ProCredit Academy

ProCredit Academy
A Training Centre for ProCredit Bank Managers
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Contents
The ProCredit Academy: Background and Purpose
4
Faculty Leadership at the ProCredit Academy
8
Banking and Finance
10
Humanities
12
Managing with People
14
Programme Structure
16
Expectations towards our Students
21
The Campus
22
4
The ProCredit Academy: Background and Purpose
The ProCredit Academy: Background and Purpose
At the end of 2007, we were serving more than 2 million clients worldwide, a figure of which
we are justifiably proud. Building such large-scale target group-oriented banks is above all a
management challenge. Our products may be simple, but each client – whether a loan client
or a retail client – requires individual attention if the right services are to be provided. Each
loan necessitates a decentralised risk assessment and a credit committee decision. An individual branch may have more than 10,000 clients and 20 staff members. In fast-growing banking
sectors often characterised by aggressive and irresponsible consumer lending, each branch and
bank needs to position itself confidently as a responsible institution in its respective market. To
be successful and responsible in terms of outreach and commercial sustainability requires staff
who have sound technical skills and, above all, strong value-oriented judgement, decisionmaking abilities and communication skills. Indeed, we would argue that in order for any target
group-oriented institution to grow, developing the skills and commitment of the local staff is
the key strategic challenge.
Already some years ago, the ProCredit banks began successfully to build national training centres to enhance their personnel development capabilities. It became increasingly clear,
however, that it was also necessary to make staff members more aware of the regional and
global perspectives of the ProCredit group, to familiarise them with our business policies and
corporate values, as well as to involve them in the definition and implementation of those
policies and values.
On each of the three continents where ProCredit banks are based, a Regional Academy
was set up: for Eastern Europe in Skopje (Macedonia), for Africa in Maputo (Mozambique) and
for Latin America in Managua (Nicaragua). In January 2006 we opened the group’s central
Academy in Fürth im Odenwald, near our company’s headquarters in Germany.
The ProCredit Academy in Fürth is the international training centre where the largest
number of different cultures converge. In each of three parallel courses, 22 staff members
from 22 countries are brought face to face with one another; their common bonds are a
shared dream “to do banking differently” and a shared “lingua franca”, English. In a period
of nearly three years, spread across 17 two-week units, the students are confronted with a
variety of subjects and, despite their heterogeneous backgrounds, must get together to form
a group, a cohort.
En route to Fürth, the participants pass through both their respective Regional
Academies and through the English Language Centre of the ProCredit group. In 8-week intensive courses at the Language Centre, employees from all of the countries are primed not only
The ProCredit Academy: Background and Purpose
by improving their language skills but also by exposing them to key aspects of the ProCredit
culture. This corporate culture can be summed up in the concepts of tolerance and curiosity,
rational thought and scientific method, solidarity and friendliness.
Ultimately, staff members are selected for participation in the course at the Academy
in Fürth on the basis of their bank’s assessment of their performance and personal development to date, and their achievement in the courses held at the Regional Academies and the
English Language Centre. Lecturers from the Academies, the banks’ managers, and graduates
from Fürth are involved in this selection process.
The aim of the ProCredit Academy is to generate even greater comprehension of and
identification with the company among our staff, to win their active commitment to serving as multipliers of our values and our business policy, and – if the circumstances allow – to
prepare them for the assumption of even more challenging positions within the company.
The Academy in Fürth is not an elite college, and Academy attendance does not automatically lead to promotion. It can be – and hopefully will be – an important stepping stone
in the character formation and professional development of the participants. It most certainly
does not guarantee upward mobility within the hierarchy.
Standing at the entrance to the
Academy is a copy of a statue commemorating the Four Musicians of Bremen,
the heroes of a German folk tale (www.
fairytales4u.com/story/four.htm). The message of the story, and the one that we too
aim to convey, is captured in the terms heterogeneity, solidarity and modesty. In that
respect, it forms a link to the way we see our
role as financial intermediaries, and also our
social mission. We are banks for “ordinary
people”, banks which offer simple banking
products for the majority of the population,
and in that sense we are doing something
that is socially important and necessary, and
not just making our profits grow.
