HBS Online

Meet Sakura | Harvard Business School Online CLIMB Learner Testimonial

The video features Sakura Carpenter, a Volkswagen Group employee based in Germany, sharing her experience with Harvard Business School Online’s CLIMB Leadership Program. Originally from Los Angeles, she highlights how the program fits her executive role and personal background. Carpenter chose CLIMB primarily for its Organizational Leadership course, noting that while much is learned on the job, she needed a theoretical framework to apply daily. She also enrolled in the Leading with Finance module to better understand financial language, enabling data‑driven decisions and smoother collaboration with finance specialists. She emphasizes the program’s broader impact, stating, “CLIMB is phenomenal,” and explains that the new skills will help her support her younger sister’s takeover of their family business. The testimonial illustrates how the curriculum serves both corporate responsibilities and personal family‑business succession goals. The endorsement underscores the growing demand for interdisciplinary executive education that blends leadership theory, financial acumen, and practical application. For multinational firms and family enterprises alike, CLIMB offers a scalable way to develop leaders capable of navigating complex, cross‑functional challenges.