The Mini MBA is a unique programme focused on developing essential business skills and know-how. Our world-class, inspirational tutors will guide you through this prestigious programme, introducing you to valuable knowledge and skills in business, leadership, project management, and finance. They will also present proven business and marketing strategies. This training will help you grasp the bigger picture of the business world and understand the various perspectives that need to be taken into account when making business decisions.
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In 2019, our PwC's Mini MBA programme won the prestigious Education Leaders Awards in the Best Learning Experience category.
The introductory module of the PwC’s Mini MBA programme sets the tone for the program by introducing a comprehensive mapping technique designed to illuminate the primary areas where organisations can cultivate growth.
The module commences with an overview of the contemporary business environment. It emphasises the dynamic nature of organisations in the 21st century, which undergo constant transformation driven by technological advancements and disruptive innovation, but also by factors as consumer behaviour shift, globalisation and demographic changes.
Following this introduction, the module delves into an in-depth exploration of 3 levels of strategy – Corporate, Business, and Functional – and delineates the objectives pertinent to each level. Participants are guided through PwC’s Mini MBA map, acquainting themselves with the concepts of external and internal analysis as integral components of strategic planning.
Moreover, participants will be expected to map their existing business experience onto these theoretical models and engage in discussions regarding the practical application of these models in real-life business environments.
Tutor: Miro Smolović, PMP
The "Operational Agility: Strategies for Efficiency" module is a natural progression from the “Corporate and Business Strategy” module, designed to equip Mini-MBA participants with the requisite knowledge, skills, and tools essential for steering and overseeing high-performing, adaptable operations across diverse business landscapes.
This module explores in depth the day-to-day operational management and process optimisation within a business context. It delineates the distinction between strategic planning, product design, resource management, and quality enhancement, emphasizing the pivotal role of operations management in executing strategic objectives and ensuring organisational effectiveness.
It is dedicated to imparting practical insights and actionable strategies for crafting and implementing operations plans. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to translate strategic vision into operational reality.
By emphasizing the integration of operational tactics with strategic objectives, this module empowers participants to navigate the complexities of modern business environments with agility and proficiency, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
Tutor: Dr. Antonios Michail
The "Innovation and Creative Thinking" module is specifically crafted to empower participants with the critical skills required to initiate and sustain innovation within their organisations. This module provides the tools and insights necessary to transform innovative concepts into practical solutions that can significantly impact business success.
The curriculum is designed to challenge conventional thinking patterns and encourage a departure from traditional solutions. By fostering a deep understanding of the innovation theory, coupled with practical techniques, this module ensures that participants can adapt and thrive in diverse business environments.
Interactive sessions, along with collaborative projects, practical exercises, insightful discussions, and case studies of successful innovations, will provide participants with a real-world perspective on overcoming challenges through creativity. This learning experience not only enhances individual capabilities but also prepares participants to lead their organisations towards a more innovative and competitive future.
Tutor: Dr. Antonios Michail
This module addresses key topics like complexity and change, and looks at the management skills needed to respond intelligently. It is based on the idea that more traditional management styles (that place an emphasis on command and control) are becoming less suited to a business environment where talent is mobile, innovation is essential and connection is everywhere.
The module will also look at the importance of differentiating between ‘performance’ and ‘contribution’ when giving feedback and creating a more engaged workforce.
Tutor: Tim Kemp, MA, MBA
This module provides the basic principles of Accounting & Finance as it includes the areas that people involved in business should be aware of mainly at an understanding level (not necessarily synthesis).
Tutor: Nemanja Djerkovic
This module explores market positioning, which combines offline and online marketing tactics, the use of social media for businesses, the significance of content and video marketing, and the quest for the right balance, as well as Customer Relationship Management through software systems and automation.
Marketing involves identifying customer needs and satisfying them through an appropriate "marketing mix." This module will focus on these aspects in conjunction with an analysis of the external environment from a marketing viewpoint, considering customers and competitors. Additionally, areas such as branding, internet marketing, social media marketing, and other related concepts will be explored.