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The ProCredit Academy: Background and Purpose
We are taking a stand against a dominant system whose only remaining purpose seems
to consist in maximising the profits of owners, banishing all other expressions of social coexistence to the “happy hour” after close of business, or to the narrow sphere of the family at
the end of the working day. Yes, we do want to earn a profit, but we will never forget that we
are operating in a social context that we share with other stakeholders, such as our employees
and, above all, our customers.
In the context of rapid growth and multiple interests, the group should never lose sight
of its core values and binding purpose. To preserve our common identity, we require the full
support of our international managers and local managerial staff. It is crucial that managers
share our goals and ideals, seek to achieve them in their daily work, and convey them with
conviction to their colleagues.
Practitioners of development finance require more than just a knowledge of financial
institutions and systems. They must also demonstrate a personal commitment to developmental aims as well as sound judgement, a sense of personal responsibility, and strong communication skills. ProCredit Academy is devoted to the comprehensive professional development of
ProCredit managers, and it thus plays a critical role in sustaining the group’s current success.
Management responsibility of the ProCredit Academy, and of the ProCredit Language
Centre in Mühltal, which is attached to the Academy, lies with Alois Knobloch and Rolf
Kreitel.
An academic advisory council supports management in developing the conceptual
framework and content for the subjects addressed at the Academy. The council consists of five
members:
Dr. Dietrich Ohse
Dr. Gabriel Schor
Dr. Anja Lepp
Dörte Weidig
Dr. C.-P. Zeitinger
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Faculty Leadership at the ProCredit Academy
Faculty Leadership at the ProCredit Academy
The courses offered by the ProCredit Academy fall into three main areas, each led by the responsible director. These individuals are responsible both for overall co-ordination of their teaching staff and
the courses offered, and for evaluating the students and providing them with feedback.
Director, Banking and Finance (blue)
Alois Knobloch
Director, Humanities (red)
Rolf Kreitel
Director, Managing with People (green)
Dörte Weidig
Faculty Leadership at the ProCredit Academy
Alois Knobloch, born 1971, member of ProCredit Holding’s staff since 2005.
Mr. Knobloch is a member of the management team and serves as Director
of Banking and Finance. His teaching responsibilities include lectures in
mathematics, statistics, investment and finance, accounting and cost management. Mr. Knobloch has a degree in business administration and business
education. He previously served as a lecturer for several institutes of higher
education. Earlier, he worked as a researcher at the Chair of Quantitative
Methods, Faculty of Economics & Business Administration at the Goethe
University in Frankfurt.
Rolf Kreitel, born 1977, member of staff since 2006. Mr. Kreitel was
recruited to develop the humanities curriculum as an equally important
part of the Academy’s programme and an element that differentiates the
Academy from other management training programmes. He is Director
of Humanities and a member of the management team. Mr. Kreitel has
a degree in political science and history from the Goethe University of
Frankfurt as well as a master’s in public administration from the German
University of Administrative Sciences in Speyer.
Dörte Weidig, born 1970, staff member since 1997. In 2008 she was named
a member of ProCredit Holding’s Supervisory Board. Ms. Weidig has been
the manager of ProCredit Bank in Serbia since 2003. Prior to being assigned
to Serbia, she was manager of Micro Crédit National, in Haiti. When she
first joined IPC, she was mainly responsible for preparing demand surveys
and business projections for proposed microfinance institutions, as well as
for advising existing microfinance organisations. Ms. Weidig has an M.B.A.
from the Goethe University of Frankfurt.
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Banking and Finance
Banking and Finance
The Banking and Finance curriculum comprises a total of 20 interrelated courses, each of which
builds on the other in order to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of all key functional areas and the parameters of management decision-making at a typical ProCredit bank.
As a first step, the ‘blue’ modules combine theory and practice in a manner that explains a wide
range of specialist terminology and places all the students on a level playing field, since they arrive at
the Academy with varying levels of background knowledge. Moreover, such a theoretical basis provides
a common framework for group reflection and the discussion of equally diverse practical experience.
Through frequent comparisons between theory and concrete examples, participants learn to recognise
interdependencies and possible consequences of their bank’s business activities, and at the same time
strengthen their analytical abilities. This requires a fundamental understanding of financial mathematics,
bookkeeping, economics, investment and finance.
