EDITOR’S LETTER
EDITORIAL Head of editorial Colette Doyle c.doyle@amba-bga.com Content editor Tim Banerjee Dhoul t.dhoul@amba-bga.com
WHY IT’S STILL GOOD TO TALK
It’s essential that business school faculty and directors aim to prioritise the personal touch in a digital era n the 1990s, actor Bob Hoskins reminded us via a TV advertising campaign for British Telecom that “It’s good to talk”. It was a simple plea for connection in a world that was just beginning to experience the accelerated pace of new technology. Today, in our age of endless Zoom calls and advanced digital tools, talk has become frictionless yet curiously atomised. For business school faculty and directors, it’s not enough to simply communicate with their counterparts via a screen; we need to champion the transformative power of showing up in the same room. Leading an MBA programme today is a high-stakes balancing act. Directors have to satisfy rigorous academic standards and global competition, while simultaneously delivering a degree that is both a sound financial investment and a life-changing educational experience. The multifaceted and high-pressure nature of the role was the impetus behind AMBA’s decision to launch the MBA Directors’ Club last year; while supporting directors around the world, it aims to enhance inter-school communication. Although the club has a digital presence, it also meets in person several times a year at the association’s international events. One such meeting took place at the AMBA & BGA Asia Pacific Conference, held last November in Bali, providing members with the opportunity to exchange insights with colleagues on the challenges and opportunities shaping their roles. Inside, we interview four club members about how they are innovating their programmes and dealing with changing student career expectations. They talk too about the most critical function of an MBA director in moulding the next generation of business leaders. Bali was also the venue for an in-person roundtable involving a panel of faculty from schools in countries as diverse as South Africa, China, Malaysia, India, Japan, Kenya and Spain. They came together to discuss AI’s potential to enhance business education and how it stands to impact learners, faculty and our wider society; the proceedings are reviewed in this issue. While technology has made it easier than ever to talk, it hasn’t found a substitute for the chemistry of a physical presence. Ultimately, the most enduring global partnerships are not built on a stable wifi connection, but on the trust that can only be forged face-to-face. I
Art editor Sam Price Sub-editor Heather Ford
Insight, content and PR manager Ellen Buchan e.buchan@amba-bga.com
CORPORATE Director of business school engagement Debbie Kemp d.kemp@amba-bga.com
Head of business development – BGA Richard Turner r.turner@amba-bga.com
Commercial relations director Max Braithwaite m.braithwaite@amba-bga.com
Head of marketing and communications Leonora Clement
Senior marketing executive Edward Holmes
Head of IT and data management Jack Villanueva
Colette Doyle , Editor, Ambition
THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS
Head of events Carolyn Armsby
HR and employer relations manager Aarti Bhasin Finance and commercial director Catherine Walker
Chief executive officer Andrew Main Wilson
LUIZ BRITO
NAGA VENKATESH DEVAGUPTAPU
ANNE DIBLEY
JUAN ESTEBAN ESCALANTE GÓMEZ
JONATHAN GOSLING
Executive assistant to the CEO Amy Youngs a.youngs@amba-bga.com ACCREDITATION ENQUIRIES accreditation@amba-bga.com
ELNURA IRMATOVA
MAJA KIBA-JANIAK
POORNIMA LUTHRA
JULIE MCCANDLESS
ARNOLD WALRAVENS
Copyright 2026 by Association of MBAs and Business Graduates Association ISSN 2631-6382 All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. While we take care to ensure that editorial is independent, accurate, objective and relevant for our readers, AMBA accepts no responsibility for reader dissatisfaction rising from the content of this publication. The opinions expressed and advice given are the views of individual commentators and do not necessarily represent the views of AMBA. Whenever an article in this publication is placed with the financial support of an advertiser, partner or sponsor, it will be marked as such. AMBA makes every opportunity to credit photographers but we cannot guarantee every published use of an image will have the contributor’s name. If you believe we have omitted a credit for your image, please email the editor.
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Ambition • ISSUE 1 • 2026 7
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