Our prospective students want to defy everything; to challenge the present and shape the future
How will you bring your professional experience to date to bear on your new appointment? “With great humility and responsibility. Humility in order to listen to our different stakeholders, learn from a new country and recognise that I may have to challenge some of the paradigms that allowed me to take on this important new role. My primary responsibility is to make EGADE Business School an even more relevant institution than it already is today.” What are some of the major issues facing Latin America at this time that may impact on the success of the management education sector? “Irrespective of their government’s political orientation, Latin American countries are struggling with higher inflation and lower growth rates. Furthermore, we are experiencing a growing social division and civil distrust. This combination might be seen as a dark future for our sector. Nevertheless, at EGADE we think that it represents a vital opportunity to make a difference and defy business to deliver the type of changes that our societies need.” What would you describe as EGADE’s unique selling point and how does it position itself in the market? “At EGADE we aim to encourage our community to find new ways of thinking. We want to build a future where business has a real impact on the sustainable development of Latin America in particular and the world in general. We challenge all assumptions, as well as trying to see the future through a different lens. Our
prospective students are the kind of individuals who want to defy everything; to challenge the present and shape the future.” How can traditional educational establishments best compete with the new providers coming into the marketplace? “Most of the new entrants are changing the way of delivering education, so they are competing from the position of ‘what’, whereas I believe that our institutions must compete from the ‘why’ perspective, looking for relevance. Business schools must connect with our generation’s pressing matters and social challenges. “In this arena, such schools can help to demonstrate how business can be the solution for a more prosperous and sustainable future. We need to put students at the centre of what we do, supporting their development and transformation so that they become capable of leading more ethical, innovative and sustainable organisations.” How would you define the new generation of business leaders? What skills, qualities, capabilities and mindsets do they need? “The future requires self-aware leaders who understand the value that business can generate for society. This type of leader mobilises with purpose and is capable of long-term thinking beyond short‑term pressures. “Moreover, they must be global leaders, capable of understanding the impact that different geopolitical threats and technological trends can have on their
industry and company. In short, they must be leaders capable of nurturing an adaptive culture that enables change.” MBA alumni care deeply about sustainability and the issue of climate change. In what ways do you think business schools should adapt their programmes to reflect this? “There must be a holistic approach, which is supported by the school’s purpose. Upon my arrival at EGADE, we held an in-depth, inclusive and enriching discussion with all our stakeholders to define our strategy. In this way, we have reached our new purpose: namely, to rethink the future of business to impact positively on the sustainable development of Latin America. “A purpose such as this forces us to embed sustainability in everything that we do. At EGADE, it is no longer a question of having a ‘sustainability course’; our purpose obliges us to design our programmes and content in such a way that sustainability is a common thread in all of them.” How did Covid-19 change your school in the long term – and what have been your most important learnings from the pandemic? “The pandemic has allowed us to make use of the adaptability and resilience of the entire academic community, including professors, students and staff. The most important thing that Covid-19 has left behind is our absolute conviction of the need to innovate in terms of teaching methodologies and delivery methods. Another important lesson is that you must be careful with trends and be able
24 | Ambition | FEBRUARY 2023
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