision, courage to drive innovation and the savvy to motivate teams to deliver on their goals.

The Cox Executive Leadership Program (CELP) - formerly the Cox Leadership Academy - is designed to help growth-minded leaders like you develop and enhance your executive skill set through learning experiences that will deliver measurable results and help you leapfrog levels of expertise.

In this program, you will:

Complete a 360° assessment to identify personal strengths and areas for growth.
Learn through discussions and interactive learning experiences led by world-renowned faculty and instructors from the esteemed SMU Cox School of Business.
Gain thought-provoking new perspectives from guest speakers.
Put your newfound skills to the test in an immersive executive capstone challenge.
Benefit from individual and group executive coaching sessions throughout the six-month program, with the option to continue after program completion.
Collaborate with a highly select group of executive peers from diverse industries to expand your professional network and build your personal board of directors.

Proven Success for our Partners

The SMU Cox Executive Education team has over forty years of experience delivering transformative leadership programs that have a lasting impact.
Recent Partners include:

AT&T	Baylor Scott & White Health
BP	EY
Kimberly-Clark	Lockheed Martin
PepsiCo	Toyota
State Farm	Walmart

Course feature	Course detail
Dates:	April 09, 2025 – September 11, 2025
Topic:	Leadership
Format:	On Campus
Location:	James M. Collins Executive Education Center
Credentialing:	digital certificate also awarded upon course completion
Price:	$19,500 Discounts available when three or more people from the same organization register.
Questions?	If you’d like to speak with an Executive Education team member about the CELP, contact Sally Siegel at 214.768.6444 or sallys@smu.edu.

Topics

A Career-Changing Curriculum

Discover the latest trends and create immediate impact through our highly focused curriculum and innovative program format.

February - March

360 Pre-assessment

April - Leading into the Future: Navigating Turbulence, Complexity, and Paradox

Personal leadership Insights
Lead with digital transformation
Leverage the polarity model to make quicker, more effective decisions
Understand the compelling trends that will redefine the economy, employment and opportunities for decades to come

May - Leading Strategically and with Innovation

Future-Proofing Strategy
Leading Globally
Think Big and Bold: Everyday Innovation
Creative Disruption

June - Lead the Future of Work

The Future of Work-Culture Accountability
Leading Change with Neuroscience
Leading in Times of Crisis

August - Communicate to Win

Communication with Power, Presence and Poise
Negotiating to Close

September - Strengthen Business Intelligence

Financial Intelligence
Business Intelligence
Executive Capstone Challenge

Who Should Attend?

Growth-minded seasoned senior leaders (VP+) with at least 10 years of experience at the executive level
Senior executive teams leading organizational change

Schedule

February - March

Pre-work: 360 Feedback
(About six weeks prior to program start)

April: Leading into the Future

	April 9th Schedule	April 10th Schedule
Module 1	Leading into the Future	Leading into the Future
7:30 AM	Breakfast & Welcome Collins Center	Breakfast Collins Center
8:15 AM	Personal Leadership Insights S. Allen	Influencing Across the Enterprise J. Magar
12:00 PM	Lunch and 360 Debrief	Lunch
1:00 PM	Leading Digital Transformation S. Allen	Transformative Forces that Will Define the Future
5:00 PM	Reception & Dinner with Executives Collins Center

May: Executing Strategy & Innovation

	May 21st Schedule	May 22nd Schedule
Module 2	Leading Strategically and with Innovation	Executing Strategy & Innovation
7:30 AM	Breakfast Collins Center	Breakfast Collins Center
8:00 AM	Future-proofing Strategy H. Ludwig	Think Big & Bold: Everyday Innovation V. Shankar
12:00 PM	Lunch with Executive
1:00 PM	Future-proofing Strategy H. Ludwig	Creative Disruption

June: Leading the Future of Work

	June 4th Schedule	June 5th Schedule
Module 3	Leading the Future of Work	Leading the Future of Work
7:30 AM	Breakfast Collins Center	Breakfast Collins Center
8:00 AM	Fostering a Culture of Accountability T. Bridwell	Leading Change with Neuroscience C. Bray
12:00 PM	Lunch with Executive	Lunch
1:00 PM	The Future of Work T. Bridwell	Leading in a Time of Crisis

August: Communicating to Win

	August 6th Schedule	August 7th Schedule
Module 4	Communicating to Win	Communicating to Win
7:30 AM	Breakfast Collins Center	Breakfast Collins Center
8:00 AM	Communication with Power, Presence & Poise J. Rife	Negotiating to Close R. Pinkley
12:00 PM	Lunch with Executive	Lunch
1:00 PM	Communication with Power, Presence & Poise J. Rife	Negotiating to Close R. Pinkley

September: Making Smart, Calculated Decisions: Strengthen Business Intelligence

	September 10th Schedule	September 11th Schedule
Module 5	Making Smart, Calculated Decisions	Making Smart, Calculated Decisions
7:30 AM	Breakfast Collins Center	Breakfast Collins Center
8:00 AM	Financial Intelligence K. Koharki	Executive Challenge Simulation
12:00 PM	A Discussion on Ethics with Shane Goodwin	Lunch
1:00 PM	Business Intelligence K. Koharki	Executive Challenge Simulation

Healthy and hitting metrics

The biggest impact is the change I’ve seen in my team. As I’ve changed how I communicate, the health of our team has improved and we’re still hitting our metrics.

Brent H.
SVP, Acquisition & Development

Course Certification

We have partnered with Credly to translate the learning outcomes you’ve demonstrated into a badge, issued and managed through Credly's digital badging platform.

Click here to learn more about this Credly certification

Hettie Tabor, Academic Director, SMU Cox School of Business

"Data-driven companies are harnessing the power of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to make smarter decisions, optimize service and streamline operations. Where does your organization stand in its evolution?"

This course will help you embrace the imperatives of digital transformation, envision where your teams and organization need to be in 10 years—and how to get them there.

Carolina Roa, Sr. Land & Facilities Development Manager, DFW International Airport

"CEDP was an eye-opener: deeper self-awareness creates the space for intentional, authentic leadership. It was a rich experience that has shaped my professional life."

Delivered in three phases over seven months, this will offer training and networking opportunities to high-potential Hispanic managers and directors preparing for executive levels of responsibilities.

Sally Siegel, Program Director

"This course will introduce new ideas and techniques and challenge you to question conventional thinking. These shared challenges, together with the push to excel that each participant experiences here, create bonds that can last a lifetime."

The Cox Executive Leadership Program is a 6-month program that helps grow the skills and business acumen needed to successfully fulfill the role of a senior leadership team member or enterprise level leader.

Examine Our Other Offerings

Finance

To compete and succeed, companies need leaders in every department who can speak the dollars-and-cents language of business. Managers who can interpret financial reports, assess the impact of decisions and communicate operating strategies have a definite career advantage.

Learn more

Multidimensional Diversity

Diverse perspectives open doors to enhanced business success. A recent Boston Consulting Group study suggests that greater leadership diversity spurs innovation and boosts financial performance. On average, diverse companies enjoy a 19% increase in revenue compared to their less diverse counterparts, and SMU Cox Executive Education offers award-winning programs to raise up the diverse perspectives within your own organization.

Learn more

Strategy

You are challenged everyday to uncover ways to create value for ever more demanding customers and their rapidly changing needs. A sound strategy can guide what you choose to do and how you choose to do it to survive, grow, and prosper.

Learn more

Want To Keep Exploring?

See the Course Calendar

Next Steps

Questions? Not sure which program fits your needs? Reach out to our team.

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