Global shifts from climate change, environmental pressures to geopolitical tensions are reshaping the business of agriculture. Executives are having to manage supply chain risks and even find opportunities arising from international changes to the economic, political and social landscape.

Some will find value in an executive education course at a business school. Many top institutions are teaching courses tailored to the agribusiness industry, which cover the major trends in the sector and help participants to build competitive advantage and drive business growth.

Often these courses are delivered in partnership with multiple schools and industry associations, helping to blend theory and practice and expand the network for participants who are leading food producers from across the world. The programs feature extensive networking with food industry executives, in addition to a curriculum of study covering strategic marketing, executive presence, communication and much more.

Executive education can be a vital component of professional development that arms senior business professionals with tools and insights essential for deftly navigating the dynamic world of modern business. As the tides of industry and corporate strategy continue to shift, the call for a continuous learning grows louder. Consequently, the decision of where to pursue executive education becomes critical.

Below, we shine a spotlight on 10 of the preeminent business schools on a global scale, institutions that have distinguished themselves for the excellence of their executive education programs. This selection is based on several critical factors that collectively contribute to the efficacy and reputation of executive education programs. They include faculty expertise, program content and curriculum, alumni success, and institutional reputation.

All of the below schools are renowned for their executive education offerings. From Harvard Business School to HEC Paris, these schools are aiming to cultivate leaders who are not just adept at navigating the complexities of modern business but are poised to redefine and shape its future.

Cybersecurity is no longer the domain of the IT department: it is a topic that is gaining importance in the business world. It is a critical part of nearly every aspect of business decision-making, from due diligence in mergers and acquisitions to supply chain security and enterprise risk management. Therefore, managers who understand the growing cyber threat to their organizations, and what they can do to mitigate, the risk have a competitive advantage.

Several business schools are now offering executive courses that give senior managers the skills in cybersecurity risk management they need to better protect their organizations. As the cost of breaches soars, building cyber resilience is an urgent priority for leaders in business and the number of programs, while limited for now, is expected to grow in line with cyber as a board-level issue.

The role of the chief financial officer (CFO) is being transformed by a confluence of factors, from changing operating models to digitalization and society’s changing expectations. CFOs are now expected to become strategic partners to their CEOs, with a seat at the table for developing overall corporate strategy.

This means that the skills and competencies that the modern CFOs need to succeed is changing. Happily, a number of executive education programs have stepped in to help facilitate the role’s transformation.

These courses help participants to strengthen their leadership capabilities and learn how to communicate financial input more effectively, while also gaining insight into the latest developments in corporate finance.

Digital technology is a prominent theme for many of these courses, as CFOs use data analytics to build the finance function of the future. Another major development that is changing the CFO role is the growing importance of ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors in financial reporting.

All of this and more is covered in the courses listed below. Ultimately, CFOs taking these programs will gain the skills and confidence to lead their organizations and drive growth.

Little in business or life gets done without a negotiation, so executive education programs that deal with mediation have the potential to deliver significant value for your professional and personal life. 

In executive courses in negotiation, participants, who come from broad array of backgrounds, learn foundational skills for managing complex and multinational negotiations in different cultures and regions — such as how to prepare, lead and adapt negotiations. This includes effective communication and coalition building, as well as leveraging social capital to negotiate successfully. 

Executive courses in negotiation also delve into the social psychology of negotiation, in terms of how to influence people and gain stakeholder buy-in. 

These hands-on programs enable participants to experiment with new techniques and test their negotiation effectiveness in the safety of the classroom. Through role plays and simulations of real-life business scenarios, led by expert faculty, participants learn to manage conflict and build trust, how to find alignment and achieve successful deals. 

In some cases, participants will be involved in hands-on activities, such as predicting their counterpart’s behavior, and dealing with “dirty tactics”.  

Through feedback from classmates, they take an objective look at their negotiation style. In some executive negotiation programs, they receive individual executive coaching to help develop their own personal style and play to their strengths. In doing so, they gain greater confidence, and develop a systematic approach for a variety of situations. 

They leave with a robust framework for negotiations, whether they’re online or in person, and learn how to align their strategy with strategic business objectives. Ultimately, participants learn how to create value for their organizations, make better decisions and deliver hard results. 

