~Cyril Shroff and IIM Ahmedabad launch the GC Leadership Academy to strengthen General Counsel leadership through executive education, research and global peer learning.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Aug 08 (VNI): Cyril Shroff and the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Cyril Shroff–IIMA GC Leadership Academy, a research and executive development initiative aimed at addressing the evolving leadership needs of General Counsels (GCs).
The Academy, officially launched at the IIMA campus, will serve as a premier learning hub for the GC community, offering world-class knowledge products, executive education, certification, peer learning and thought leadership. The initiative reflects Cyril Shroff’s long-standing commitment to institution-building and advancing the legal profession, while for IIMA, the partnership strengthens its focus on developing leaders at the intersection of business, law and governance.
The Academy will focus on four key priorities — boardroom and enterprise leadership; business, finance and strategy integration; technology, AI and emerging risk readiness; and global peer learning and thought leadership. It will equip GCs with strategic judgement, decision-making capabilities and a deeper understanding of finance, governance, organisational behaviour, business transformation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and emerging technologies.
The initiative comes at a time when the role of General Counsels is expanding from legal advisory to enterprise-wide leadership. The Academy will leverage IIMA’s strengths in case-based pedagogy and interdisciplinary learning across strategy, finance, marketing, human resources, negotiation, organisational behaviour, decision science, AI and public policy. The programme is designed to complement legal expertise with the management and leadership capabilities required by modern enterprises.
Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA, said the establishment of the Academy is a groundbreaking initiative addressing the evolving needs of General Counsels in today’s dynamic business landscape. He said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to fostering leadership for global institutions at the intersection of law, business and governance.
Cyril Shroff, Founder and Managing Partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, said the Academy represents a deliberate step towards institution-building for the legal profession and long-term stewardship of the in-house counsel community. He noted that the role of General Counsel now encompasses governance, strategy, technology, risk and business transformation, and said the Academy aims to prepare the next generation of GCs to lead with judgement, capability and purpose.
Prof. Sandip Chakrabarti and Prof. Ranjan Ghosh, who are leading the Academy at IIMA, said the partnership brings together complementary strengths in legal leadership and management education. They added that the Academy’s executive education programmes will draw on IIMA’s case-based pedagogy and interdisciplinary approach to provide practical insights into strategy, finance, technology, governance and leadership.
Ms. Paridhi Adani, Founder Family and Partner (Head – Gujarat), Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, said the Academy has been conceived as a long-term commitment to the profession. She said it will combine structured leadership education, certification, peer learning and global exposure with IIMA’s academic strengths and CAM’s understanding of the evolving role of General Counsels. VNI NEWS, Cyril Shroff, IIM Ahmedabad, IIMA GC Leadership Academy, General Counsel, Legal Leadership, Executive Education, IIMA, General Counsel, Executive Education, Corporate Governance, AI, Business Strategy, VNINews, VNINews.com