Established in 1952, the Stanford Executive Program is the flagship executive program offered by the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Taught by more than 30 Stanford faculty members, this six-week program features a general management curriculum that is customized to the needs of senior executives working in global companies, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Individual Leadership Skills Development (Optional): $5,800 USD
Program tuition includes private accommodations, all meals, course materials, and an Apple iPad.


Program Overview

The purpose of the Stanford Executive Program is to equip senior executives with the knowledge, relationships, and tools necessary to drive results at the highest levels of global management. Participants in the program embark on a comprehensive academic journey that prepares them to successfully navigate the diverse challenges facing top executives in today's dynamic global marketplace.

Residing together on the Stanford University campus, participants in the Stanford Executive Program immerse themselves in a curriculum that examines the economic, political, social, and ethical demands of top leadership. While pursuing studies with peer executives from around the world, participants are inspired by the diverse cultures and new friendships that define the Stanford experience.

The Stanford Executive Program offers four primary benefits to participants:

  • Broaden your expertise
  • Refresh your knowledge
  • Map your direction
  • Shape your organization's future

Faculty Director
Core Faculty
Elective Faculty
Robert A. Burgelman

Edmund W. Littlefield Professor of Management; Executive Director of the Stanford Executive Program

Robert Burgelman carries out longitudinal field-based research on the role of strategy in firm evolution. He has examined how companies enter into new businesses (through corporate entrepreneurship and internal corporate venturing as well as through acquisition) and leave others (through strategic business exit), and how success may lead to co-evolutionary lock-in with the environment. His research has focused on organizations where strategic action is distributed among multiple levels of management. He has written approximately 100 case studies of companies in many different technology-based industries. He currently focuses on the challenges posed by nonlinear strategic dynamics.

General Atlantic Professor of Marketing

Associate Professor of Political Economy

Paul E. Holden Professor of Organizational Behavior; The Hank McKinnell-Pfizer Inc. Director of the Center for Leadership Development and Research; Codirector of the Executive Leadership Development Program

Moghadam Family Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior; Codirector of the Executive Program for Women Leaders

Adams Distinguished Professor of Management; Professor of Economics (by courtesy), School of Humanities and Sciences

Edward B. Rust Professor of Political Science, Professor of Political Science (by courtesy), School of Humanities and Sciences

James Irvin Miller Professor of Accounting; Professor of Law (by courtesy), Stanford Law School; Codirector of the Directors' Consortium Executive Program; Director of the Corporate Governance Research Program; Senior Faculty of the Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford

Robert A. Magowan Professor of Marketing

Jack Steele Parker Professor of Human Resources Management and Economics; Morris Arnold Cox Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; Senior Fellow (by courtesy), Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research

Frank E. Buck Professor of Management; Director of the Leading Change and Organizational Renewal Executive Program

Dean Witter Distinguished Professor of Finance, Emeritus; Faculty Director of the Stanford Sloan Master's Program; Director of the Finance and Accounting for the Nonfinancial Executive Program

Herbert Hoover Professor of Public and Private Management

Gregor G. Peterson Professor of Accounting; Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Professor of Law (by courtesy), School of Law

Atholl McBean Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources; Director of the Managing Talent for Strategic Advantage Executive Program; Codirector of the Customer- Focused Innovation Executive Program

Sanwa Bank, Limited, Professor of Marketing; Director of the Strategic Marketing Management Executive Program

David and Ann Barlow Professor of Political Economy; Professor of Political Science (by courtesy), School of Humanities and Sciences

Associate Professor of Finance

Thomas M. Siebel Professor of Business Leadership, Strategy, and Organizations; Director of the Center for Global Business and the Economy; Senior Fellow, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

The John G. McCoy -- Banc One Professor of Economics

Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Management; Director of the Executive Program for Growing Companies; Director of the Leadership for Growth (L4G) Program for Enterprise Ireland

William R. Kimball Professor of Organizational Behavior

Thoma Professor of Operations, Information and Technology; Director of the Stanford Global Supply Chain Management Forum; Director of the Strategies and Leadership in Supply Chains Executive Program

Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers Professor of Electronic Business and Commerce,and Management Director of the Stanford Global Supply Chain Management Forum

