Fifteen senior employees of the Commercial Bank of Dubai have undertaken a two-day professional development program delivered by Executive Education at American University of Sharjah (AUS). The program, entitled Thinking for Business Innovation, was specifically designed for the bank’s needs as it builds a future-focused workforce.

The program, based on the concept of Design Thinking, was delivered by Kathryn Best, Associate Professor in the AUS College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD), as well as and author, speaker and researcher in design management, strategy and innovation. Best commented:

“Design Thinking has been practiced in the global business community for decades. However, over the past 10 years, many highly successful organizations have begun to champion the concept as an alternative to purely analytical approaches to problem solving. In this program, participants are introduced to Design Thinking and shown that it is one of the most effective and creative ways to achieve business innovation. They come to understand how the concept can be practically applied in their organization to overcome the challenges it faces, and promote innovation at all levels.”

Moustafa Shalash, AUS Executive Education Manager, said: “This program applies Design Thinking concepts for innovation in the banking sector. It is a great example of the interdisciplinary nature of executive education.”

The program was held December 11 and 12 in the AUS School of Business Administration Building, well-known for its impressive facilities, including an International Trading Floor equipped with 23 Bloomberg terminals and access to real-time global financial information.