The Normandy Leadership Experience

The Normandy Leadership Experience not only reinforced my belief that leadership is an integral part of the business school curriculum, but that the same leadership issues have been around for thousands of years. Leaders have always had to think about whether there is good communication, whether their troops understand their intent, and whether their troops are empowered to make decisions. Those things transcend time… While the history lessons were amazing, what really made this a great trip were the people… After you graduate from Wharton, you sometimes lose sight of how powerful it can be to get a group of people together to learn and discuss a common topic of interest. To be able to recapture that on this trip was great.

Roger Crandall
President and CEO
MassMutual

Itinerary at a Glance

The Allied invasion front stretched more than sixty miles from the Orne River to the Cherbourg Peninsula and encompassed five major landing beaches. Our trip will take us to some of the key locations, including: Pegasus Bridge, where British glider troops launched one of the most critical and wildly successful surprise assaults of the battle; German defensive positions above Gold Beach; Ste. Mere Eglise, where American paratroopers seized the first town on the continent liberated by the Allies; Omaha Beach, where chaos and heavy casualties nearly derailed the invasion until junior leaders stepped up to make the difference; and the famous US military cemetery at Colleville sur Mer.

Day 1

Gather at Charles De Gaulle Airport, Paris; transport to Normandy and check-in at the luxurious Chateau la Cheneviere. Reception and opening remarks, followed by dinner.

Day 2

British and Canadian invasion sectors, including Pegasus Bridge, Allied artificial harbor at Arromanches, German battery at Longues sur Mer. Lunch at Ouistreham.

Day 3

American airborne operations, Ste. Mere Eglise and La Fiere bridge. Picnic lunch at La Fiere B&B.

Day 4

American invasion sectors, including Utah Beach, Pointe du Hoc, and Omaha Beach.

Day 5

American military cemetery at Colleville sur Mer; return to Paris.