20 Feb HOW TO PICK AND EXECUTE COMPETITIVE STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS
Students will learn that in a market economy strategy is what defines success
or failure and that all companies have an strategy, even those that have not consciously chosen one would have a default strategy which would probably be
a poor one that can eventually put at risk the existence of the company. Since students from different disciplines will likely work in the future for an
organization subject to competition, or will become entrepreneurs, it is very useful for them to acquire the knowledge and skills to think strategically and
formulate and execute sound strategies.
Students will be introduced first to the Porter 5 forces model and understand why this is what shapes strategy and also enable them to perform industry
analysis. Next students will understand the logic of the three generic strategies, then the value chain analysis framework is presented as the most important
step in achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Also, the role of some elements such as culture in strategy execution is analyzed, and lastly a
business case is discussed so that students can relate the concepts learned to real life.
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FRANCISCO MEJIA
Francisco holds an MBA and MSc in finance from the E.J Ourso College of Business of Louisiana State University and a Certificate of Global Management
from INSEAD. He has had extensive experience in multinational corporations, working for Schering Plough (later merged with Merck) in the USA
(NJ) and Philip Morris international (PMI) in Colombia. At Schering Plough he was involved in the strategic planning process for the company in the LATAM
region including market entry and M&A, and at PMI he was part of the management team that integrated PMI’s subsidiary in Colombia with a local
company that was acquired.
His most recent position was as CEO of Banco Agrario de Colombia (BAC), which is the country’s development bank and also the 6th largest commercial
bank. As CEO of BAC he executed a turnaround that gave a clear stretegic direction to the bank which was widely recognized as a success story in the
country.
His experience on strategy as a senior excecutive comming from the finance function has led him to conclude that “strategy is about chosing a path for value
creation that outcompetes rivals, the problem is that poor strategic desisions are often made because there is not sufficient focus or even understanding of
the measurement of economic value creation, that is why I have been always interested in the intersection between finance and strategy”
Francisco is now a consutant for a VC fund and a mentor in finance and strategy for its portfolio startups,
Skills
1. Students will be acquainted with the principles of competitive strategy.
2. Students will understand the logic of the three generic strategies.
3. The student will be able to do value chain analysis.
4. The student will understand the concept and the drivers of sustainable competitive advantage.
Schedule
Which dates?
17-jan
24-jan
31-jan
07-feb
14-feb
21-feb
What day?
WEDNESDAY
What time?
14,00-15,30