Building on this basic framework, individual fields of study are developed in more thematic detail,
focusing on their particular relevance to the ProCredit banks. Participants learn to apply their knowledge of mathematics and statistics, supported by appropriate software programmes, in order to plan
and optimise real-life projects. They study the building blocks of our annual reports and the accounting
procedures that are used to compile them, which also allows them to improve their ability to interpret
this information. Furthermore, they learn more about the importance of financial analysis and internal
audit, gaining further insight into the potential of controlling to increase efficiency.
From a management perspective, participants are also expected to develop a sense of how to direct
the activities of different departments of a bank. Alongside their acquisition of technical knowledge,
students are exposed to the areas of finance, risk management, banking services, controlling, budget
planning and credit. Working on specific management exercises, participants must solve problems and
guide the activities of these departments. In doing so, they recognise the scope of their authority and the
possible impacts of their decisions. Teaching and mentoring in these subjects is provided by experienced
managers from ProCredit Holding and the ProCredit banks, who act as trainers and coaches during the
exercises. Irrespective of their current position within their banks, participants are able to recognise the
connections and dependencies which exist between different areas of activity.
Together with an ongoing exchange of experience with their colleagues from 22 different countries, these modules provide participants with greater technical skills and, moreover, a better understanding of the ProCredit group, which in turn fosters a greater sense of emotional identification with the
company.
The teaching methods for the ‘blue’ curriculum are just as diverse and comprehensive as the course
content, ranging from lectures, presentations and exercises in small groups to large-scale projects involving the whole class.
Banking and Finance
Dr. Anja Lepp, born 1958, member of staff since 1985. Ms. Lepp was a
member of IPC’s management team since 1995 and has been manager at
ProCredit Holding since 2008. She is also a member of the boards of directors of the ProCredit banks in Ukraine, Albania, Macedonia and Romania. In
addition to her management functions at ProCredit Holding’s head office
in Frankfurt, Dr. Lepp has carried out several long-term assignments in
Eastern Europe and Latin America, serving as a project manager of financial
institution-building projects in Peru and in Kazakhstan and as a manager
of ProCredit Bank Ukraine.
Dr. Rolf Neuefeind, born 1942, lecturer since 2006. Dr. Neuefeind is a
consultant based in Darmstadt. While most of his projects are carried out in
Germany, he has completed assignments in the USA, Kazakhstan, Tanzania,
Switzerland and Eastern Europe. His activities focus on strategic development and financial management. Dr. Neuefeind has also served in various
governing positions in industry and public administration. He worked as an
assistant professor at the Akademie für Welthandel in Frankfurt, an institution offering professional development programmes for international
business people.
Prof. Dr. Dietrich Ohse, born 1940, director of studies at the ProCredit
Academy since 2005. Dr. Ohse is a professor of quantitative methods and
operations research at the Goethe University in Frankfurt. He lectures at
the Academy on mathematics, statistics, and management. Dr. Ohse was
the initiator of the Bologna Process at the Goethe University, leading the
transition from the German diploma system to the bachelor/master system.
He has served in numerous governing positions, most recently as Academic
Dean of the Faculty of Economics & Business Administration.
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Humanities
Humanities
The humanities curriculum serves primarily to enlighten participants by encouraging them to
question critically, from a dialectical and materialist standpoint, traditional ways of looking at the world,
the standard interpretations of history, and generally accepted truths. It is taught in an open atmosphere that facilitates the individual and collective formation of a world-view based on critical reflection. Students’ and lectures’ curiosity makes the difference between abstract knowledge and an actual
understanding reached through one’s own efforts. The 18 courses form a well-founded base of current
knowledge, which can only be transformed into individual thought through constant debate and critique
in various arenas.
To achieve these objectives, the curriculum takes a comprehensive view of world history. It seeks
to discover the underlying natural and cultural conditions necessary for development, and to identify the
main – albeit interwoven – phases of development. Behind this endeavour lies the fundamental insight
that history explains nothing if it is divided into disparate segments of space and time, and if it remains
mere storytelling.
Given this motivation, it is only logical for the course to cover such a broad period, stretching from
the very origins and evolution of life on earth, to the development of a global society in the 21st century.
