7259: Looking For A Few Good Minorities.

Actually, only one good minority is eligible to win a scholarship.

Keith Reinhard Scholarship of Excellence: Berlin School of Creative Leadership at Steinbeis University

A Creative CEO in Every Creative Business
For an agency to thrive in today’s ever-evolving global landscape, creative leadership must be at the core of the business. Yet, many talented creative executives ascend to top positions without the opportunity to hone the leadership and management expertise typically developed through more traditional business roles. The Executive MBA in Creative Leadership at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership equips creative leaders with the skills and sensibilities needed to effectively lead themselves, clients, partners, teams and the industry at large.

The EMBA Program
Run by a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering creative leadership in business and operated in partnership with the School of Management and Innovation at Steinbeis University Berlin, the Executive MBA in Creative Leadership delivers superior leadership training for executives in creative industries including advertising, media, entertainment, design, journalism and marketing.

Designed for busy professionals, this part-time MBA program is built on Six Pillars of Creative Leadership:

• Leading Yourself
• Leading Business Partners
• Leading People
• Leading the Enterprise
• Leading the Product and Innovations
• Leading the Industry

These pillars are brought to life through five two-week modules spread over 12 to 24 months, depending on one’s study schedule. Three modules take place in Berlin, while an additional one is held in Asia and another in the United States. In each location, the school works with leading educational institutions to help give their country’s perspective on leadership and the creative industries. Each two-week module is designed to provide participants with effective tools that can be implemented immediately on the job. (For detailed information about the program’s pillars and modules, visit www.berlin-school.com.)

Program Requirements
In addition to formal classroom work, participants research and write a thesis of their own focused on challenging the status quo of communication today. The master’s thesis must be rigorous, original and have the potential to improve the quality and standards in an industry. Progress on thesis projects is reviewed by Berlin School faculty in each module, and upon program completion outstanding research is recommended for submission to leading journals or for other professional publication.

Over the course of the program, participants also work together in small teams on close analyses and action-oriented projects, aimed at developing a deeper understanding of leadership, strategy and organizational design in the creative industries.

Program Benefits
Executive MBA participants are exposed to a vast range of ideas, insights and lessons. Through the program participants will:

• Understand the complexity of their organization and how its various elements affect one another.
• Learn to formulate a vision, align their team(s) and implement plans successfully.
• Learn to build the proper structure and company culture that fosters innovation and creativity.
• Gain new insights and inspiration that will help them transform and lead themselves, their organization and their industry.

The Executive MBA program is already having a tremendous impact on the lives of alumni and participants, who have been been promoted to new positions such as chief executive officer, managing director or chief creative officer, and have won prizes for Agency of the Year or multiple Gold at festivals such as Golden Drum, Cannes Lions or Dubai Lynx.

Keith Reinhard Scholarship of Excellence
Through the Keith Reinhard Scholarship of Excellence, one multicultural advertising professional will receive full-tuition for the Executive MBA program (a $71,500 value). The scholarship is named in honor of advertising legend Keith Reinhard, chairman emeritus of DDB Worldwide and class “godfather” at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership. Reinhard is one of several creative industry leaders who have donated their time and energy to this unique global program.

To be eligible for scholarship consideration, an applicant must be:

• Asian/Asian American or Pacific Islander, Latino/Hispanic, Black/African American, American Indian/Native American, Multiracial or Multiethnic (e.g., Hispanic and Black)
• A mid- to senior-level advertising professional with at least eight years of experience
• An employee of a 4A’s member agency
• A bachelor’s degree recipient

To apply for the scholarship, one must submit:

• The scholarship application form and essay
• The completed Executive MBA in Creative Leadership application form
• A current curriculum vitae
• A thesis proposal

The scholarship recipient will be selected based on professional and academic achievements, career objectives and leadership potential in his or her company and industry.

The next Executive MBA in Creative Leadership program begins in February 2010. To apply for the full-tuition scholarship, application materials must be submitted by Thursday, December 10, 2009.