Introduce yourself in three words or phrases.
Passionate… a very determined person… and I get bored so easily!
What do you like most about your job?
I think the global perspective. That idea of being able to work with the business schools around the world and elevate the quality and see their impact on society. I think that part is humbling – and I love it.
What’s a defining moment in your career?
Around 33 years ago, I was working as an engineer in China, and I was selected as one of the 20, supposedly, brightest young engineers to go and study and work in Japan. That was a totally eye-opening experience – I got the chance to learn this new language and explore the country while working. It was like an internship, and I’d already got my master’s. But at that time, right within the most advance technological economy, it totally changed everything in my life.
It taught me that you don’t know what you don’t know – until you live somewhere new, you don’t discover this new world or a part of yourself. That changed me fundamentally, and led me to getting my MBA in the US.
Best work trip?
Well, every single one of them is fascinating in this space, through my role at AACSB. But one that I had more recently was at both Oxford Saïd Business School and at Judge Business School in Cambridge, in the space of a week. I just got to have these deep conversations with so many passionate scholars, who are now interested in adjusting themselves and helping the younger generation to do things differently than when they were younger – to do things more impactfully instead of staying just within the theoretical academic research. For me, it brings back this meaning of the fact I’m a lifelong learner in every single moment. I always want to learn something, and I did then.
What’s the worst conference food or beverage experience you’ve had?
Sometimes it’s the simplest of things – when a conference doesn’t have water readily available. That’s the minimum you need; I don’t need a coffee and tea for the day. No – how about just make sure everybody has water?
It taught me that you don’t know what you don’t know – until you live somewhere new, you don’t discover this new world or a part of yourself
If you could pick a language to learn instantly, which would it be?
Well, French is nice – but I think I just need a pair of those smart glasses, the ones that Google has that translate on command. People can go to Starbucks and they order something, and the glasses just translate back to them. I think I just need a pair of those!
What’s a project or initiative you’re working on right now that excites you?
We want to make our strategic plan a little more tangible, so that’s exciting. We have three drivers. The first is continuing our core driver, and that’s our accreditation. Another is enhancement, which we want to do with our Academy. Right now, it’s not fully professional, it’s more teaching people how to run business schools – we’re hoping to expand this to universities in the future. And the third is to be the voice for business education. We’ve obviously done a lot of talking, internally, to each other, but we’re trying to advocate to bring this further to the outside.
What’s a book recommendation you have for the sector?
Think Again by Adam Grant. It’s all linked to lifelong learning and reskilling and upskilling. So many people think we already know because we’ve perhaps fixed the thinking. But it’s asking you to always think again… are you optimistic? That’s great, but make sure you’re always open to thinking again to challenge what you may or may not know.
#Lily #AACSB