Although the 18 topics are addressed in chronological order, they are interlinked. Each one builds on
what has been learned about the previous periods and adopts a comparative perspective, which requires
clear definition of analytically meaningful concepts and categories and, above all, an interest in acquiring knowledge. In this manner, history becomes a scientific study that actively draws on approaches and
theories from neighbouring disciplines, such as sociology, politics, economics, philosophy and even theology. The pure recounting of events serves merely as a platform for interdisciplinary analyses addressing
complex questions, including – among others – inquiry into the causes and consequences of political
dominance, economic systems of production and distribution, and the mechanisms and hierarchies of
social organisation. How do states and empires emerge and function? How do collective value systems
and religions emerge, and what are their functions in complex societies? What does “individual freedom”
mean and how can it be reconciled with the interests of the community? Why is there an irreconcilable
tension between equality and freedom?
The curriculum’s methodological approach reflects the above objectives. Explanations are not simply presented but are developed through teamwork. The students have to search for solutions or answers
by debating in plenary sessions or in small working groups. Participants’ own convictions must be strong
enough to withstand the criticisms of others. Discourse is at the hub of a wide variety of didactic methods, which include not only essays, presentations and case studies produced by individuals or teams, but
also simulations and role-plays. These exercises pose a constant challenge, both at the intellectual level
and at the level of social interaction.
Humanities
Oliver Astley, born 1981, member of ProCredit Holding’s translation staff
since 2008. Before joining the company through the Language Centre, he
obtained an M.A. in Translation and Creative Writing from the University of
Warwick and a B.A. from University College London, where he specialised in
linguistics, Dante studies and modern European literature.
Dr. Andreas Wendland, born in 1959, lecturer in history since January
2008. His teaching responsibilities at the ProCredit Academy focus on the
humanities curriculum. Before joining the Academy’s teaching staff, he was
involved in two university research projects and in international network
supervision at the Goethe University in Frankfurt. Previously he had taught
and served as a researcher in the Department of Early Modern History at
the University of Potsdam. Mr. Wendland holds an M.A. degree in modern
history and Islamic studies. He obtained a Ph.D. in history at the European
University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy, in 1993.
Dr. Claus-Peter Zeitinger, born 1947, Chairman of the Supervisory Board
of ProCredit Holding and founder of IPC. Carrying out numerous missions
in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa, he gathered extensive experience in the field of development finance and institution building. He has
written a number of studies on subjects relating to target group-oriented
lending. In the Academy he teaches anthropology, ancient history and history of religion. Dr. Zeitinger obtained a Ph.D. in economics at the Goethe
University in Frankfurt in 1977.
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Managing with People
Managing with People
ProCredit combines a distinctive business policy with an explicitly development-oriented approach,
both of which are underpinned and driven by a firm set of social and ethical values.
Professional, committed managers with a high degree of integrity are the cornerstone of this
approach. They are also the guarantee that our values can be lived in a group comprising 22 banks with over
20,000 employees. Our managers must be able to communicate our values and objectives with conviction.
Furthermore, they must be role models and show others that it is possible to manage people, to resolve conflict and to develop business by adhering to our humanistic principles. Convincing others of our objectives
with the required level of assertiveness calls for a thorough understanding of what ProCredit represents.
The green modules of the Academy curriculum focus on the fundamentals of what ProCredit
stands for and furthermore on how we manage by managing with people. Fifteen units aim to give
young managers answers to four main questions:
• What is our understanding of development and our contribution to it beyond the popular and rather
superficial belief that this consists mainly in the disbursement of very small loans?
• How should our perceptions of the world and society impact the way we communicate and the way
we manage our people?
• How should we deal with our colleagues or, more specifically, how can we foster a team approach and
base our work on mutual trust?
• What are the roles of a ProCredit manager and how can we translate the responsibility every manager
carries for his or her employees and their motivation into daily operations?
As a value-driven company, we need managers who understand and share the heart and soul of
ProCredit. However, we are by no means looking for blind followers of a philosophy which looks attractive
to many at first glance because of its “friendliness” and “openness”. We therefore offer students a platform
where they can question and constructively criticise the company and discuss possible alternatives. The group
has always been characterised by a permanent process of institutional learning and owes its success to this.
The green modules invite students to renew or confirm the group’s principles of how we want to manage.
In any case, excellent communication is a core requirement of sound management and remains at
the centre of the curriculum throughout the 3-year programme. Young managers are placed in situations
which force them to scrutinise their own behaviour; they are offered the chance to go on a journey that
brings them into contact with themselves. We are convinced that honest and critical self-awareness is a
key managerial quality. Only modest managers with a good understanding of humanity and themselves
can embrace and embody our values.
