Global Leader Flex – Graduate Diploma in Management
Skills and Confidence for Managing Across Functions in a Global Context
Global Leader Flex is a flexible general management program designed to align with your personal development goals and schedule. It strengthens business acumen, strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and professional confidence in a global context.
Whether you seek a standalone management boost or a modular path to further qualifications, the program delivers a rigorous, MBA-level learning experience in a flexible format—ideal for professionals seeking to accelerate their leadership growth.
Up to six Global Leader Flex modules (27 ECTS credits) can be transferred from the Global Leader program to the Aalto Executive MBA or Aalto MBA program.
By completing this program, you will be eligible for alumni status and become part of Aalto EE's global alumni community. The alumni community offers valuable benefits that support your professional development and networking:
- Invitations to exclusive alumni events and networking opportunities
- An alumni newsletter that brings together the most important news, events, and content
- The opportunity to participate in most of our programs at a special fee
Join from anywhere with live online or face-to-face sessions, plus the flexibility to start at any module. Self-paced learning builds foundational knowledge, ensuring deeper engagement in class.
Capitalize on our globally top-ranked custom expertise, recognized at #28 worldwide and a leading #6 in Asia by the Financial Times*.
*Financial Times Executive Education Ranking
Experience the Nordic leadership model—where trust, equality, and sustainability are woven into the fabric of every program.
Benefits
This mini-MBA-style program is crafted to strengthen participants’ leadership capabilities and personal competencies. It provides a broad understanding of critical management topics, with a focus on the international business landscape.
For
The Global Leader Flex program is designed for professionals seeking to develop leadership growth, strategic decision-making skills, and global business acumen.
Example of a Participant in This Program: The Ambitious Future Executive
Alex Tan is an ambitious professional aiming to transition into regional or global leadership roles. With 5+ years of experience in industries such as finance, tech, consulting, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs), Alex seeks to develop strategic leadership, financial acumen, and global business expertise to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced market. The biggest challenges include balancing learning with a demanding career, navigating international business growth, and gaining confidence in financial decision-making.
Content and Schedule
Global Leader Flex follows an applied, executive-level learning approach, allowing professionals to apply their knowledge immediately. Its modular structure includes four core modules and two electives, with the flexibility to start at any module. Electives are available within the program and can also be selected from Aalto EMBA and MBA offerings. Each module is worth 4.5 ECTS study credits. The program will be delivered live online.
The program is geared towards practical, hands-on learning by using case studies and real-world exercises to complement theories. The instruction methods enable the integration of theory and practice. A typical learning module consists of self-paced online learning, pre- and post-assignments, lectures, discussions, case studies, and group work.
All Global Leader Flex study modules can also be taken as stand-alone programs.
Program Structure
Pre-module period of 2–3 weeks
Individual preparation through self-paced online learning and pre-readings and assignment(s)
Two-day live online module
Intensive contact learning session with instructor and peers
Post-module period
Take-home assignment: Action learning project
Modules
Elective Modules
As a full program participant of Global Leader Flex, you may also replace the existing two elective modules from a large selection offered onsite in the Global Leader, Aalto EMBA, and Aalto MBA programs. You can choose your favorites from a selection of more than 15 topics.
Elective modules available include, for example:
- Corporate Entrepreneurship
- Design Thinking
- Digital Strategy and Transformation
- Leading with Impact
- Leading for Creativity
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Power and Influence
- International Study Tours
International Study Tours
Study tours take participants to locations such as Yale and Harvard in the USA. The study tour program includes lectures by academics, usually related to the different topics within a broad theme of leadership. A study tour typically consists of four full days of learning and extracurricular activities uniquely available on campus. There is a separate registration process and a separate fee for study tours.
Key Faculty
Xiaoshi Kinnunen
Xiaoshi Kinnunen is a Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer at Aalto University School of Business.
She holds a PhD in International Business, and her research focuses on how effective management practices and processes can enhance company innovation. She also studies how digital platform firms design business models and internationalization strategies. Kinnunen has practical project experience collaborating with Finnish firms to support their innovation and international expansion through digital platforms.
Marko Turpeinen
Marko Turpeinen is an Adjunct Professor at Aalto University School of Science.
Turpeinen is also the founder and CEO of a data-sharing company called 1001 Lakes.
He was previously the Finnish Node Director of EIT Digital, a Knowledge and Innovation Community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and a Professor in Media Technology at The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm. He has extensive industrial experience in the media industry, as between 1996 and 2005 he worked in various executive positions at Alma Media Corporation, a Finnish media company.
His current academic research addresses issues in customized media content, a human-centric approach to personal data, and the role of AI and algorithmic power in networked society. He has a Doctor of Technology Degree in Computer Science from Helsinki University of Technology (now Aalto University) and a Master of Science Degree in Media Arts and Sciences from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Taija Turunen
Taija Turunen is an Associate Professor of Design Management at Aalto University School of Business.
Her work centers on curiosity, change, and ethics in organizations, exploring how leaders introduce novelty, whether through innovative products, services, or business models, and how these shifts challenge existing values and reshape organizational culture.
With experience as both a management consultant and a board member in manufacturing and service industries, Taija bridges cutting-edge research with practice. She has developed tools and methods that help leaders navigate transformation, rethink assumptions, and turn disruption into opportunity.
Her international academic journey has taken her to the University of Cambridge, University of Technology Sydney, and Stanford University, enriching her global perspective on leadership and organizational change. Driven by a passion for learning and pedagogy, Taija empowers leaders to embrace change with curiosity and confidence.
David Derichs
David Derichs, PhD, is Senior University Lecturer in the Department of Accounting at Aalto University, where he also serves as Head of the BSc Program in Accounting. His research focuses on performance measurement and management, the digitalization of management control, and learning in organizations.
In addition to his academic role, Derichs has professional experience in commercial due diligence execution and corporate restructuring, combining research expertise with practical insights into organizational performance and investment evaluation.
