EFMD Awards CLIP Accreditation to GDF SUEZ University

    BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, May 19, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- GDF Suez University has achieved CLIP accreditation from the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). The accreditation recognises the high standards and quality learning programmes offered and dispensed by the Group's in-house university for training and individual personal and group development.

"The peer review team was impressed by GDF SUEZ University's level of quality in terms of impact within the Group and by the overall level of its programs and activities. The University clearly makes a significant, strategic contribution to the Group's integration. Its role as a laboratory for ideas is exemplary," said Gordon Shenton, Associate Director of Quality Services at EFMD.

GDF SUEZ University was created in 2000 at the initiative of Gerard Mestrallet, the Group's Chairman and CEO. It plays a key role for GDF SUEZ executives and managers in terms of the Group's development, training, and construction. Its missions align with the Group's strategic priorities. GDF SUEZ University is a genuine tool for integration, cohesion, and know-how sharing and also models itself as a laboratory for ideas and strategic planning within and for the benefit of the Group.

Since the program's creation, over 30,000 promising performers and managers from all Group backgrounds have received training from the company university. Close to 6,000 participants are received each year in the some 200 sessions organized in 15 countries. CLIP accreditation offers the occasion to highlight the particularity of GDF SUEZ University, which made the conscious decision not to outsource its programs. In fact, in addition to the regular participation of over 200 Group experts and executives, the University's 22 staff members work in close collaboration with some 40 outside partners in the design and implementation of "in house" programs.

Dr Richard Straub, EFMD Director of Development & CLIP believes the whole experience delivers a great deal of added value to an organization: "In the past corporate universities and training centres have either flourished or failed because of how they are perceived internally. When we launched the process we thought that companies would only be interested in the benchmarking and quality improvement aspects of CLIP, and not the accreditation, quality label side of things. However accreditation has turned out to be a key element as it establishes the credibility and internal recognition of the corporate university and gives a corporate university something tangible it can show to its board."

The CLIP initiative draws extensively on EFMD's successful EQUIS accreditation scheme for business schools and universities. Internal self-assessment against a set of rigorous standards drawn up by leading members of the corporate learning community is combined with external review by experienced peers. The assessment process covers all the essential dimensions of the corporate university's deployment within the company: the alignment of its mission and operational objectives with corporate strategy, the effectiveness of its governance and internal management systems, its ability to address key issues of concern to the business units, the programme design process, the overall coherence of the programme portfolio, the quality of delivery and the impact of the corporate university's activities upon individual and organisational learning.

Currently 15 organisations have received CLIP accreditation

- Alcatel-Lucent University, Alcatel-Lucent
- Allianz Management Institute, Allianz Group
- Capgemini University
- Credit Suisse Business School, Credit Suisse
- Deutsche Bank Learning and Development
- EDF Corporate University, EDF Group
- El Solaruco - Group Santander Corporate Learning and Development Centre
- ERGO Management Akademie, ERGO Versicherungsgruppe
- GDF Suez University
- MLP Corporate University, MLP Finanzdienstleistungen AG
- Novartis Corporate Learning, Novartis AG
- ST Corporate University, STMicroelectronics
- Swiss Re Leadership Academy, Swiss Re
- Universidad Corporativa Union Fenosa, Union Fenosa
- Volkswagen Coaching GmbH, Volkswagen

About EFMD
EFMD is a leading international network of business schools, companies and consultancies (730 members across 82 countries) at the forefront or raising the standards of management education and development globally. EFMD runs the EQUIS, EPAS, CLIP and CEL accreditation systems and is one of the key reference points for management education worldwide. So far 15 leading Corporate Learning Organisations from across Europe have been awarded CLIP accreditation. www.efmd.org

About GDF SUEZ
One of the leading energy providers in the world, GDF SUEZ is active across the entire energy value chain, in electricity and natural gas, upstream to downstream. It develops its businesses (energy, energy services and environment) around a responsible-growth model to take up the great challenges - responding to energy needs, ensuring the security of supply, combating climate change and optimizing the use of resources. GDF SUEZ relies on diversified supply sources as well as flexible and high-performance power generation in order to provide innovative energy solutions to individuals, cities and businesses. The Group employs 200,650 persons worldwide and achieved revenues of EUR79.9 billion in 2009. GDF SUEZ is listed on the Brussels, Luxembourg and Paris stock exchanges and is represented in the main international indices: CAC 40, BEL 20, DJ Stoxx 50, DJ Euro Stoxx 50, Euronext 100, FTSE Eurotop 100, MSCI Europe and ASPI Eurozone.

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