HTE411a
Building Competitive Ventures: From Strategy to Execution
Faculty
Pierre-Pascal Urbon
Chairman INSTAGRID / Board Member VAMO
Course length
Duration
Total hours
Credits
Language
Course type
Fee for single course
Fee for degree students
Skills you’ll learn
Overview
This advanced seminar is designed for those who wish to master strategic thinking and execution in a fast-changing world. Whether leading a start-up, scaling an innovative business, or transforming a corporation, students will gain the frameworks, tools, and mindset required to drive lasting impact.
Drawing on real-world case studies from multiple industries, the course examines the core of competitive advantage — how differentiation is built, momentum sustained, and rivals outpaced. Students learn how to create critical mass for new business models, design and implement scalable B2B digital offerings, and plan as well as execute successful M&A transactions or financing rounds.
The programme bridges strategy and finance, revealing how investment decisions, capital structures, and value-creation choices shape corporate success. It explores how trade tariffs, supply chain shifts, and global market dynamics influence strategic options in an increasingly interconnected economy.
The seminar also focuses on sales and distribution models. Participants study how companies capture value in competitive markets, analyse the behavioural drivers of sales success, and understand how effective compensation structures align motivation with performance.
Part of the programme is dedicated to negotiation mastery. Moving beyond the traditional notion of “hard” or “soft” bargaining, the course introduces the Harvard Method — an evidence-based approach to resolving conflicts through principled, fact-based dialogue. Through interactive simulations and feedback, students develop both the confidence and the structure to achieve durable, high-value outcomes.
By the end of the seminar, students will understand how strategy, finance, sales, and negotiation interlock to create sustainable value — and how to apply that insight to turn vision into results.
Learning highlights
- Grasp the core elements of strategy and master the strategic planning process.
- Use powerful analytical tools to assess industry attractiveness.
- Explore the framework of strategic options and uncover how M&A creates value.
- Anticipate emerging trends shaping the global economy.
- Gain real-world insights into sales channels and sales management.
- Learn to decode financial statements and make smarter business decisions.
- Understand the impact of macroeconomic forces.
- Navigate the stages of negotiation and distinguish positions from interests.
- Recognise negotiation games (gambits) — the icing on the cake of deal-making.
Course outline
15 classes
Welcome / Negotiation Boogie-Woogie
Welcome and introduction to the Guardian Angel principle, which provides students with valuable feedback on their behaviour and performance during negotiations. Explore negotiation techniques focused on argumentation, power dynamics, and creative problem-solving, and develop an understanding of negotiation behaviour through the lens of game theory principles.
Harvard Approach
Gain insights into both win–lose and win–win strategic approaches. Learn how to use the information–concession matrix as a planning tool and understand the roles within a team. The session includes a hands-on negotiation exercise. In addition, students will take part in an active listening activity designed to develop key communication skills.
Mastering the Power of Interests
An exercise will highlight the difference between interests and positions, emphasising the value of a collaborative, partnership-based approach. Participants will explore the negotiation corridor and learn how to present their opening position effectively. They will also consider cross-cultural factors before applying their insights in a negotiation simulation.
Complex Negotiation Exercise
Students will explore how body language and clothing influence perception. An innovative self-assessment will help them identify their communication style before engaging in complex, real-world negotiations in small teams. Each participant will take on a distinct role, and the group will later debrief to analyse strategies, outcomes, and key takeaways.
Time Value of Money & Financial Statements
Discover how money’s value changes over time and why compounding and discounting matter. Decode financial statements—from the balance sheet to cash flow—and use ratio analysis to reveal the story behind the numbers. Then, put it all into practice with an interactive case study that simulates real business decisions.
Valuation & Global Trade
Discover business valuation and see how capital costs and optimal capital structures drive smart corporate decisions. Explore trade deficits and learn why collaborative value creation matters in today’s interconnected world. The session wraps up with insights into the impact of trade tariffs on global dynamics, value and competitiveness.
Sales Mastery
Explore typical distribution structures — from direct sales models to complex multi-tiered systems — and gain insight into the distributor’s “earn and turn” philosophy. Through a practical case study, learn how to create and capture value in distributor relationships. The session also examines the key roles within a direct sales team and demonstrates how to structure, size, and incentivise the sales force for maximum impact.
