Tailored Training
The Executive Education Program offers a professional development curriculum focused on digital media and strategic communications—key competencies for effective leadership in both public and private sector organizations. Our program emphasizes the role of communication in leadership at all levels, providing tailored training to enhance these critical skills.
We collaborate closely with client organizations to develop customized training solutions that support their goals. In addition to our core offerings, Northwestern Executive Education provides a range of tailored programs, including courses in communication skills, AI, and other specialized areas, which can be customized to meet your specific needs. If you don’t see a course that aligns with your organization’s interests, please fill out this form to receive more information about a specific course or program.
If you don’t see a course that aligns with your organization’s interests, please fill out this form to receive more information about a specific course or program.
Mastering Negotiation Through Effective Communication
Course Description
Effective negotiation skills are essential for personal and professional success. Communication is the heart of negotiation because the how (communication) is as important as the what (negotiation strategy). Communication is about much more than talking to persuade others; it is about developing deep understandings that require good listening and analytical skills. Communication is not complete until your sent message is received and understood. And a large part of communication is non-verbal – our perceptions and understandings are influenced by body language, voice tone, and pace. To maximize value in negotiations it is crucial to understand the process is about developing creative solutions to problem of shared importance. That requires sharing information, and this requires trust. A change in the negotiation mindset is needed to lower barriers. Negotiators must move away from trying to persuade others to focus on understanding the nature and implications of the problem. A successful negotiation strategy is not a simple one-dimensional focus on tactics but a complex of three dimensions that are interdependent in practice – strategic, creative, and tactical. Effective negotiators recognize this underlying architecture and develop the skills needed to navigate these dimensions simultaneously. Doing so requires processes and tools this masterclass provides to enable participants to become effective negotiators.
About the Instructor
Roberto Ordonez
Managing Partner, Alkimya Catalyst
Roberto Ordonez is a seasoned negotiator, advising companies, governments, and family businesses on complex negotiations. He is the Founder of Alkimya Catalyst, a global consulting firm specializing in negotiation strategies, conflict resolution, and corporate training. With over 20 years of experience in the oil & gas industry, he has held senior management roles at BP, Hess Corporation, and Occidental Petroleum. Roberto is a visiting Executive Education Negotiations Professor at Northwestern University, Georgetown University (Qatar), and other global institutions. He serves as President of Northwestern’s Kellogg GCC Alumni Association and is an advisor to Microsoft’s Middle East Startups and ProColombia. He holds a BS and MS in engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Impactful Public Speaking and Presentations
Course Description
Public speaking is a frightening experience for many professionals. It is also an essential skill for exercising effective leadership and being able to clearly communicate ideas and plans in the home workplace and for external stakeholders. Developing proficiency provides many benefits for individual professionals and their organizations. How an idea is presented will significantly affect how it is perceived and received. In this masterclass, participants learn essential principles and engage in guided practice to hone their public speaking and presentation skills. Taught by a highly experienced international television news anchor and reporter with academic credentials, participants acquire essential skills of great practical importance for improving impact in real-world situations. They learn to present with impact to large audiences, in boardrooms, and at press conferences in a newsroom using a teleprompter. The masterclass enables participants to develop confidence and to harness their natural personality traits to develop strengths and offset weaknesses. Participants learn the nuts and bolts of public speaking from developing a narrative and structure to effective delivery techniques. They learn how to design impactful presentations that resonate with an audience, engage effectively during discussion, and apply practical feedback to polish their skills.
About the Instructor
Scheherazade Safla-Gaffoor
Assistant Professor in Residence, Northwestern University Qatar
Scheherazade (Schez) Safla-Gaffoor is Assistant Professor in Residence at Northwestern University Qatar in the Journalism and Strategic Communications Program. She is a seasoned broadcast and corporate communications expert, specialized in public speaking and communication. With over 20 years of industry experience, she has reported and presented for major networks, including ENCA, TRT World, Al Jazeera, and Euronews. She teaches Influential Public Speaking at NU-Q and has also led public speaking courses for Education Above All. Scheherazade has moderated conferences, hosted a United Nations event, and led discussions at the Doha Forum, engaging with global thought leaders. Her extensive on-air experience and media expertise make her a skilled and engaging communicator. With a deep understanding of cultural contexts, she empowers individuals to refine their public speaking skills and connect with diverse audiences.
Strategic Communication with Stakeholders
Course Description
Effective stakeholder communication is vital for establishing and maintaining a positive image for the organization, gaining trust and support for its plans and actions, identifying potential risks, and mitigating conflicts. It is a core competence for leaders at all levels and for managers responsible for external and internal communications. This masterclass teaches key principles and best practices from strategic orientation from goal setting to content development, through implementation, to management and evaluation. The course is highly interactive, involves practical exercises, and examines real-world cases. Participants learn how to set up a functioning and supple communication infrastructure, develop and implement communications plans, and build teams to operationalize stakeholder communication. Coursework is rooted in strategic communication with a focus on preparing for and managing crises situations. Participants are expected to apply what they learn to improve their organization’s stakeholder communications.
About the Instructor
George Anghelcev
Professor in Residence, Northwestern University Qatar
George Anghelcev (Ph.D.) is Professor in Residence and Chair of the Strategic Communication Minor in Northwestern University Qatar’s Journalism & Strategic Communication Program. Previously, he was a tenured associate professor at Pennsylvania State University and has also taught at the University of Minnesota and Babes-Bolyai University in Romania. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Nantes in France and Eotvos Lorand University in Hungary. Anghelcev holds a PhD in mass communication from the University of Minnesota, with research focused on consumer behavior and word-of-mouth marketing. His work has been published in leading academic journals, including the Journal of Marketing Communications, Journal of Social Marketing, and Psychology and Marketing. He is also the co-editor of Interetnica and continues to contribute to research in advertising and public relations.
Crisis Communications Strategy and Preparation*
Course Description
The most stressful, difficult, and demanding experiences in the life of any organization are crisis situations. A crisis can emerge at any time and may be caused by internal failures or external events. The surest thing in a crisis is that being unprepared greatly increases the risk of catastrophic failure. This masterclass is for the executive level directors and others in leadership positions who are responsible for managing communications. The masterclass clarifies essential principles and best practices for developing strategies to identify, prepare, and execute effective communication plans in three phases: pre-crisis, crisis, and post-crisis. Participants learn how to set strategic goals, prepare templates and protocols for managing communication needs for diverse stakeholders, oversee content development and production, supervise implementation, manage the process, and evaluate results. The masterclass is highly interactive and involves challenging practical exercises. The content blends conceptual learning with analyses of real-world cases. Effective communication is vital for managing every crisis and assuring diverse stakeholders the organization is aware and engaged, doing the right things at the right times, and in the right ways, to manage the situation professionally to build trust and strengthen support.
*Course can be taught in English or Arabic
About the Instructor
Mohammed Ibahrine
Professor in Residence, Northwestern University Qatar
Mohammed Ibahrine (Ph.D.) Professor in Residence in the Journalism and Strategic Communication Program at Northwestern University Qatar. He previously taught at the American University of Sharjah, where he was a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and coordinated the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program. Before that, he held academic positions at universities in Germany, Morocco, the UK, the USA, the UAE, and Qatar. His interdisciplinary research focuses on technology, business, and human interaction within cultural, political, social, and economic contexts. Ibahrine has received multiple teaching, research, and creative awards. His work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including Journalism Practice, Online Information Review, and Asian Studies.
