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Impact story: Weichai Group (China)
Impact story: Weichai Group (China)The client
Founded in 1948, Weichai is a multi-field and multi-industry international group owning powertrain, vehicle, construction machinery, intelligent logistics, agricultural equipment, marine transportation equipment and other business segments. The corporate headquarters are located in Weifang, Shandong province, China.
Subsidiaries of Weichai group spread all over Europe, North America, Asia, and other regions. Its products are exported to more than 110 countries and regions. Weichai group has 9 stocks from 7 listing companies: Weichai Power, Weichai Heavy Machinery, Asiastar Bus, and the KION Group.
The enterprise has altogether over 90.000 employees worldwide. With an annual revenue of more than 260 billion RMB in 2019, Weichain ranks as No. 87 among China’s top 500 enterprises. It’s 27th among China’s top 500 manufacturing enterprises, and 2nd among China’s machinery industry top 100 enterprises. Their strategy is to become a world leading and sustainably developing multinational group of intelligent industrial equipment, with its own core technologies, with vehicle and machinery as the leading business, and with powertrain as the core business.
The challenge
Weichai pays high attention to science and technology innovation. The corporation adheres to the international development strategy and has created a synergistic industrial layout around the world. Weichai’s rapid development has received high affirmation from the Chinese society, and won several awards.
Weichai’s strategy: The traditional business shall remain a world-class level by 2025. That’s why selected employees are sent to Constructor University for tailormade, four-month executive education programs to learn from leading experts in their fields with customized knowledge transfer combined with international experience. The aim is to give their key personal the skills needed to perform and drive the company forward. Weichai Power is literally education his new leaders of tomorrow in cooperation with Constructor University.
The commitment
Preparing future decision makers for modern (western) management techniques as well as state-of-the-art production technology is the aim of the executive education program customized for Weichai Power.
The kick-off started once with an opening ceremony for the Leaders of Tomorrow program at the corporate headquarters in Weifang, Shandong province, China. Up to now all teams meet after a four months program participation at the end of every year for a reunion among the Leaders of Tomorrow.
The program is a non-degree program for selected employees and consists of two essential phases: An educational phase at Constructor University, where the participants live on campus and learn in provided classrooms combined with a practical phase. The participants learn from excursions to corporations and cultural sights and work on projects in international companies based in Germany.
The primary objectives of the program are about broadening the international experience of the future executives and learning about management techniques and leadership skills that are vital to fulfilling their high potential. Applying what was learned and studied on campus immediately during the practical phases in international companies during the challenging stay in Germany makes a distinction of this tailormade program.
The continuous growth of participant numbers with more batches already planned in the future underlines the importance of the tailormade executive education program and fruitful cooperation for both, Weichai and Constructor University.
Individual supervision of participants through University departments being familiar with visa- and organizational processes, a high flexibility on program setting of experienced Business Solutions program managers are further core values for participants to feel home easily during a challenging journey of personal and professional development during an exciting time, thousands of miles away in the north of Germany.
The approach
Leadership and knowledge courses are held on campus of Constructor University Bremen where the participants become part of the international community of students from more than 110 nations during their four months stay in Bremen. Groups of Chinese executive education participants own their individual campus card to make purchases in the serveries, and the coffee bar, and to use the copy machines and printers as well as most of the other facilities including the international student library.
The participants live and learn on campus to become part of the vibrant community of the internationally top ranked private University in the north of Germany.
Meanwhile participants spend time on- and off-campus, they will learn about hard and soft topics. Improving their English skills, learning about intercultural management and leadership, about industry 4.0 and digital transformation as well as supply chain management. The future Weichai leaders of tomorrow are on a journey to acquire and extend individual project management knowledge and have the opportunity to work together with colleagues on personal projects.
Excellent trainers and professors are not only teachers but also partners in developing the personal skills of every participant. Our international guests are supported with a great personal commitment of project managers and the whole team of Constructor University Business Solutions, related stuff of involved departments on campus as well as the international faculty.
No matter where the participants are during these four months, they always learn, either in Bremen at Constructor University campus or at a business location of Linde Hydraulics or KION Group to spend time to get insights into the daily operations of Weichai’s partner companies and learn first-hand from German colleagues. In addition, the participants visit German companies to learn from industry experts and cultural sights to widen horizons.
The impact
After successfully graduating from the “Leaders of Tomorrow” program, more than 70% of the participants were promoted into higher positions within the Weichai corporation, some assuming general manager positions of subsidiaries or becoming directors within the company.
Not only did the participants receive knowledge to advance their personal careers but also the goals of Weichai were met which is reflected by the respective promotions.
This underlines that the executive education programs of Constructor University highly contribute to the organizational development of the companies sending participants on campus and help companies to achieve their goals: “Not only in regards to human resource development but eventually business wise by giving their key personal the skills needed to perform and drive the company forward”, summarizes Tobias Speicher, our team specialist in building global partnerships and alliances with Asian partners.
All batches of the tailored program for Weichai’s “Leaders of Tomorrow” have been individually designed according to actual needs and requirements of employees from our Chinese long-term partner and then successfully implemented as fully customized executive education solution since several years by Constructor University.
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Contact us
Reach the Constructor University Business Solutions team by
phone: +49 421 - 200 44 10