Mumbai: Satyam Computer Services Ltd. (NYSE:SAY), will launch a 'corporate university' to develop and nurture leaders to accelerate Satyam's growth. Called the Satyam School of Leadership (SSL), it will be headed by international leadership expert Ed Cohen, who has been appointed as senior vice president.

Prior to joining Satyam, Cohen was founder and strategic leader of Booz Allen Hamilton's corporate university, the Center for Performance Excellence.

Satyam has dedicated this decade to strengthen its leadership practices. The launch of SSL as well as other leadership initiatives such as its proprietary 'full life cycle leadership' framework, web seminars involving international faculty including Harvard professors, are some of the steps Satyam says it has taken in this direction.

Satyam's founder and chairman, Ramalinga Raju says, "Satyam has set for itself the task of growing leaders faster than the competition as its primary objective. To remain competitive, we need to strengthen and spread this vision internally."

Under the full life cycle leadership model, Satyam provides entrepreneurial leadership opportunities for about 5 per cent of Satyam's 25,000 associates, including those in its subsidiaries, in areas such as relationships with customers and alliances, service offerings, projects and processes.

Prior to joining Satyam, Cohen was founder and strategic leader of Booz Allen Hamilton's corporate university - the Center for Performance Excellence. Ed has been directing organizational, training and employee development services for almost a quarter century.

Cohen is one of foremost proponents of the concept of the corporate university and believes that the primary mission for corporate universities would continue to focus on enabling delivery of learning throughout the organization, there are multiple roles that a corporate university can take on. "For instance, the growth of additional services, such as executive coaching, is raising the profile of corporate learning and its strategic effect on corporate culture," he says.

The strategic intent behind the evolution of the Satyam School of Leadership is to create an establishment that generates FLC leadership capabilities to provide integrated state-of-the-art business solutions to Satyam stakeholders and create a "One-Satyam" capbility.

"Satyam School of Leadership is built on the philosophy of expanding the entrepreneurial energy at Satyam, and help us keep pace with the ever-changing business environment. This initiative would initially cover about 5 per cent of our associates (FLC leaders) and aims to cover over 10 per cent of Satyam's associate base in the next few years," adds Raju.

This school would cover associates of subsidiary companies as well. The sessions will focus on holistic business leadership skills balancing the needs of the multiple stakeholders. The faculty would comprise senior leaders within the organisation and leaders from industry and academia across the world.

The school will operate out a new facility due to be operational by mid 2006

Satyam will also extend this facility to its strategic customers and partners in the future.