Far removed from concepts such as managing through targets, managing by exception or managing by
orders, our management style is driven by non-negotiable values and expressed through transparent communication. The students will learn that this model – management by values and communication – is a demanding and challenging model but one that guarantees sustainable growth and long-term development.
Teaching methods make use of dynamics within the group as a multicultural student body and
build on elements of modern management skills training, drawing on illustrative day-to-day experiences
in the workplace. The main vehicle of the seminars is a series of interactive exercises and discussions.
Managing with People
Pamela Gerla, born 1966, member of the ProCredit Academy staff since
2007. Ms. Gerla joined the teaching and management team of the Academy
from the Goethe University in Frankfurt where, as a manager in the Dean’s
Office of the Faculty of Economics & Business Administration, she facilitated the Faculty’s international accreditation process and other issues
relating to quality management in education and research. Ms. Gerla has
broad international experience in the private, public and non-profit sectors.
A native New Yorker, Ms. Gerla earned a B.A. in political science and an M.A.
in international relations and international economics.
Borislav Kostadinov, born 1976, member of ProCredit Holding’s staff since
1999, and previously an IPC employee. Mr. Kostadinov currently serves as
the general manager of ProCredit Bank Albania. Previously he was part of
the senior management teams of the ProCredit banks in Macedonia, Serbia
and his native Bulgaria, where he started initially as a loan officer. While
in Macedonia, he also assisted with the setup of the ProCredit Regional
Academy for Eastern Europe, based in that country. He graduated from the
Business Administration faculty of Sofia University. Mr. Kostadinov teaches
courses at the Academy on ‘Organising Communication as a Manager’.
Jessica Moffett-Rose, born 1979, member of ProCredit Holding’s staff
since 2007. As a management associate, Ms. Moffett conducts research
and implements strategic projects to support the ProCredit group in the
areas of corporate communications, capital market transactions and human
resources. Ms. Moffett is a former Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow and has
worked in the field of community development finance in Nepal, Kenya and
Washington D.C. She has an M.A. in public policy from Harvard University’s
Kennedy School and a B.A. in politics from Princeton University.
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Programme Structure
Introduction Week (December)
Some “Universal” Facts / The Genesis of the Earth, Plate Tectonics and Climate / The Origin of Species (Charles Darwin)
… from Single Cells to Complex Organisms / The Descent of Man … from Orrorin to Homo Erectus to Homo Sapiens
Instructors: Rolf Kreitel, Andreas Wendland, C.-P. Zeitinger, Eriola Bibolli, Oliver Astley, Alois Knobloch
6
Year 1
Block I
Block IV
Basics of Financial Mathematics & Statistics
From Real to Marginal Costs, from Nominal to Effective
Interest Rates
Boiling Down Large Sets of Data
Instructor: Dietrich Ohse
Accounting II: Financial Reporting
Financial Reporting and Decision Making Understanding and Using Information which is Provided in
Financial Statements
Instructors: Alois Knobloch, Christina Reifschneider
4
ProCredit: My Experience
Getting to Know You…
Your Bank and its Challenges
Presentation and Moderation Techniques
Instructor: Pamela Gerla
3
Excursion: Heidelberg
1
The Neolithic Revolution
Impact of Ice Ages on Human Cultural Evolution
Human Lifestyle During the Late Stone Age
Transition to Agriculture and the First Cities
Instructor: C.-P. Zeitinger
3
ProCredit Employees: Profile and Development
What Kind of People Do we Need?
How Do we Recruit and Develop them?
Salary and Incentive Schemes
Principles in People Management
Instructors: Dörte Weidig, Anja Lepp
3
Polis and Oikos in the Greek Civilization
The Invention of Politics as Lifestyle and the
Competitive Citizen within a Market-Oriented
Economy from 800 until 300 B.C.E.
