Before embarking on their new strategic direction, Dutch organisation Royal Cosun (Cosun) recognised the necessity of a custom leadership programme. One that would foster long-term leadership success and help Cosun to effectively steer their company into the future and sustain their path to success in the Netherlands and beyond. They approached Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) to design a programme that would meet their specific requirements. Going beyond a one-size-fits-all approach, RSM co-created a curriculum with Cosun tailored to the company’s unique needs, ensuring a targeted and effective leadership development journey.
“We were looking for an exceptional programme that would help us to introduce our new strategy: Unlock 25. This would be the first strategy in our history built for the entire multi-national company and across all the business groups.”
- Suzanne Jungjohann, Chief HR Officer, Royal Cosun
At RSM, we are renowned amongst others for our outstanding reputation in customised leadership programmes. After reviewing their objectives, we sat down together with Cosun and crafted a comprehensive leadership programme that customised existing modules from the business school and aligned them with Cosun’s goals.
The result up to now? A leadership programme that has been a game-changer for line managers all across Cosun’s diverse business units, with a focus on personal leadership, strategy and sustainable innovation that has equipped Cosun managers with the tools they needed to further excel.
To date, 62 participants have completed the programme, dedicating 16 hours per week to mastering the modules. This journey was not only educational, but also confrontational at times, and overall thoroughly enjoyable.
Every nine months since September 2022 a new wave of Consun employees kick-off their intensive and rewarding learning journey.
All sessions have been held at the Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) campus, except for an unforgettable 24-hour “Meet the Marines” leadership expedition, which pushed participants to their limits and fostered better understanding and resilience.
Empower your organisation's people to lead the way with customised leadership programmes at RSM.
“Each Wave was like a cup of good coffee,” remarked Jan Janse, senior programme manager HR development, referring to the blend of diverse participants from the various business units. “After each wave, we engaged in impact projects, which were co-created with the Cosun board. Designed to be meaningful and impactful, these projects showcased the synergy between us and RSM’s faculty, creating a flow of development from one wave to the next.”
Royal Cosun found immense value in the programme, which equipped leaders with essential tools to drive company change. Jacco Slegers, corporate development manager: “The RSM programme helped me to connect with leaders from various business groups, beyond the usual project interactions. The Meet the Marines expedition gave us all a deeper learning and bigger sense of camaraderie. And the impact projects facilitated social interaction and practical application of the skills we had learned.”
The primary goal of this custom leadership programme was to ensure effective strategy execution by developing capable leaders at Cosun. Engagement surveys assessed leadership quality and management support, reflecting the programme's deeper objectives. RSM's advisory role and innovative interventions proved invaluable in helping Royal Cosun on the way to achieving its strategic ambitions.
Could a custom leadership programme help your organisation to get ahead and create strategic, sustainable value? Contact RSM’s Executive Education team with the details below and learn about how we can help you and your employees reach your organisational goals with our customised programmes.
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