The Graduate School of Management of St. Petersburg State University (GSOM SPbU) as part of its cooperation with VTB Bank, held webinars for bank managers. In total, over 160 VTB executives attended the webinars. The professors of the Executive MBA programs at GSOM SPbU talked about creating the best customer experience and managing change.

 

Maria Smirnova, Ph.D., Head of the Marketing Department at GSOM SPbU, professor of Executive MBA programs and corporate programs for managers, conducted a webinar on the topic “Creating the best customer experience” and talked about its role in attracting and retaining customers, as well as its impact on company competitiveness in the long run. Particular attention was paid to the discussion of the role of customer experience in the service sector in connection with the process of creating new products and the importance of involving all team members in the formation and maintenance of service standards. 

 

“The webinar once again very specifically emphasizes the invaluable importance of the topic of a client-centric business model: to know your client, understand and listen. The cases and research results proposed by the speaker perfectly illustrated the trends and modern challenges for companies. The webinar was conducted at the highest degree of mutual involvement and interest in the topic of customer experience, ” said Svetlana Starostina, Project Manager at the VTB Bank Client Experience Quality Center. 

 

Oksana Pikuleva, Doctor of Psychology, professor and practitioner of the Executive MBA programs at GSOM SPbU, during a webinar on the topic of “Change Management”, highlighted issues related to the most common mistakes of management teams, the development of leadership competencies, work with resistance and predictive assessment of the results of implemented changes. 

 

“The symbiosis of education and business is a very important trend that contributes to the development of both of these areas. The corporate programs at a business school have maximum contact with real cases, the opportunity to enrich the business with systematic knowledge, and to make education more client- and practice-oriented,” said Maria Smirnova. 

 

The next joint educational project will be the launch of a customized pilot program for line managers of VTB retail business. The main objective of the program is reducing the period of adaptation for new leaders and creating a sustainable base for their further development. The course will focus on real business practices and will consist of micromodules, including a theoretical part, as well as cases and exercises in a business simulator. A flexible approach and the 100% online format allow listeners to comfortably combine education and work. 

 

In the future, VTB together with GSOM SPbU plan to implement a systematic online academic program on the basics of sales, including both classic online formats and immersive technologies - 3D / VR simulations and 360-video.