EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
What Is the Owner/President Management Program (OPM) at Harvard Business School?
Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management program — OPM — is one of the most competitive executive education programs in the world. Here is what it is, why it matters, and what it has meant for the way I run Ikon Group Investments.
What Is Harvard OPM?
The Owner/President Management program at Harvard Business School is designed specifically for business owners, presidents, and CEOs who lead privately held companies. Unlike MBA programs designed for early-career professionals, OPM is built for executives who are already running organizations at scale. The curriculum focuses on strategic thinking, leadership architecture, global markets, and the specific challenges facing founder-led businesses.
Who Gets Into OPM?
OPM participants are typically business owners or chief executives with significant operating history. The program is cohort-based — you build relationships with peers who are running companies across every industry and geography. This network is as valuable as the curriculum itself.
What OPM Taught Me That Nothing Else Did
I entered OPM67 as Chairman and CEO of Ikon Group Investments — a diversified holding company spanning real estate, energy, automotive, medical waste recycling, and aircraft chartering. The program sharpened several things simultaneously:
- Portfolio thinking at the holding company level. How to allocate capital and leadership across multiple businesses with different growth trajectories and risk profiles.
- Governance architecture. How to build board structures that create accountability without creating bureaucracy in founder-led organizations.
- The global executive perspective. Energy markets, real estate, and investment operate globally. The OPM lens is international in a way that purely domestic programs are not.
I completed OPM67 while simultaneously managing eight companies, losing 70 lbs, and beginning the MIT Sloan Executive Education program. The morning routine is what made all of it possible.
Education Applied, Not Just Earned
The OPM program matters because of how it’s applied afterward — the same discipline that drives the classroom drives the body. See it in action at Harvard MBA + Running 3 Companies: How I Did Both.
FAQ
Is the OPM program the same as an MBA?
No — OPM is specifically designed for owner/operators of established businesses, distinct from a traditional MBA, though Rhett has pursued both.
