Wharton Fellows at The Conference Board Brings Masters Classes to Argentina and Brazil

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Aug 15, 2011, 03:59 ET

NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board continues its partnership this October with The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania by taking its Wharton Fellows program to Argentina and Brazil, two of South America's most dynamic economies. Wharton Fellows at The Conference Board brings together CEOs, at small- and mid-sized organizations, as well as C-suite executives from multi-national firms for a series of Master Classes in cities throughout the world. Under the directorship of Yoram (Jerry) Wind, Lauder Professor of Marketing at The Wharton School and Academic Director of Wharton Fellows at The Conference Board, participants learn from Wharton faculty and business leaders at best-practice companies that have successfully carried out organizational transformations in shifting economic, political, and social environments.

"Great leaders know the best opportunities are where others won't go," said Bart van Ark, Chief Economist at The Conference Board. "The Wharton Fellows at The Conference Board program is about pushing leaders to embrace new territory and situations, and Brazil and Argentina are perfect places to learn from. Brazil is rapidly adjusting to the challenges of becoming a superpower in the global economy, which has dramatically changed its competitive landscape. Argentina has faced more headwinds, but its highly qualified workforce, abundance of natural resources, modern and expanding infrastructure, and strategic proximity to Brazil mean it's likely to grow as a regional center for sustainable investment and development, whichever party wins the upcoming election."

The first South America Master Class will be in Buenos Aires, Argentina from October 9 - 11, two weeks before Argentina's National Elections on October 23. Fellows will analyze business and leadership successes in Argentina from a socio-cultural, political, regional, and global perspective. As part of the program's unique experience-based immersion learning, the group will visit leading Argentine companies, from wineries to biotechnology firms, and panel discussions and meetings with opinion leaders, government officials, entrepreneurs, and heads of financial institutions. Fellows will meet with executives from Tenaris, CFI Group, Grupo Los Grobo, and Bain.

The second South America Master Class is October 13 - 15, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. As a major BRIC economy which, according to the IMF, grew by 7.2 percent in 2010, Brazil offers businesses and investors unmatched opportunities. Fellows will visit leading Brazilian firms in aerospace, steel, cosmetics, financial services, agriculture, oil and alternative energy and will meet with key government officials and opinion leaders.

About Wharton Fellows at The Conference Board

Wharton Fellows at The Conference Board joins two of the world's most respected leadership organizations into a distinctive program of Master Classes that offer innovative, experiential learning within an elite peer network. These Master Classes are held at best-practice companies in cities around the world and include introductions to business leaders who challenge Fellows to move past established mental models to lead transformational change within their organization. Previous programs have been held in Philadelphia, Shanghai, and Tel Aviv/Jerusalem.

Meet some Wharton Fellows in this short video: http://www.conference-board.org/Wharton.

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is a global, independent business membership and research association working in the public interest. Our mission is unique: To provide the world's leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society. The Conference Board is a non-advocacy, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States.

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