The market is currently experiencing a strong shift towards visualisation, particularly videos, and content marketing. This module will delve into these trends along with other significant developments. Participants will gain the ability to apply various marketing tools and theories to real-life situations.
Tutor: Lazar Džamić
High-quality leadership is a hallmark of successful organisations. Some people have a natural talent for the role, but good leadership can also be learned through training, coaching and practice. The quality of leadership in place through the ranks of an organisation will, in large part, determine the success of that organisation in the long term. It is therefore essential that anyone entrusted with a position and responsibility for leading people fully understands and appreciates what this leadership role requires in practice.
In this module, the emphasis is placed upon the efforts to understand individuals and to create an environment where differences, new ideas, curiosity and innovation are encouraged and cultivated.
Tutor: Tim Kemp, MA, MBA
This module has been designed to provide an understanding of the importance of project management methodology and approach in everyday business. The goal of the module is to help participants develop a unified approach to project management challenges, fostering the reduction of stress associated with project management, and increasing the likelihood of completing projects on time, within budget, and meeting the required quality standards.
Furthermore, through practical exercises, participants will learn about the most essential project management tools and techniques.
Initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close a project
Understand and manage stakeholder requirements and expectations
Manage a project in line with organisational strategy
Understand the processes necessary for the successful completion of a project
Tutor: Miro Smolović, PMP
This module links together all the other modules. It will help you to put the individual parts of the programme together into one cohesive whole and thus help you understand in depth the functioning of the business world.
At the end of it, you will take part in the Harvard Case Study Assessment Paper. By completing this case study, you will receive the PwC Mini MBA certificate.
Tutor: Miro Smolović, PMP
PwC's Mini MBA comprises 9 related sessions that will provide you with comprehensive and practical-oriented business knowledge and skills which you can apply in your own company. It takes 15 days in total (100 training hours).
All sessions are interactive and provide a lot of oportunites for discussions, exchanging ideas and networking.
Peer Groups sessions:
After the first module of the Mini MBA programme, participants will be devided in smaller groups. The purpose of the Mini MBA 'Peer Groups' is to review what each person has taken away from the previous module and has applied (or is planning to apply) in his/her day-to-day work. This also provides participants with an opportunity to reflect on how what they learned during the Mini MBA module can be applied (or could not be applied for specific reasons) to everyday situations and share what was useful and relevant in the context of their role within their company.
The Peer Groups would be encouraged to arrange and meet between the modules (virtually). In the smaller groups participants can discuss their experiences from the programme. At the start of the next module of the Mini MBA programme, the Peer Groups can share and discuss their observations together with the other participants.
What is the difference between PwC's Mini MBA and a regular one?
PwC's Mini MBA programme is led by internationally recognised lecturers and experts from the business world who have extensive practical experience in managing their own projects and businesses.
It can be completed faster than a traditional MBA programme offered by business schools.
More than 1000 CEOs, managers, and entrepreneurs have already successfully completed the PwC's Mini MBA programme. Our experience thus far has been highly positive, even among CEOs, who have stated that the programme helped them update their knowledge and establish connections with various operational levels of management. Additionally, managers with technical backgrounds have noted that the programme aided them in comprehending broader aspects of business and encouraged more strategic thinking.
Managers at all levels in various lines of service
Owners of small and medium-sized enterprises
Individuals intending to start their own businesses or startups
Key talents in the succession pipeline aspiring to senior leadership roles
Anyone seeking to enhance their strategic thinking and gain a comprehensive understanding of organisational functioning
Participants are expected to possess relevant knowledge of the company's operations and an understanding of its strategy, human capital, marketing, and other operational challenges.
Upon completion of the programme, all participants receive a PwC's Mini MBA Certificate.
In order to receive the certificate, 76 hours of attendance and passing the final Harvard Case Study Assessment Paper are required.