Instructor: Rolf Kreitel
3
Block II
Block V
Basics of Investment and Finance
Evaluating Investments and Financing
Decisions in Local and International Capital Markets
Controlling I: Financial Analysis for Managers
Critically Assessing your Bank’s Financial Statements
through Variance Analysis
Linking Operational Results with Financial Performance
Instructor: Hi-Young Koo
Instructors: Alois Knobloch, Horst Laubscher
ProCredit: Getting to Know our Company
Historical Development
The Current Group Perspective
Shared Values and Objectives
Instructors: Jessica Moffett, C.-P. Zeitinger
Excursion: Dialog & Senckenberg Museum
3.5
4
3
Software: Excel and PowerPoint
Learning more About the Various Tools
of MS Software and its Applications
2.5
1
Instructors: Dietrich Ohse, Brand GmbH
London: Natural Museum of Science
The First Civilizations – The Social Cage in Ancient Egypt
Emergence, Existence and Downfall of the State and
Civilization in the Nile Valley from 4000 to 1200 B.C.E.,
the Peak and Collapse of the Bronze Age
Instructor: C.-P. Zeitinger
4
Simulation of Ancient Greek Democracy
Experience and Philosophic Reflection of Democratic Rule
in the Context of Aristotle and Plato
Block III
Block VI
Accounting I: Basics
The Language of Business:
The Accounting Cycle, Balance Sheet and
Profit and Loss Statement
Instructor: Alois Knobloch
Communication and the Personality in Front of You
What Influences the Success of Communication?
Understanding your own Motives in Communication
Understanding the Person in front of you
How Do we make Communication Successful?
Instructor: Sabine Wagner
3
Instructor: Rolf Kreitel
2.5
3
3
3
Speak freely and Listen carefully
Basics of Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication,
Active Listening & Understanding Multilayered Messages,
Presentation Skills / Conveying Messages under Stress,
Intercultural Communication
Instructor: Sabine Wagner
3
Hiking Tour
1
Instructor: Rolf Neuefeind
3
4
History of Religion
From Polytheistic “Maintenance of Cosmic Order” to an
Ethicisation of Religion and Normative Monotheistic Belief.
The Development of Judaism and the Roots of Christianity
Instructor: C.-P. Zeitinger
4
The First Civilizations –
The Sources of Social Power in Ancient Mesopotamia
State and Empire-Building in Mesopotamia
from 4000 to 500 B.C.E.
Instructor: C.-P. Zeitinger
Economic Models and their Limitations
Key Economic Indicators
Market Structures and the Behaviour of the Agents
in the Market
Programme Structure
Year 2
Block I
Block IV
The Internal Control System
A Hands-On Approach to Internal Control Design
in Banking Processes
Credible Communication
The Role and Importance of Coherent and Credible Messages
Understanding and Addressing our Clients Successfully
Developing and Managing a Corporate Image and
Corporate Language
Instructors: Andrea Kaufmann, Jessica Moffett
Instructor: Rüdiger Rurainsky
4
Quantitative Methods in Banking and Business
Mathematics and Statistics Reloaded:
Marginal Analysis, Advanced Financial Mathematics and
Statistics Using Excel
Instructor: Dietrich Ohse
Controlling II: Cost Management
Evaluating Costs and Cost Drivers
to Monitor and Control Efficiency
Instructor: Alois Knobloch
3
4
Instructor: Andreas Wendland
Block II
Block V
Roles of a ProCredit Manager
What Roles Do Managers Have?
What Role Do we Give Priority to in ProCredit?
Taking Responsibility for your People
Analysing the Role: Conflict Manager and Coach
Instructor: Dörte Weidig
Finance
Overview on Capital Markets, Fundings, Derivatives and
Asset-Liability Management
4
Development Finance
What are the Main Drivers of Economic Development and
Growth, and Why is Financial Development a Key Ingredient?