Here are the top 10 executive courses in negotiation:

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the pressures on health systems across the globe, requiring innovative solutions to manage and improve the delivery of care. A number of business schools thus report a rise in demand for their executive education programs that target the healthcare sector. 

Some of the best executive courses in healthcare are delivered through partnerships run by schools across multiple continents, giving students a global perspective and opportunities for even more extensive networking. Some of the courses are delivered jointly with healthcare organizations, which ensures that the curriculum remains responsive to industry demands so that alumni can hit the ground running in their leadership roles. 

The programs offer an interactive learning experience, with participants often working on their own real healthcare issues as part of their course. Many of the programs focus on innovation and digitization in the healthcare sector, and may even cover subjects such as design thinking.

The programs are wide-ranging in their length, spanning a few days to a couple of years, but all are delivered part-time and most offer a hybrid experience, blending in person teaching with remote study. 

For the best healthcare executive programs, the admissions process may be highly selective and the programs draw senior executives and policymakers, though some courses are specifically aimed at nurturing the next generation of healthcare leaders and target doctors who are just starting to amass management responsibilities. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming business and life more broadly. Referring to the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that once required human intelligence, AI is being applied to a number of business settings to create new economic value. 

In a data-driven world, executives need a thorough understanding of the power of AI to boost their individual and organizational performance, as well as its ethical implications for wider society and the threats it represents. Indeed, by 2025 the global AI market is expected to be worth almost $60 billion. 

To compete in a tech-driven economy, many business leaders, managers and technical specialists are enrolling in executive education programs—in artificial intelligence or machine learning—now run by dozens of the world’s leading business schools. In these programs, participants will learn about the current capabilities and business applications of the technology, and its future potential. More than that, executives will learn how to manage integration projects and communicate with technologists. There are also lessons to be learnt in avoiding common pitfalls. 

Other courses focus on specific and significant economic sectors such as financial services, where AI and machine learning are driving radical changes in the decision-making processes of financial institutions. Here are the top 10 executive courses in AI and machine learning:

Social entrepreneurship and nonprofit organizations are part of a rapidly growing movement that seeks to create societal value and protect the environment alongside generating economic value. A number of business schools offer excellent executive education programs for managers who operate in this dynamic and rewarding space. 

The programs typically offer a flexible schedule, practical application of classroom learning in the workplace and a sophisticated curriculum offering a strong foundation in nonprofit management and leadership. The executive courses help mission-driven leaders develop their strategy, financial and fundraising skills. Participants also learn a great deal from one another. 

The programs will either be either for social enraptures or nonprofit leaders. Participants who are social entrepreneurs will develop entrepreneurial skills, learning how to integrate design thinking and social innovation, in addition to measuring the impact of their social venture model.  The nonprofit executive courses focus on strengthening people’s leadership capabilities and encouraging them to spark innovation and lead change within their organizations. 

There is a big push for more women on listed company boards in many countries around the world, with governments encouraging more women through the ranks into executive positions to boost the “pipeline” of potential board candidates.

Diversity at the top can improve companies’ profitability. However, there remains much more to do to improve gender balance in the boardroom. Women still face a number of specific challenges in the workplace. And business schools have created a bevy of leadership courses designed to address the varied issues faced by women in business. The programs offer training in communication skills, authentic leadership, and leadership progression.

Participants gain the skills to advance their professional careers and the careers of other female executives as well as lead larger teams, with many of the courses also placing a heavy emphasis on the idea of purpose. The executives learn how to build a better corporate culture and sustain momentum towards positive change.

Participants benefit from close and informal conversations with senior executives as well as top management academics, who draw on decades of research in their teaching. These are the 10 best courses.

Companies today are having to respond to rapid changes in business and society amid increasing competitive threats but also business opportunities for companies bold enough to shape their market. 

Happily, there are a wide range of executive education courses in strategy or strategic management offered by some of the world’s leading business schools around the world. On these courses, participants learn how to assess threats and opportunities, and build a compelling vision for transformation based on the broader environmental, political and social landscape. 

In these strategy-oriented executive courses, participants discover how to choose the right team members and nurture the best ideas, putting together a strategic plan of action. Then, the executives enrolled in these 10 leading programs learn how to build innovation capability and lead change management. They come away with the confidence to take on tough challenges and develop solutions that drive organizational performance. 

The best executive courses in strategy cover a wide range of topics that are important for managers with increasing responsibility.

See the top 10 executive courses in strategy below.