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Fundamentals of Strategy
Build your strategic confidence and learn how organizations create, capture, and deliver value through smart decision-making and adaptive strategy, guided by Ivey faculty Michael Raynor.
Price
$690.00 CAD $640.00 CAD
Start anytime
10 hours 
Online Self-Paced Start anytime
Self-Paced
10 hours
$690.00 CAD
$640.00 CAD
Strategy is more than a plan, it is a way of thinking. In this self-paced course, bestselling author and Ivey faculty member Michael Raynor introduces the core elements of business unit strategy and how they differ from corporate and functional approaches. You’ll learn how strategy helps organizations create and capture value, and how it guides decision-making in complex, uncertain environments.
Designed for professionals who want to sharpen their strategic mindset, this course blends foundational theory with practical application. You’ll explore how digital platforms and emerging technologies are reshaping traditional strategy, and take away insights that help you make sound strategic choices and implement them effectively.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Describe elements of a firm's business unit strategy and differentiate it from corporate and functional strategies
- Understand how strategies create, capture and distribute value
- Strengthen your capacity for strategic thinking and decision-making in the face of uncertainty and challenging tradeoffs
- Begin to understand how platforms and digital strategies are changing the traditional rules of strategy
- Take away insights on how to make sound strategic decisions and implement them
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This self-paced course includes approximately 10 hours of content, designed to be completed within a 90-day window. You’ll progress through interactive modules, complete knowledge checks, and receive instant feedback through our AI-first LMS.
Course Roadmap
Module 1: What Is Strategy?
Explore the definition and purpose of strategy. Learn how strategic thinking differs from operational planning and why it matters.
Module 2: Strategy and Value Creation
Understand how strategy helps organizations create, capture, and distribute value. Examine the role of competitive advantage and strategic positioning.
Module 3: Business Unit vs. Corporate Strategy
Distinguish between business unit, corporate, and functional strategies. Learn how each level contributes to organizational success.
Module 4: Strategic Decision-Making
Practice making strategic choices in uncertain environments. Learn how to evaluate tradeoffs, risks, and long-term implications.
Module 5: Platforms and Digital Strategy
Begin to understand how platforms, ecosystems, and digital strategies are changing the rules of competition and strategic planning.
Module 6: Summary and Application
Consolidate your learning with curated takeaways and self-assessments. Apply your insights to real-world scenarios and reflect on your strategic growth.
Dates & Fees
Start anytime
Duration: ~10 hours (self-paced)
Access: 90 days from enrollment
Tuition: $500 CAD
Certificate: Digital credential upon completion
No prerequisites required. Enroll anytime and learn at your own pace.
This course is part of Ivey Essentials bundle. Complete all six to earn a certificate in foundational business skills.
This course is designed for professionals who want to strengthen their strategic thinking and apply it to business decisions. No prior strategy experience is required.
Ideal participants include:
- Managers and analysts seeking to understand strategic frameworks
- Entrepreneurs and product leaders evaluating growth opportunities
- Professionals preparing for an MBA or executive program
- Consultants and advisors supporting clients with strategic planning
Michael Raynor
Associate Professor, Strategy
Dr. Michael E. Raynor focuses on the challenges of strategy, innovation, and managing uncertainty. For more than 30 years, he has contributed to the advancement of management practice through research and consulting across a range of industries.
His has written four books, includingThe Innovator's Solution and The Strategy Paradox which are critically-acclaimed bestsellers (New York Times, Globe & Mail), and all of which have been international award winners (BusinessWeek, Financial Times). He has published more than one hundred articles and monographs that have shaped management discourse over decades, appearing in many of the world's leading outlets (Harvard Business Review, Strategic Management Journal).
Michael educates future and current business leaders in Ivey's full-time, part-time and executive programs. A consultant for more than 25 years, 15 as a Managing Director with Deloitte, he has broken new ground in applying his insights to address the defining challenges of many of the world's leading organizations in life sciences, medical devices, telecommunications, high technology, financial services, media, and consumer products. He has helped clients with competitive and corporate strategy, product and service innovation, risk management.
Most recently, Michael has been working to accelerate global decarbonization through transformative new emissions-reduction strategies for hard-to-abate industrial sectors. He aims to continue working with the most ambitious organizations to bring inventive new ideas to bear on the world’s most challenging problems.
From theory to practice: Raynor is also the co-founder of S3 Markets, an Austin, Texas-based venture focused on accelerating decarbonization in hard-to-abate sectors by transforming carbon markets to empower corporate climate action. And he is a founding investor and senior advisor to Canary Medical, a Vancouver-based med-tech company that combines smart implantable medical devices with artificial intelligence to improve patient outcomes and revolutionize healthcare.
Michael has a doctorate from the Harvard Business School, where he was recognized with the Dively Award for research excellence; an MBA with distinction from Ivey Business School, where he received the Nelson M. Davis Memorial Scholarship; and an undergraduate degree in Philosophy magna cum laude from Harvard University, where he was a Detur Prize winner.
Courses
Start anytime. Complete at your own pace.
| Length | Learning Method | Tuition Fees |
|---|---|---|
| 10 hours | Online Self-Paced |
$690.00 CAD
$640.00 CAD |
Enrollment and Payment FAQs
Click “Enroll Now” on the course page and follow the prompts to complete your registration.
We accept major credit cards. You’ll be prompted to select your preferred method during checkout.
Yes. You can forward the payment link or invoice to your employer, or contact us for assistance with corporate enrollment.
- For Cohort programs - 30 Days Before Program Start
- Cancellation: You will receive a full refund of the program fee.
- Transfer to a Later Date: No fees apply.
- Less than 30 Days Before Program Start
- Cancellation: Incurs a 25% cancellation fee.
- Transfer to a Later Date: Incurs a 15% transfer fee.
- Compassionate exceptions: Fees may be waived on compassionate grounds, please contract (Operations email).
- Unredeemed transfers: If not used within 12 months, the full program fee is forfeited.
No, the purchaser and the person taking the course must match to ensure the digital credential is given to the correct person.
Yes, please contact (Operations email) and they will set up a group invoice.
Certification and Credentials
Yes. You’ll receive a digital certificate from Ivey Business School upon successful completion of the course.
Ivey’s certificates are widely respected and can be added to your LinkedIn profile or resume.
Upon completion, you’ll receive a secure digital credential directly to your email, that can be shared and verified online.
Self-Paced Course Structure and Experience
This is a self-paced, asynchronous course with interactive modules, quizzes, and AI-powered feedback.
You’ll have access for 90 days from the date of purchase.
Approximately 10 hours in total. You can complete it at your own pace over the course of 90 days.
There are no formal exams. You’ll complete quizzes and knowledge checks with unlimited attempts.
This course is self-directed and does not include instructor-led live sessions. You may interact with other students through online activities.