Early bird 1 until 10 February 2025: EUR 2750 (excl. VAT)
Early bird 2 until 1 March 2025: EUR 2850 (excl. VAT)
Regular price: EUR 2950 (excl. VAT)
Miro is an experienced project manager and internationally licensed trainer in Project Management. Currently he is a Partner in the training organisation StudySmart, and a Senior Advisor to PwC’s Academy in Central and Eastern Europe. Miro is an expert with more than 25 years of experience in providing services to corporate, private, and non-governmental sectors.
Prior to StudySmart, Miro spent 13 years at PwC’s Academy as a Leader for SEE, practicing also as trainer and consultant. Miro is an experienced PMP trainer covering different types of business training in both hard and soft skills.
PwC's Mini MBA module(s) taught by Miro:
Antonios Michail is the Marketing Director at the Greek training organization StudySmart. He has more than 15 years of experience in the commercial sector in different parts of the world. His key skills include, among many others, strategic planning, analysis of operating costs and marketing. He has written several publications focusing on marketing strategy.
PwC's Mini MBA module(s) taught by Antonios:
Lazar is a former Head of Brand Planning for Google's creative think tank Google ZOO in London, where he created the strategy team and brought in 2 of the world’s first creative data scientists. His mission at Google was to ‘turn light into heat’: transforming vast amounts of Google data into deep insights for creating great brand stories.
Lazar has also worked as a strategy director at several London creative agencies and was one of the first digital strategists in the UK. He is a regular speaker at global and regional conferences on digital marketing and brand storytelling.
PwC's Mini MBA module(s) taught by Lazar:
Nemanja Đerković is currently employed as a Finance Manager with Eaton Electric d.o.o. Previously he held the position of a Senior Associate with PwC Belgrade Assurance Services. From the very beginning of his professional career, Nemanja has been engaged to provide audit services to public companies and privately held companies, as well as to provide services to the Government and the NGOs. Since PwC’s Academy has been established in Serbia, Nemanja has been engaged as an IAS/IFRS and Finance for Non- finance Training Instructor, and as a Finance and Accounting Training Course Instructor.
PwC's Mini MBA module(s) taught by Nemanja:
Tim has over 3 decades of experience as a leadership and management coach, author, program designer and facilitator. He has a long track record of producing relevant and original content delivered to a broad range of clients across geographies and sectors. He is the creative force behind a range of learning simulations, podcasts, video "triggers" and web seminars. Specific areas of interest and experience include: Leadership and the use of action learning to facilitate change; building cross cultural and innovative teams; and the transformation of managers to enablers.
Tim is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and a Professor of Leadership at Rome Business School. His work with UNICEF has meant working with leadership teams on all five continents.
PwC's Mini MBA module(s) taught by Tim:
Module | Date | Timing of sessions |
Module 1: Corporate Business Strategy (12 hours) | 27 March 2025 28 March 2025 |
16:00 - 20:00 09:00 - 17:00 |
Module 2: Operational Agility: Strategies for Efficiency (12 hours)
|
10 April 2025 11 April 2025 |
16:00 - 20:00 09:00 - 17:00 |
Module 3: Innovation & Creative Thinking (8 hours) | 12 April 2025 | 09:00 - 17:00 |
Module 4: Enabled Organisation (12 hours) | 8 May 2025 |
16:00 - 20:00 09:00 - 17:00 |
Module 5: Accounting Basics & Financial Management (12 hours) | 15 May 2025 |
16:00 - 20:00 09:00 - 17:00 |
Module 6: Marketing in the Digital Age (12 hours) | 21 May 2025 |
16:00 - 20:00 09:00 - 17:00 |
Module 7: Leadership in 21st Century (12 hours) | 5 June 2025 6 June 2025 |
16:00 - 20:00 09:00 - 17:00 |
Module 8: Project Management in Everyday Business (12 hours) | 12 June 2025 13 June 2025 |
16:00 - 20:00 09:00 - 17:00 |
Module 9: Linking It All Together (8 hours) |
14 June 2025 | 09:00 - 17:00 |
Final assessment paper (group work) | July 2025 | |
*PwC's Academy reserves the right to change module dates, order or timing in the case of unforeseen circumstances |