Adams Distinguished Professor of Management; Director of the Managing Teams for Innovation and Success Executive Program Director of the Influence and Negotiation Strategies Executive Program; Codirector of the Executive Program for Women Leaders

The Fred H. Merrill Professor of Economics

COG. Miller Distinguished Professor of Finance; Professor of Law (by courtesy), School of Law

Walter Kenneth Kilpatrick Professor of Operations, Information, and Technology; Senior Fellow (by Courtesy) Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford

Ernest C. Arbuckle Professor of Economics, Director of the Summer Institute for General Management

Adams Distinguished Professor of Management, Emeritus

VIDEO OVERVIEW
Stanford Executive Program
Stanford Executive Program:
Video Overview
Join Faculty Director Robert Burgelman and Stanford Executive Program (SEP) past participants for an overview of why spending six weeks of your summer at SEP provides an invaluable return on investment. Experience the sunshine, the renowned faculty, innovative coursework, beautiful classroom space, global executive participants, and food prepared by an award-winning executive chef to see why participants rave about Stanford GSB Executive Education programs.

THE SEP EXPERIENCE

  • 01
    Learn from world-renowned Stanford faculty and industry leaders
  • A Global Community
    Collaborate with a diverse peer group to solve tough problems
  • 03
    Study in an environment that is both relaxing and stimulating
  • 04
    Participate in the optional executive coaching for individual leadership skills development
  • 05
    Review and annotate course materials on a Apple iPad
  • 06
    Enjoy complimentary personal concierge services
 

Guest Speakers

 
 
 
 
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Professor of Political Economy, Stanford Graduate School of Business; Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy, Hoover Institution; Professor of Political Science, School of Humanities and Sciences; Director of the Center for Global Business and the Economy; Former U.S. Secretary of State
George P. Shultz
George P. Shultz
Thomas W. and Susan B. Ford Distinguished Fellow; Former U.S. Secretary of State
Andrew S. Grove
Andrew S. Grove
Lecturer in Business, Stanford Graduate School of Business Senior Advisor; Former Chairman of the Board, Intel Corporation
John T. Chambers
John T. Chambers
Chairman and CEO, Cisco Systems
A. Michael Spence
A. Michael Spence
Recipient, 2001 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences; Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; Former Dean, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Sharon L. Allen
Sharon L. Allen
Chairman of the Board, Deloitte LLP
Carlos Ghosn
Carlos Ghosn
President and Chief Executive Officer, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Robert Hanson
Robert Hanson
President, Levi Strauss Global
Richard M. Kovacevich
Richard M. Kovacevich
Former Chairman, Wells Fargo & Company
Hasso Plattner
Hasso Plattner
CEO, Co-Chairman, and Co-Founder, SAP AG
SEP has more than lived up to my expectations. The professors are the foremost thinkers in their fields and my fellow students brought tremendous experience from a wide range of industries. The robust nature of the coursework, activities, study groups, and individual conversations along the way allowed me to push myself both personally and professionally, maximizing my future contributions in the workplace.
– Tom Andriola
Vice President and General Manager
Royal Philips Electronics N.V.
SEP gave me tremendous exposure to executives in diverse industries from all around the globe allowing me to learn from them within Stanford's rigorous academic setting and in compelling discussions outside the classroom.
– Sanjay Mehrotra
President and Chief Executive Officer
SanDisk Corporation
SEP really helps put a career in focus. All of us left with ideas that have powered us through the year, and will last for years ahead. And most important, we formed a lasting bond. The rule in our class is that if you travel to the vicinity of a classmate, you've got to give him or her a call, and get together for lunch, dinner, or a drink.
– Alan S. Murray
Deputy Managing Editor, the Wall Street Journal
Executive Editor, the Wall Street Journal Online
The Stanford experience allowed me to step outside my role as a scientist and to see the business environment in a new light. The faculty are true artists that combine their expertise with a wonderful ability to set the stage for maximum learning.
– Ludger Dinkelborg
Head of Molecular Imaging
Bayer Schering Pharma AG
I left SEP with confidence and exuberance. I gained a new global perspective that was not only induced by the highly qualified and seasoned faculty, but also was expanded by the interaction I had with my classmates, who came into the program after already achieving much success in their careers. SEP is truly a professional and personal growth experience—an opportunity to step out of your day-to-day life and focus on learning, networking, and expanding your horizon.
– Gail Coury
Vice President, Risk Management
Oracle Corporation
When you come to Stanford, you have to be willing to have your traditional way of thinking challenged. An open mind and enthusiasm to participate will lead you to a truly transformational experience.
– Paul Umbrazunas
COO and Head of Business Development
Credit Suisse Australia
At Stanford, I found an environment that fosters collaboration and provides an opportunity to really engage with your fellow participants and discuss and learn from each other's challenges. The diverse background of the participants makes for a richer experience.
– Kimberly S. Bowers
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Valero Energy Corporation
I was impressed by the unique Stanford experience created by the professors, the program content, and my fellow participants. The insights and new approaches I have acquired will be of great value as I develop a new global vision for my organization.
– Javier González-Soria
Managing Director, Google Travel Spain
Google, Inc.