AI as a Driver of Future Competitiveness
An introduction to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence, including machine learning, reinforcement learning, and the legal landscape of AI.
Examine how AI can transform businesses and how it can be strategically leveraged for innovation and competitive advantage.
Participants will explore trends in workforce demand, as well as demographic and technological shifts, and analyse how these forces interact with organisational strategies.
Future of the Workplace
Participants will explore trends in workforce demand, demographic and technological shifts, and how these forces interact with organisational strategies.
Strategic Management
Why is strategic development essential for ensuring long-term success and maintaining a competitive edge? This course explores the fundamental components of strategy, key strategic processes, and the core principles of strategic management. It includes a real-world case study and a group presentation.
Market Analysis
This session introduces the BCG Matrix and Porter’s Five Forces as core tools for analysing strategic positioning and industry profitability. Participants will discuss the strengths and limitations of each framework, assess value chain concentration, and apply their insights in a case study of the photovoltaic industry to evaluate competitive dynamics and profitability.
Competitive Advantage
A concise analysis of critical mass versus economies of scale, including methods for identifying critical mass thresholds. The session examines network effects and strategies to trigger them, and explores how timing and scale drive competitive advantage. Students will learn strategies to increase customers’ willingness to pay.
Case Study: Competitive Analysis
In this workshop, students will conduct a competitive analysis of the photovoltaic industry, applying key strategic frameworks to a challenging real-world case. The session will conclude with group presentations, followed by a moderated plenary discussion.
Strategic Options // M&A
An introduction to the key elements of growth and competitive strategy. The session presents Blue Ocean Strategy as an approach to creating uncontested market space, followed by a case study to illustrate its application. Offensive and defensive strategic tactics will also be discussed.
This session unpacks the M&A process from both the seller’s and buyer’s perspectives, outlining the stages involved in executing a sale or securing venture capital funding. Common pitfalls will be addressed, supported by a real-world case study.
Case Study: M&A // Future Trends
Participants will work in groups to analyse a real-world case involving a potential merger in the Device-as-a-Service sector. Strategic tools from earlier sessions will be applied. Findings will then be presented and discussed in a plenary session.
Gain insight into the key trends shaping the global economy and explore how these developments can inform strategic planning. The session examines emerging organisational models suited to a less globalised world and identifies the competencies required of future managers.
Course materials
Books
Prerequisites
Strong command of English.
Good understanding of mathematical fundamentals.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
Methodology
Students will learn through a combination of interactive lectures, hands-on workshops, and real-world case studies. The course includes group exercises, class discussions, and a focus on tools for strategic analysis and decision-making. It also provides students with guidance and direction for their own strategic work, while developing essential negotiation skills. Students will receive feedback from their peers.
Grading
Pierre-Pascal Urbon is a passionate strategist and entrepreneur who has been shaping companies in the areas of renewable energies and telecommunications for over 20 years. His path began in M&A advisory, where he developed a deep understanding of strategic relationships and complex ECM and M&A transactions and from then on sharpened his nose for corporate development.
At SMA Solar, he put his strategic expertise into practice in an impressive way. He led the company's international expansion, building a strong network of sales companies in over 20 countries and laying the foundation for global growth that can still be felt today. With a clear vision and a keen sense of market changes, he successfully took the group public, relied on strategic alliances and targeted acquisitions in Europe, the USA and China, which raised the company to a completely new level of success.
See full profileApply for this course
Building Competitive Ventures: From Strategy to Execution
by Pierre-Pascal Urbon
Total hours
45 Hours
Dates
May 18 - Jun 05, 2026
Fee for single course
€1500
Fee for degree students
€750
How to secure your spot
Complete the form below to kickstart your application
Schedule your Harbour.Space interview
If successful, get ready to join us on campus
FAQ
Will I receive a certificate after completion?
Yes. Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate signed by the director of the program your course belonged to.
Do I need a visa?
This depends on your case. Please check with the Spanish or Thai consulate in your country of residence about visa requirements. We will do our part to provide you with the necessary documents, such as the Certificate of Enrollment.
Can I get a discount?
Yes. The easiest way to enroll in a course at a discounted price is to register for multiple courses. Registering for multiple courses will reduce the cost per individual course. Please ask the Admissions Office for more information about the other kinds of discounts we offer and what you can do to receive one.