The Executive MBA in Aboriginal Business and Leadership cohort at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business is responding to a growing need by Aboriginal managers and entrepreneurs, as well as individuals and organizations collaborating with Aboriginal communities, for senior-level management education. With classes commencing in 2012, the EMBA cohort is the first of its kind in the country, and will provide executive-level education that reflects the growing role of business development for First Nations.

Students in the cohort will study core management concepts and principles already included in the Executive Master of Business Administration program, but will also examine business and economic issues from the perspective of First Nations.

“The Executive MBA in Aboriginal Business and Leadership is a reflection of SFU’s commitment to using its education and research resources to support Aboriginal peoples and communities,” said Andrew Petter, President of Simon Fraser University. “This program is particularly needed at a time when Aboriginal peoples are striving to overcome longstanding challenges and seeking to take advantage of new challenges.”

“The new Aboriginal Executive MBA Program is an idea whose time has come,” said William G. Lindsay (Cree-Stoney), Director of SFU’s Office for Aboriginal Peoples. “We’ve reached the stage where Aboriginal people are in senior executive positions and could use some extra training to hone their skills. Such will benefit program participants, their communities, and the business world in general.”

SFU’s Beedie School is home to Canada’s first Executive MBA program, established in 1968. The school has a longstanding history of creating customized programs such as the EMBA in Aboriginal Business and Leadership to the meet the needs of individual students.

“The Beedie School of Business believes that our biggest opportunity to create change for Aboriginal people and communities in BC and Canada is by building capacity of groups of students with common interests and concerns,” said Daniel Shapiro, Dean of SFU’s Beedie School of Business.

Classes, which begin next September, will take place in Vancouver – with the intention of holding some classes in one or more First Nations communities. Mark Selman, Beedie School of Business Special Adviser to the Dean, will serve as Program Director. Selman has an extensive business education background building customized degree programs with business, especially in the natural resource sector, as well as working in First Nations communities on social and economic development.

For more information, visit beedie.sfu.ca/aboriginalemba or email aboriginal-emba@sfu.ca.