Take the lead in

Sustainability Management

Practical information

Price€2195 (ex. VAT)
Start date24 January 2023
Period10 weeks
Learning methodsynchronous, self-paced, interactive & individual online learning + 1 live kick-off & graduation event
Extra's3-month digital subscription to l'Echo

These companies have participated in the first edition: KBC, Eneco, Polestar, Nike, Lotus, Proximus, Deloitte and 200 more

The roadmap to sustainability in your organisation

This programme provides a roadmap on why and how to include environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors in your organisational strategy. Integrating sustainable opportunities will drive organisational engagement, innovation and change, and bring purpose.

In just 10 weeks, you will learn how to develop and implement a strategy for sustainability with which to increase the impact and performance of your organisation.

What to expect

01 Online learning programme

In the 10-week online learning programme, you will progress through the roadmap for including sustainability in your business operations. You will learn how to set up a strategy that embeds sustainability and reaps its rewards. This knowledge will be practiced in individual and group assignments. Responsible for the online content, Vlerick Business School professors and a dedicated facilitator will interact with you throughout the learning journey. For more detailed information on the programme curriculum, please visit our FAQ.

Module 1

Profit and purpose

Learn how profit and sustainability are not mutually exclusive and how you can create both profit and social value.

Module 2

From shareholder value to stakeholder value

Find your way in the sustainability jargon and learn to set sustainability priorities.

Module 3

Design a strategy for sustainability

Develop the cornerstones of a strategy for sustainability and create a shared understanding of the role, importance and purpose of this strategy.

Module 4

The consumer’s perspective on sustainability

Appraise your company’s corporate reputation and identify and address reputational risks in your supply chain.

Module 5

The path to net-zero emissions

Understand the fundamental features and the feasibility of the Green Deal and how it can be implemented.

Module 6

The social side of sustainability

Apply the concepts of privilege, equity and inclusion to analyse the structural fabric of society and/or organisations and intergroup relations.

Module 7

Sustainability reporting and performance

Judge the most suitable reporting framework for sustainability for your organisation and discover E(nvironment) S(ocial) G(overnance) performance indicators.

Module 8

Financing sustainability

Define and explain how ESG factors can be incorporated into investment decisions and evaluate how sustainability is priced and incorporated in the valuation of assets.

02 Interactive events

During the programme, you will have the opportunity to attend 1 physical event and 3 very interactive online events in which you will be asked to actively participate in live Q&A sessions, case studies, panel discussions and assignments. You will also have the opportunity to interact and network with experts and peers.

The programme starts off a kick-off event. Draw inspiration from our keynote speaker, enjoy a thought-provoking panel discussion and network with your peers through breakout rooms.

6:30 P.M. – 9:45 P.M.

Tour & Taxis – Maison de La Poste, Picardstraat 7, 1000 Brussels

In this session, we will jointly discuss a company case to understand the role and importance of a (digital) strategy in sustainability.

12:30 P.M. – 1:30 P.M.

Gain a deeper understanding of the learning content of modules 5 & 6 by interacting with your peers and Vlerick experts.

12:30 P.M. – 1:30 P.M.

A panel of business leaders and Vlerick experts will go deeper into the financial aspect of sustainability and seek to answer your burning questions.

12:30 P.M. - 1:30 P.M.

We conclude the programme with a festive graduation event and raise a glass with your peers. Let our top-notch keynote speakers tickle your brain, and raise a glass with your peers.

7 P.M. - 9:30 P.M.

Vlerick Brussels Campus, Bolwerklaan 21, 1210 Brussels

03 Peer learning

Become part of the committed Take the Lead Sustainability Management learning community. Learn with – and from – your peers in lively discussions and group activities.

04 Networking

Designed for businesspeople at all levels in all industries. Participation gives you the opportunity to connect with other future game changers in sustainability from a wide range of business functions and sectors. You will be able to pitch your ideas and start building a life-long business network or expand and upgrade your existing network.

5 Reasons why you should participate

  1. To acquire the skills to include environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors in your company’s organisational strategy.
  2. To build a personal network of professionals enthusiastic about sustainability.
  3. To learn from the Vlerick Business School’s international faculty and business & sustainability experts.
  4. To experience learning in a highly flexible programme, giving you the space to develop your skills and take them back to your business.
  5. To obtain Vlerick Business School’s official ‘Sustainability Management’ certificate.

Meet our VBS faculty for
Sustainability Management

Xavier Baeten

Professor of Management Practice in Reward and Governance

Marion Debruyne

Dean of Vlerick Business School, Programme director

David Veredas

Professor of Financial Markets

Smaranda Boros

Associate Professor of Intercultural Management and Organisational Behaviour

Fred Lemke

Professor of Marketing

Kerstin Fehre

Assistant Professor of Strategy

Steve Muylle

Professor of Digital Strategy and Business Marketing

Dimitrios Kolokas

Doctoral Fellow on Financial Innovation

Koen Dewettinck

Professor of Human Resources Management

Interview

Why this learning programme?

The coronavirus economic crisis is barely over and companies are immediately facing another challenge: sustainability. Many parallels can be drawn with the digitalisation wave a few years ago. Although the urgency appears greater. But I remain optimistic: as a whole, society is on the same page.

Our Partners

Take the Lead in Sustainability Management is supported by ING Belgium.
Thanks to this partner the programme can be offered at reduced costs to a maximum number of people.

‘Banks have a key support role to play in the journey towards a net-zero economy’

Though companies of all sizes want to reduce their environmental footprint, many lack the tools and support to do so. Guiding and financing the transition to sustainability, banks are an essential link, states Philippe Wallez, ESG director at ING Belgium.

Aftermovie 2020

Discover the impact of the previous Take the Lead Digital Business Transformation editions.

Interested?

Join the programme and become a sustainability leader in 10 weeks.