MBA Advanced Leadership Program (ALP)

The Advanced Leadership Program at Cooper Industries consists of three - one year rotational assignments at 3 different division or corporate headquarters offices. The three assignments may be in any of the following areas: business development, marketing, operations, and finance.

Cooper recruits selected MBA’s from top business schools for analyst positions. The analyst position at Cooper Industries offers a challenging, highly visible role in leading the company's corporate development and strategic planning process. It also provides the analyst an opportunity to build an in-depth understanding of the company's eight divisions: Cooper B-Line, Cooper Bussmann, Cooper Lighting, Cooper Crouse-Hinds, Cooper Safety, Cooper Power Systems, Cooper Wiring Devices and Cooper Tools. Candidates typically have an undergraduate degree in engineering, accounting, finance or economics and three to four years of practical work experience in an operating environment.

Business Development
The BD Analyst's primary responsibility is to evaluate businesses identified as potential acquisition targets and alliance partners. The specific tasks include:

• Identifying and analyzing target businesses.
• Determining strategic fit and identifing synergies with business unit managers.
• Developing an integration plan with business unit presidents and their staffs.
• Determining the potential value to Cooper shareholders.
• Presenting the acquisition opportunity to Cooper's CEO and executive vice president, and recommending an offering price.
• Coordinating due diligence activities with in-house functional experts and investment bankers.
• Evaluating Cooper's acquisition process, including analyzing previous acquisitions.

Marketing

• Developing a corporate wide marketing initiative directed to our channel partners.
• Developing a collaborative, strategic apporach for operations serving the retail channel.
• Developing a strategic planning process for regional distributor markets.
• Evaluating international growth opportunities for a business segment.
• Analyzing industry attractiveness for potential new market entry.

Finance

• Improving upon the financial models used, incorporating the latest in financial theory.

Operations

• Developing complex global supply chain initiatives.
• Creating new sourcing strategies.
• Implementing cost productivity overhauls.

Career Path
The analyst position is intended to develop future general managers to lead Cooper's various businesses. Cooper's executive management takes an active interest in the career paths of ALP analysts and strives to provide challenging assignments.

The next step for an ALP analyst is typically a functional position within one of the operating divisions. In the past, analysts have moved on to become product line managers at the company's larger business divisions, plant managers and general managers.

After five to ten years, former analysts have been promoted to division presidents and Vice Presidents with responsibility for multi-million dollar business units.

Qualifications
Successful candidates typically have:

• A recent MBA from a top-tier business school.
• An undergraduate degree in engineering, accounting, finance, mathematics or economics.
• Three to four years of practical experience in an operating environment.
• Strong analytical, leadership and communication skills.
• A willingness to relocate.
• 3.5 G.P.A.

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