Rice Business Executive Education offers custom-made programs for companies that want to strengthen leadership, enhance culture or address specific management challenges or organizational opportunities. Phillips 66 leaders approached the Executive Education team to develop a custom program focused on leadership, strategy, change management and financial decision-making.
“We’ve got a talent program … we’ve got a collaborative agreement with Rice University where we’re taking our best and brightest and making future leaders of them,” said Mark Lashier, chairman and CEO of Phillips 66, in an interview with Bloomberg.
The team at Rice Business led by Brent Smith, senior associate dean for Executive Education, developed the two-week development program over the course of several months, combining academic expertise with real-world experience and application. Smith has taught more than 300 executive programs around the globe for companies including ExxonMobil, IBM, HSBC, Credit Suisse, Saudi Aramco, DeBeers, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Citibank and Red Bull. He served as leadership faculty for the corporate universities of TOTALEnergies, Lufthansa, Tenaris, NOV and Eaton Corp. and is a founding board member of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Leadership Institute.
“We so appreciate the perspective Phillips 66 brought to our partnership,” Smith said. “They gave us the time, access to their executives and the resources needed to properly design a program that marries the expertise of our faculty with the challenges and opportunities at Phillips 66. Their willingness to invest in their people is a testament to the culture they have built and continue to cultivate. While companies say their people are their most important asset, the resources Phillips 66 puts into development demonstrates their belief in that statement.”
“Brent and the team at Rice have been so wonderful to work with,” said Meredith Lewis, director of the learning and development programs at Phillips 66. “We partnered on an extensive needs-analysis to create something really uniquely suited to address our challenges and support our business strategy. The customization they were able to provide makes the program relevant and far more impactful than off-the-shelf leadership development.”
Rice Business builds strong relationships with stakeholders to create a truly customized learning experience by taking the time to understand the organization’s structure, challenges and goals. This foundation helps design a program that not only aligns with management needs but also delivers meaningful impact to employees.
Executive Education faculty work closely with stakeholders to help create the program, blending academic insight with practical application through engaging methods like case studies, simulations and team-based projects. Whether the program takes place on the Rice campus or on-site at an organization, Executive Education programming focuses on creating an environment that supports dynamic learning.
Rice Business faculty are known around the world for their academic and research achievements — their blended teaching methods create a highly engaged classroom and rich learning environment. Custom topics range from the latest insights in leadership and strategy to data-driven decision-making and artificial intelligence.
To learn more about Rice Business Executive Education programs for teams and individuals, click here.