Berkeley COO Program Review
| Synopsis: Explore participant experiences from the Berkeley Chief Operating Officer Program and discover how it prepares operations leaders for strategic leadership and organizational transformation. |
The Berkeley Chief Operating Officer Program is designed to help senior executives strengthen strategic leadership, operational excellence, and digital transformation capabilities while preparing for broader C-suite responsibilities. Through an integrated curriculum, live online sessions, real-world case studies, capstone strategy projects, and faculty-led learning, participants develop practical approaches to strategy execution, operations management, innovation, and organizational change. The participant experiences below provide firsthand perspectives on how the program has supported operational leaders in advancing their executive leadership journeys.
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Berkeley COO Program Review
Hear from operations and business leaders who share how the Berkeley COO Program strengthened their strategic thinking, executive leadership capabilities, and ability to turn operational concepts into meaningful action.
Connecting Academic Learning With Real-World Application
Combining academic concepts with real-world examples can help operations leaders understand how theoretical knowledge translates into practical business outcomes.
“What worked for me was the combination of academic education, which provided background for certain content, and real-world examples, which illustrated the practical implementation of theoretical knowledge and how such execution has helped companies thrive. Much of the input provided is highly relevant to my current professional career. It contained many meaningful aspects that served as food for thought, offering ideas on how to further improve the organization I am currently working for. I also gained several insights that may be valuable for future opportunities.”
— Alexander Paetzold
COO at Trade Technologies, Inc.
Developing Executive-Level Leadership Capabilities
The transition to the C-suite requires strategic thinking, clear communication, confidence, and the ability to align people, processes, and organisational priorities.
“The COO Program from Berkeley Executive Education, in partnership with Emeritus, transformed how I understand leadership at the executive level. I entered the program unsure of how C-suite leaders think, speak, and make decisions, but it provided me with the frameworks, language, and confidence to engage at that level. The program sharpened my strategic thinking and taught me how to communicate with clarity and influence, particularly across functions. The experience parallels my engineering journey — just as my degree transformed me from a busboy into a capable engineer, this program equipped me to rise into higher leadership. The curriculum blends academic rigor from UC Berkeley with practical insights, making abstract concepts actionable. I now see operations not merely as execution, but as orchestration — aligning people, processes, and strategy. More than a program, it represents a mindset shift. I feel prepared to lead with empathy, precision, and vision. For anyone aspiring to the COO role, this program is a powerful catalyst for growth.”
— Nguyen Le
Director Cloud Accelerator Verification at Microsoft
Learning Through Peer Collaboration
Engaging with experienced leaders and peers from diverse backgrounds can broaden perspectives and enrich the learning experience.
“It was a great and rewarding experience — not only for the learning, but also for the conversations, shared experiences, and the opportunity to connect with an amazing group of leaders and peers from different backgrounds.”
— Hani Alqaydi
Executive Director, Business & Operations Leadership
Turning Strategy Into Operational Reality
Operational leaders need practical frameworks to translate strategic priorities into coordinated action across teams, functions, and systems.
“After almost a year of gathering virtually, our final module was a three-day in-person campus immersion bringing together two program cohorts —an energizing deep dive into the frameworks that help operational leaders turn strategy into reality.”
— Levi Halberstadt
Strategic operations leader designing intelligent systems that serve people and purpose
Applying COO Learnings to Drive Transformation
A leadership programme can provide the knowledge, support, and confidence needed to apply new insights directly to the workplace and lead operational transformation.
“What an inspiring journey this has been, and very much looking forward to applying the learnings from this program in my work. Thank you to the team at Emeritus and UC Berkeley Executive Education for all your support throughout the learning journey.”
— Alexander Paetzold
COO Trade Technologies
Discover how the Berkeley COO Program prepares COOs to lead operational transformation in the AI age.
About the Berkeley Chief Operating Officer Program
The Berkeley Chief Operating Officer Program is a seven-month executive program from Berkeley Executive Education that combines 27 weeks of online learning with an optional two-day Global Leadership Campus Immersion at the UC Berkeley campus. The curriculum is organized around four pillars: strategy formulation and implementation, operations and project management, C-suite leadership, and technology integration and organizational change. Participants explore operational strategy, supply chain management, project leadership, risk management, executive decision-making, organizational design, artificial intelligence, big data, and digital transformation through faculty-led sessions, live online learning, peer circles, capstone strategy projects, and real-world case studies. Successful completion also fulfills 12 curriculum days toward the Berkeley Executive Education Certificate of Business Excellence (COBE).