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Adalbert Winkler
3
Xanten: Roman Museum
1
Rome II: The Roman Empire and its Fall
Political and Social Decay, the “Barbarian”
Invasions and the Rise of Christianity
Instructor: Andreas Wendland
2.5
3
The Age of Feudalism (ca. 1000 – ca. 1350)
Medieval Economy, Social Order,
Political Reality and the Increasing Contradictions
Rome I: The Rise and Decline of the Roman Republic
From Integration and Participation
to Slavery and Emperors
Instructor: Andreas Wendland
Berlin: Museum Tour
3
3
3
Instructor: Martin Godemann
4
The Myth of Motivation
Dimensions of Motivation
How to Have Motivated Colleagues
How to Create and Preserve Loyality and Commitment
Instructor: Dörte Weidig
3
Renaissance and Reformation (ca. 1400 – ca. 1620)
The Slow Birth of a New Society: Renaissance,
Protestantism, New Ethics and Ways of Thinking,
Religious Wars, Politics, Economy and Religion
Instructor: Andreas Wendland
3
Block III
Block VI
Communication meets Organisation
Organisation in the Mind
Managing Oneself in Role
Organisational Role Analysis
Instructors: Burkard Sievers, Rose Mersky
Risk Management
Explanation of the Risks each ProCredit Bank is Exposed to and
an Overview on Activities and Responsibilities Defined to
Manage these Risks
3
Instructors: Stephan Hartenstein, Michael Kowalski
3
1
“Menschenbild”, Feedback, Appraisal
What is our “Menschenbild”?
Understanding One’s Perception of Others
Translating this into One-to-One Conversations
Appraisal and Feedback Sessions
Instructor: Pamela Gerla
3
4
Absolutism and the Emergence of National Economies
The Rise of Manufacturing, the Beginnings of
Industrialisation and the “Integration” of
the New World into a Global Economy
Instructor: Andreas Wendland
4
Project Management
Analysing, Structuring and Displaying Complex Projects
to Monitor the Particular Activities and
Control Total Project Time
Instructor: Dietrich Ohse
3
Hiking Tour
Europe, Christianity and Islam in the Early Middle Ages
(ca. 500 – ca. 1000)
Economic, Social and Political Reality in Medieval Times
Instructor: Andreas Wendland
17
18
Class of 2008 / I
Class of 2008 / II
Class of 2008 / III
Programme Structure
Year 3
Block I
Block IV
Banking Services
The Frontier of Finance Revisited:
Banking Services in the Context of Responsible Neighbourhood
Banking and the Challenge of Steering a ProCredit Institution
between Maintaining Strong Lending Performance and
Building Effective Deposit Taking and Banking Services
Instructor: Bettina Eberle
4
Meet the Members of the Management Board
of ProCredit Holding
What is the Company Strategy?
How Do you Oversee a Group of 20,000 People?
How Does a Management Team Work?
Working in Teams, Making Teams Work
Team Dynamics and Evolution, Team Building and Composition,
Managing a Team, Notion of a Team vs. Notion of the “Happy Family”
Instructor: Susanne Decker
2
Credit and Credit Control
Lending Technology and Socially Responsible Banking,
Lending in Minimally Banked Environments,
Dynamic Development Markets
and in Various Economic Cycles
Instructor: Anja Lepp
Paris: Louvre Museum
2
The Philosophy of Enlightenment and the Secular Ethic
Founding the Secular Mindset with the Contractual Argument
and the Rejection of Metaphysical Reasoning
Instructor: Rolf Kreitel
3.5
1.5
Totalitarian Regimes –
German Fascism and Russian Stalinism
The Perversion of the Social Contract and
the Loss of Humanity
Instructor: Rolf Kreitel
Block II
Block V
Controlling and Budgeting
Methods and Tools for Planning and Achieving
Performance while Balancing Profitability with
Developmental Goals
Managers and their Integrity
Personal and Corporate Values
What are the Limits of Integrity?
Decisions of Ethical and Moral Importance
Communicating and Introducing “Value Talk”
Managing by Values!
Instructor: Stephan Boven
Organising Communication as a Manager
Organising an Obligatory Meeting,
Conducting a Successful Meeting,
Moderation,
Chairing and Managing Unpleasant Group Situations
Instructor: Borislav Kostadinov
4
Instructor: Philipp Pott
3.5
2
Meet the Major Owners of ProCredit Holding
Who is behind the Company?
What are their Criteria and Expectations?
