DALLAS, Sept. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ –The largest-ever cohort of the Corporate Executive Development Program (CEDP), leadership training that grooms Hispanic managers to ascend into corporate leadership roles, graduated in Dallas Thursday, September 3.  Established in 2011 by the National Hispanic Corporate Council (NHCC) and the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University (SMU Cox), this is CEDP’s fifth group of graduates.  CEDP, the only national program specifically designed to increase the Hispanic executive talent pool for corporate America, is a nationally-recognized, award-winning, corporate leadership program for Fortune 1000 Hispanic managers and executives.  

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NHCC and SMU Cox Executive Education developed CEDP for Hispanic employees identified by their corporate employers as potential executives for leadership roles. The nine-month program combines business and leadership coursework modules taught by nationally-recognized SMU Cox faculty. Many of the program graduates have already progressed to executive positions with Fortune 1000 companies.

“As the nation’s leading organization founded with the mission of maximizing our corporate members’ Hispanic market opportunity, NHCC is making a tremendous impact in working with Fortune 1000 companies to increase the pool of Hispanic executive leadership.  We are delighted to renew our partnership with the SMU Cox School of Business to offer CEDP in both 2016 and 2017,” said Octavio A. Hinojosa-Mier, NHCC Executive Director.

“We are proud to partner with the NHCC in this continued effort to prepare Latino talent for corporate executive responsibilities,” said Frank Lloyd, associate dean of Executive Education at SMU Cox.  “CEDP graduates consistently deliver positive business results at high levels.”     

“CEDP is a major component of the SMU Cox Latino Leadership Initiative as it leads the business community in driving sustainable competitive advantages in an era of changing demographics,” said Anthony Herrera, executive director of the Latino Leadership Initiative at SMU Cox Executive Education.  “Leadership development for high-potential Latino managers is vital to the continued success of corporate America and the country’s overall economic health.”

The fifth CEDP cohort led by Miguel Quiñones, the O. Paul Corley Distinguished Chair in Organizational Behavior at SMU Cox, had 33 participants from a number of NHCC corporate member companies, including: Comcast NBCUniversal, Darden Restaurants, Marriott International, Shell, State Farm Insurance and Walmart.

The CEDP curriculum is divided into three categories: 1) leading with authenticity, 2) leading high performance teams and 3) becoming a corporate leader.  An interactive learning environment allows participants the opportunity to, as one CEDP graduate described it, “try different leadership and collaboration techniques . . . through the lens of the Latino culture and the safe space created by project teams.”

The CEDP is achieving the goal of accelerating the progress of Latino high potentials to top corporate executive positions.  Of the over 100 CEDP alumni who’ve completed the program since 2011, more than 70 percent have achieved significant new responsibilities, often during the program.

About Corporate Executive Development Program
The CEDP (www.nhcchq.org/cedp/) identifies emerging Hispanic leaders and prepares them to represent the Hispanic community by developing their leadership skills step by step. The pipeline includes support from executive-level advisors who coach participants as they navigate their corporations and interact with others.  

About SMU Cox Executive Education
SMU Cox Executive Education (www.smu.edu/Cox/ExecutiveEducation) offers innovative and flexible programs, such as the Latino Leadership Initiative, that provide relevant and dynamic learning experiences for professionals, managers and executives.  Programs develop leadership capability, business acumen, strategic thinking and decision-making skills that improve performance.  SMU Cox is ranked among the top business schools nationally and internationally.   

About NHCC 
Founded in 1985 with the vision to be our corporate members leading resource for maximizing the Hispanic market opportunity. Today, NHCC (www.nhcchq.org) provides our corporate members broad access to a collaborative community that shares resources, knowledge, best practices, and innovative solutions to grow talent, customers, and suppliers. NHCC is the premier resource on effectively maximizing the Hispanic market opportunity through marketing, community relations, human resources, and procurement within the foundation of corporate social responsibility. Follow us on Twitter @NHCCorg.

MEDIA CONTACT:

NHCC: Octavio Hinojosa, 202-528-7229, [email protected]

SMU Cox School of Business:  Anna Martinez, 214-768-4474, [email protected]