Purdue University’s Center for Food and Agricultural Business, the Agricultural Retailers Association and Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business will partner again to present the 2022 ARA Management Academy on Jan. 25-27. The program will be held at ASU in Tempe, Arizona.

The ARA Management Academy provides valuable take-home tools for management practices to agribusiness professionals through interactive exercises, faculty-led presentations and group collaboration. During the academy, managers and leaders within agronomic organizations and those who expect to have more management responsibilities in the future enhance their skills and management capabilities while networking with industry peers.

“While we have created some great remote learning experiences over the last year and a half and are continuing to develop blended learning models at the center, the campus in Tempe in January offers both consistent weather and opportunities to draw from many different aspects of agriculture,” said Scott Downey, director of the Center for Food and Agricultural Business, professor of agricultural economics and a session facilitator. “At the ARA Management Academy, we’ll help participants explore management challenges across primary business functions, strengthen communication and lay the groundwork for a strategic mindset.”

Purdue’s Allan Gray, center executive director, agricultural economics professor and executive director of the Digital Innovation in Agri-Food Systems Lab, will also be a session facilitator. ASU faculty presenters include Joan Brett, associate professor of management and entrepreneurship; Douglas Olsen, associate professor of marketing; and Mark Manfredo, professor in the Morrison School of Agribusiness.

Program topics examine profitability, creating value for customers, organizational leadership strategies, thinking strategically and service blueprinting. Sessions will strengthen participants’ ability to evaluate profitability and performance, differentiate their organizations and thrive in environments with constant change.

This program is targeted to managers in the agricultural retail industry and is especially beneficial for salespeople, agronomists and agronomy managers who expect to take on more responsibilities in the future, as well as experienced managers interested in refreshing best practices. ARA members can register for $2,597, and non-members can register for $2,795. Learn more and register at http://agribusiness.purdue.edu/ARA.