2
Revolutions –
The American Union of Republics and the French Revolution
Renaissance of the Republic as a Political Concept
and the Proclamation of Individual Human Rights
Instructor: Rolf Kreitel
4
1.5
Meet our Software Provider Quipu
Software for Credit and Credit Control
Other Relevant Features of Quipu Software
Instructor: Ralf Niepel
Threats and Challenges of Globalisation
Simulation of International Politics,
Recognition of the Complexity of Globalisation,
Discussion of Means of Control
Instructor: Rolf Kreitel
Block III
Introduction to Law
General Principles of Banking and Corporate Law
Selected Legal Topics with Relevance for the ProCredit Group
Instructor: Bernhard Lippsmeier
5
3.5
Economic Policy
Goals and Trade-Offs in an Economy; Tasks and Instruments
of State Institutions: Fiscal and Monetary Policy and
Foreign-Trade Policy; Reasons for Globalisation and Policy
Options for the Promotion of Global Growth
Instructor: Rolf Neuefeind
3
Hiking Tour
1
Political Economy and Economic Policy
Industrialisation and the Foundations of the Modern
Economic World Order, the Economic Policy of the Modern,
Interventionist National State
Instructor: Rolf Kreitel
3.5
1.5
3
19
Class of 2007 / I
Class of 2007 / II
Class of 2007 / III
Expectations towards our Students
Expectations towards our Students
We expect our future Academy participants to be staff members who have already demonstrated
in previous situations that they identify with the aims and values of the ProCredit group, and who are
able to express themselves sufficiently well in English. In addition to a credible commitment and verbal
communication skills, they are also expected to have a reasonable basic knowledge of mathematics,
accounting and economics. This knowledge is tested on several occasions, especially during the first
year.
The Academy programme is both challenging and intellectually demanding. Because of this and
our need to train ProCredit managers, we have certain expectations towards our students. They require
an open attitude towards new information and explanations, unfamiliar points of view, alien concepts
and new paths of learning. Implicit here is much more than mere tolerance of opinions held by others.
The students’ own curiosity is considered to be the driving force behind the learning process. Discussion
is our preferred medium and calls for an ability to scrutinise accepted truths, develop appropriate questions and ask them openly. By taking an interest in the course content and identifying with its search
for explanations, participants are expected to show an inquisitive nature. We also place importance on
engagement and participation in all aspects of Academy life, both in lessons and socially. A readiness to
learn, challenge oneself and take an active involvement in academic and social events is essential for
students’ personal development. Furthermore, mutual acceptance within the international community
at the Academy should be seen in a shared respect which goes hand in hand with critical and reflective
abilities in shaping group and individual development.
In semi-annual feedback interviews and also in ad hoc talks, if necessary, the participants are
informed of their performance and are also given an assessment of their social behaviour. The teaching staff also talk to the management of the respective banks in order to obtain as complete and fair a
picture of the participants as possible.
21
22
The Campus
The Campus
The Infrastructure of the ProCredit Academy
The Academy building is situated in beautiful, tranquil surroundings in the heart of Germany’s
Odenwald region and is a one-hour drive from Frankfurt Airport and ProCredit Holding’s headquarters.
The Academy welcomed its first group of participants in January 2006; it now has a total of 80
bedrooms (all en-suite), four seminar rooms and a large dining hall. In addition, there are three lounges
with fireplaces where informal conversations take place. Two computer rooms offer access to the Internet,
and extensive common areas provide space in which to spend free time. Sport and leisure activities are
also offered.
The entire hotel team strives to make the participants’ stay a pleasant one and to take guests’
individual wishes into account.
Chef Juan Antonio
The service area
Hidalgo Maldonado
is the responsibil-
and his team cook
ity of Zekiye Alkan.
fresh, well-balanced
Together, she and
meals every day. The
her team look after
dishes are placed on
the guests’ well-
a self-serve buffet,
being and ensure
allowing participants
that from check-in
to pick and choose
to departure, every
as they like. A well-stocked salad bar, with plenty
guest feels thor-
of vegetables and fresh fruit, provides vitamins
oughly at home.
in every season of the year.
Jan Meiss is respon-
Every
sible for technical
Kukavica and her
support and trans-
team of cleaners
portation. He deals
see to it that every-
ably with all major
thing is sparkling
and minor techni-
clean and ready to
cal and logistical
use again.
issues.
day,
Mina
ProCredit Holding AG
Hammelbacher Str. 2
Kirschwaldstrasse 19
64658 Fürth-Weschnitz, Germany
60435 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
phone +49-(0)6253 - 20 08-0
phone +49-(0)69 - 95 14 37-67
fax
fax
+49-(0)6253 - 20 08-200
email knobloch@procredit-academy.com
+49-(0)69 - 95 14 37-68
email info@procredit-holding.com
www.procredit-holding.com
© ProCredit Academy 2009
ProCredit Academy