Future Leaders Programme

Overview

Your Path to Leadership Excellence Starts Here:

The Future Leaders Program is a transformative journey designed for aspiring leaders who seek to navigate the ever-evolving media industry. In collaboration with prestigious institutions such as Aalto University Executive Education, Kedge Business School, and Vlerick Business School, this program equips participants with the skills, insights, and strategies needed to thrive in a rapidly changing environment.

The program leverages a decade of successful experience with the EBU Academy Executive Programme. It offers Public Service Media emerging talents a valuable opportunity to exchange insights, ideas, and network with colleagues from across Europe. 

Join us on this skill-enhancing journey, where you’ll gain the tools and confidence to make a difference at every level. Whether you aspire to lead teams, drive innovation, or shape the future of media, the Future Leaders Program will empower you to ascend to the top.

Dates and venues

• Helsinki:  2 - 4 April 2025
• Marseille: 21 - 23 May 2025
• Ghent: 3 - 5 September 2025

Who's it for

• Functional experts looking to expand their scope in the media industry
• Media Professionals with a first management experience.
• Any media professional who is ready to take on greater leadership responsibilities within their organization.

Programme Outcomes

• Strengthened leadership skills and personal growth as a media industry leader.
• Deeper understanding of key technological trends affecting the media industry, including AI, and discovering new ways to ensure that Public Media is indispensable to society.
• Hands-on experience in fostering creativity and innovation in today's fast-paced media landscape.
• International network with peer media managers from all over Europe

Mentorship

Throughout the course, you will be paired with a Mentor. These Mentors are distinguished Public Service Media Senior Executives, often hailing from different countries. Their role is to provide guidance, offer assistance, and share constructive feedback on any inquiries or challenges that the program generates for you. Under their expert guidance, you will gain a deeper understanding of how to apply course content to your professional contexts.

Some of our Mentors include Kai Gniffke, Intendant at SWR, Thierry Zweifel, Head of Strategy and Programming at RTS, Jean Pierre Jacqmin, Head of News and Sports at RTBF, Bart Barnas, Media CEO at Avrotros, Michael Osterlund, Head of Program Division at Swedish Television (SVT) and more.

Programme Outline

Module 1: Exploring the future of media.

This module delves into the impact of technology on the media industry, providing participants with a deeper understanding of its implications and opportunities. By analyzing the competitive landscape, exploring future scenarios, and considering strategic positioning, you will gain valuable tools and frameworks to foster creativity and innovation within your organizations.

In this module, you will learn about:

• How technology and AI is transforming the media industry: technological innovation and digitalization
• How to strategically position your organization and to identify new opportunities 
• Tools and frameworks to lead creativity in your organization.

Module 2: The leadership journey.

This module encompasses experiential learning, workshops, lectures, round tables, and personality assessment. Notably, one day within this module will be dedicated to outdoor activities, either hiking or sailing. You will have the opportunity to encounter leadership and management scenarios in a distinct environment, enhancing your understanding of aspects like team cohesion, adaptability to change, performance, and effective communication.

This module will enable you to:

• Become effective and adaptable leaders, capable of navigating personal & team demands in a dynamic and evolving sector.
• Promote self-awareness to improve management skills, identify areas for improvement, and create a more effective personal leadership style.
• Know the strategies to optimize personal performance, promote collaborative teamwork, and align individual contributions with collective goals, thus increasing overall organizational effectiveness.

Module 3: Unleashing innovation.

Customer Centricity & Digital Innovation (Day 1) and the Innovation Challenge (Day 2&3)

During this module, you will collaborate in groups of four to tackle your innovation challenge. In this entrepreneurial incubator, you will delve into uncharted avenues for growth, formulate a fresh business model, create a prototype for a novel service or product, and learn to present your ideas persuasively.

This module will equip you:

• With the tools and strategies to embrace a customer-centric approach and mindset.
• To explore customer-centric principles, emphasizing a modernized approach to audience engagement. 
• To understanding the digital news landscape and how to consider leveraging technology for organizational alignment, and integrating AI, while also addressing its ethical considerations and risks.
• Integrating finance into building a strong business case.
• Pitching and selling to top management.

Academic Partners

Aalto University Executive Education

Aalto University Executive Education unites a diverse set of people through science, arts, technology and business. It brings a multidisciplinary approach and new, innovative learning methods to the development of experts and leaders. Aalto Executive Education has Triple Crown of accreditations - AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS - granted to only 1% of the world’s business schools. Accreditations and success in international executive education rankings attest to high-quality education, continuous development, and international recognition. Each year, around 7,000 people from 1,000 organizations benefit from impactful, goal-oriented and comprehensive learning experience.

Kedge Business School

KEDGE Business School is a leading French business school with a global presence. Operating across 4 campuses in France (Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, and Toulon), as well as 4 overseas locations, including China and Africa, we serve as a hub for 15,000 students and maintain connections with 80,000 alumni worldwide. Our diverse community benefits from our comprehensive range of 38 training programs covering Management, Arts, and Design, alongside tailored Executive Education options. As a Triple Accredited institution (AMBA, EQUIS, AACSB), we have been consistently recognized among the best by the Financial Times. At KEDGE, we take pride in our commitment to contemporary pedagogy, providing experiential learning opportunities and access to state-of-the-art facilities.

Vlerick Business School

Vlerick Business School, a Triple Accredited institution (AMBA, EQUIS, AACSB), stands as a premier international business school consistently ranked among Europe’s finest. Our campuses in Brussels, Ghent and Leuven serve as a dynamic hub where individuals and organisations converge to challenge norms and explore the ever-evolving business landscape. Renowned for our world-class learning journeys, our faculty blends relevance and rigor, delivering fresh insights with an energetic approach. Through immersive, hands-on experiences, we ignite innovative thinking and foster courageous behaviour. With a global network of over 25,000 alumni spanning 99 countries, Vlerick offers cutting-edge programmes, including MBA, Masters, and Executive Education. Notably, our Executive Education Department has crafted more than 120 customized programmes, engaging over 6,000 participants.