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June 1, 2009
The MIT Leaders for Manufacturing (LFM) program
announces its new name: Leaders
for Global Operations (LGO). This new identity reflects
the expansion from LFM's historically broad understanding
of manufacturing to encompass all aspects of operations.
The program will continue to build on its strengths in production
and logistics, as well as on the consistent #1 rankings
given to MIT School of Engineering and MIT Sloan’s
Operations Management Group in U.S. News & World
Report’s annual evaluation of graduate programs.
“As LFM has succeeded over the 20 years
since it was founded by MIT Sloan, the MIT School of Engineering,
and industry, our understanding of manufacturing has broadened
considerably to include critical operations across the entire
supply chain,” said David
Simchi-Levi, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
and Engineering Systems and LGO Co-Director from the MIT
School of Engineering. “We believe operations excellence
to be a core element of national competitiveness and the
basis for advancement in developing countries.”
After an extensive research process involving
all the program’s constituencies, the LGO Governing
Board approved the change in name and mission. The board
also directed LGO to address operations challenges beyond
such traditional manufacturing sectors as automotive, aerospace,
and high tech manufacturing, to include supply chain retailers
such as Amazon.com and Inditex, S.A. (Zara).
The joint program will continue to reside
within MIT Engineering Systems Division, an interdisciplinary
academic unit spanning most departments within the School
of Engineering and all five MIT schools. Building on
the work of LFM, LGO will continue to generate cutting-edge
research at the intersection of engineering and management,
educating leaders who can help operations-oriented companies
thrive in global markets.
Thomas
Allen, LGO Co-Director from MIT Sloan, Howard W. Johnson
Professor of Management, Emeritus, and Professor of Engineering
Systems, Emeritus, said, “MIT Sloan and the School
of Engineering work closely together on LGO research and
curriculum to ensure that they are cross-disciplinary and
blend knowledge from both engineering and management. LGO
students take courses that examine the impact of globalization;
conduct international internships; participate in international
plant treks; and interact with students and faculty from
other universities who are part of our global community.”
Donald
B. Rosenfield, Director of the LGO Program and Senior
Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management noted, “LGO
partner companies are deeply engaged in all facets of the
program.” Companies sponsor student internships, select
research topics, and participate in screening applicants,
designing curricula, hosting plant tours, and ultimately
recruiting LGO graduates. LGO partners include ABB Ltd.,
Amazon.com, Amgen Inc., The Boeing Company, Cisco Systems
Inc., Dell Inc., General Motors Corporation, Genzyme Corporation,
Honeywell International Inc., Intel Corporation, Northrop
Grumman Corporation, Novartis AG, Raytheon Company, Spirit
AeroSystems, and United Technologies Corporation.
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