For the third consecutive year, Mastercard and Alba Graduate Business School are joining forces to empower women entrepreneurs and aspiring business leaders through the "Master Your Own Business" Executive Education Program. This year, the program is offering 40 women the opportunity to participate and elevate their businesses to a new level!

The program is designed to equip women across various levels of seniority, functions and industries with the latest knowledge, skills and competencies that will enable them to enhance their mindset and shape their own future. Additionally, it will help them co-create a dynamic learning network where they can share their insights, challenges, and opportunities for growth.

The "Master your Own Business" program addresses the opportunities and challenges of women professionals and entrepreneurs who aspire to gain a deeper understanding of the business environment and establish themselves as professionals with sustainable businesses. During the last two years, more than 65 women benefited from the educational program gaining valuable insights.

This year, the curriculum is further enriched and aims to empower participants with functional and managerial tools and knowledge, as well as horizontal competencies and skills, by including the following courses: Accounting and Finance, Corporate Communications, Identifying Business Opportunities, Turning ideas into Business, Management in the Digital Era, Mastering Social Media, Creating social networks, Negotiations skills and Positive and Resilient Leadership.  The program operates on a synchronous learning mode   and upon completion, participants will be granted with an Executive Certificate from Alba Executive Development.

The courses take place 1-2 afternoons per week from 17:00 to 21:00.

Positive Mindset and Resilience with Dr. Eirini Karakasidou

Positivity affects our brain, mind, behaviors, learning and performance. The concepts and ideas of Positive Psychology are easily applied, transferred and incorporated in most arenas of human functioning. Research findings indicate that positivity is causally related to physical and psychological health, work, school and athletic performance, psychological resilience and learning, innovation, creativity and leadership. Thus, it has become quintessential for managers to be aware of the benefits derived from Positive Psychology in relation to work environment performance, job satisfaction, team building, and to implement positive psychological strategies for better performance and higher achievement. The session outlines the main concepts, models and application of Positive Psychology in the work environment.
The main axes are:

• Introduction to positive psychology: History, milestones, concepts
• The beneficial role of Positive Emotions: The function, the benefits and the value of positive emotions 
• Positivity, Resilience, Optimism, Hope & Well-being 
• Positive Leadership, authenticity & transformation 
• Promoting Healthy Organizations: Values, meaning & incorporation of positive emotions in Organizations
   

Finance for Non-Finance, with Dr. Androniki Triantafylli 

The module provides insights into how accounting and finance is embedded in a socio-economic, political and cultural context and how accounting and finance is shaped by this context and in turn shapes this context. Adopting this broader perspective the module elaborates accounting and finance concepts in the context of decision-making, control and governance. Key concepts and methods of accounting and finance are discussed by focusing on the reporting of the financial position and financial performance of business organisations, the analysis of the financial statements produced by business organisations, the use of accounting information by management for planning, decision making and control purposes, and the ways of financing a business and managing its working capital for liquidity and strategic purposes.

Negotiations Skills, Dr. Elena Koltsaki

The Negotiations Seminar aims at empowering participants with the tools, the competencies, the techniques and the mindset that will allow them to achieve optimum results in the negotiations contexts and challenges that they face, and improve their negotiations results, both in their personal and in their professional lives. The content provides a blend of cutting-edge theory, practical knowledge, role plays and interactive exercises that evolve in a collaborative context that boosts self-awareness, feedback and reflection and assists participants to think about negotiation preparation and strategy in an organized way.

Management in the Digital Era, with Dr. Nikos Mylonopoulos

The seminar on Management in the Digital Era clarifies the specific ways in which innovation in digital technologies changes the rules of the game in business, market competition, the economy, and the society. Currently we experience a transitional period during which a new paradigm, driven by digital and post digital technologies, is already dominating the reality around us. This seminar has implications for strategic decision making in business (including, for example, technology investments, new revenue models, platform and ecosystem co-opetition, workforce and talent management, and others) as well as personal and professional learning and development.
This seminar blends the emerging trends in digital technologies, their economic properties, the consequent implications for market competition and platform business models and concludes with the demands that such changes impose on leadership, management, organizational culture and structure, as well as the requisite skills.
Specifically, the following topics will be covered:

1. Technology trends
2. Drivers of change
3. The Economics of Digital
4. Platforms and Ecosystems
5. Digital Disruption
6. Digital Transformation
7. Agile Management

Networking – Creating Social Networks, with Dr. Nikos Smyrlakis

Organizational social network research has achieved a prominent position in management and social sciences. Social networks are not only the ones we encounter online. There are the Organizational formal networks (teams, hierarchies and workflow) which shape the formal structure in organizations. However, on the other hand informal organizational structure is very crucial as well and often overshadows formal hierarchy of authority, impacting leadership and performance in more unpredictable ways.

The set of these informal or affective relationships, such as the advice network, motivational or friendship networks, are the backbone of formal hierarchies and organizations as a whole. Network structures and positions, of individuals or firms, within these webs of interaction, affect performance, diffusion of innovation, creativity, motivation and ultimately employee productivity.

The objective of this course is to familiarize managers with social network analysis in organizational contexts, and how this analysis is applied in modern organizational structures, on an individual, team or firm level. Furthermore, how network ties, structure and position might affect performance and productivity and how this can be taken advantage of in managing teams and organizations.

Corporate Communications, with Ms. Katerina Gagaki

In this seminar on corporate communication, we will explore how businesses -whether small or large- can create, enhance, and strategically manage their public image. In today’s competitive world, perception is everything. A strong, credible image not only attracts customers but also builds trust with stakeholders and employees.
Our session will unfold around the following themes:

• Crafting Your Corporate Image
• Enhancing Your Reputation Over Time
• Identifying and Targeting Your Audience
• Strategic Communication and the Right Channels
• Internal Branding: Building Your Image from Within
• Crisis Communication
• Handling Failure and Turning It into Growth
• Conclusion: The Power of Authenticity and Adaptability

The course will be highly interactive and will include discussions, questions, and real-world case studies to explore how these principles can be applied in different business scenarios.

Mastering Social Media, with Ms. Dimitra Likitsakou (SOCIALAB)

Master Your Own Business is an empowering online course designed for women who run their businesses or are ready to start one. Learn how to leverage social media to grow your brand, attract clients, and boost sales. Through practical lessons, expert tips, and hands-on strategies, you'll discover how to create engaging content, build a loyal audience, and maximize your online presence. Whether you're a beginner or looking to enhance your digital marketing skills, this course will give you the tools and confidence to succeed. Take control of your business and make social media work for you!

Identifying Business Opportunities, with Mr. Alexis Komselis

How can entrepreneurs identify opportunities for growth, expansion and/or diversification? Looking for ways to grow a business or overcome problems is an integral part of entrepreneurial strategy. In this workshop participants will familiarize themselves with tools and processes to both identify opportunities and understand their potential.

Value Chain: Turning ideas into Business, with Mr. Alexis Komselis

This workshop focuses on turning ideas into functional business structures. Based on the business' value proposition and business model we identify core and supportive activities. Understanding the business' value chain helps entrepreneurs to identify costs and cost structures, create sustainable value creation systems and mitigate risk.