Who Should Attend?

The Stanford Executive Program is designed for seasoned executives with at least 12 to 15 years of management experience and strategic responsibilities at the company- or country-wide level. The program's curriculum covers a broad range of topics at the strategic level and proceeds at a very fast pace. Participants are expected to quickly digest large amounts of reading material, actively contribute to study group discussions, and articulate informed positions on a variety of issues—all on a daily basis.

The typical participant in the Stanford Executive Program has set aggressive professional goals for the years ahead and often faces a number of professional challenges.

SAMPLE Participant Mix
01
02
03

Curriculum

The program's six-week curriculum is highly integrated and designed to maximize linkages across three key themes.

  • Strengthening strategic leadership competence
  • Developing core functional capabilities
  • Managing the extended market and nonmarket environment

GSB Alumni Status

All participants in the Stanford Executive Program are considered alumni of the Stanford Graduate School of Business and are eligible for lifetime membership in the Alumni Association. The Alumni Association provides participants with endless opportunities for further learning, networking, and enjoyment.

CONTACT

Lisa Blair
Associate Director, Programs and Marketing
Phone: 650.736.8473
Email: [email protected]

Facilities

 
 
 
 
01
Stanford University
The Stanford campus is world renowned for its natural beauty, Spanish mission-style architecture, and temperate climate. With more than 8,180 acres (3,310 hectares), Stanford's campus ranks as one of the largest in the United States. Participants in Stanford's Executive Programs become part of a quintessential university setting, residing together, walking or biking to classes, and enjoying access to Stanford University facilities.
01
The Knight Management Center
Opened in spring 2011, the Knight Management Center has transformed the Stanford Graduate School of Business into a vibrant and unified indoor-outdoor, living and learning community. Participants will take classes at this new state-of-the-art campus, which features tiered classrooms with extensive floor-to-ceiling glass, the latest in audiovisual technology, numerous breakout and study rooms, outdoor seating areas to encourage informal discussion, and an open collaboration lab that employs hands-on and design thinking techniques.
01
Schwab Residential Center
Designed by renowned Mexican architect, Ricardo Legorreta, the Schwab Residential Center gives residents ample privacy while promoting collegial interaction through shared lounges, outdoor meeting areas, a library, and an exercise room.

Exploring the San Francisco Bay Area

 
 
 
 
01
The San Francisco Bay Area
The Stanford campus is located at the center of a wealth of local attractions, which participants can explore on weekends and during the mid-program break. The city of San Francisco lies less than an hour to the north by car or rail, with the world-famous vineyards of Napa Valley just beyond. To the south lie the scenic Pacific beach towns of Santa Cruz, Pebble Beach, Monterey, and Carmel.
02
Practicing a Healthy Lifestyle
All participants are encouraged to take part in the optional physical health component of the Stanford Executive Program. Based on strong evidence that a healthier lifestyle benefits executives in many ways, the program features daily outdoor morning exercise sessions administered by a team of professional fitness instructors.
03
Staying Close to Family and Loved Ones
For many participants, attending the Stanford Executive Program entails a difficult personal choice as they must spend time away from a spouse, partner, child, or other loved ones. Recognizing the gravity of this commitment, the directors of the program incorporate several family-friendly aspects into its design.