Emory Goizueta Graduates Don’t Fear The Future, They Embrace It

Business is changing. Business education must prepare students to lead the way. But what does the future of business look like?

For some, thoughts of artificial intelligence or robots taking over the world might come to mind. After all, it’s the age of generative AI—a seemingly limitless technology that can create artwork, write papers, or build code—all within seconds.

Where do people fit in?

Emory University Goizueta Business School MBA graduates fit in everywhere. The future of work is an exciting prospect, and they are ready for it. They are day one ready in no small part because of the Goizueta MBA’s focus on experiential learning and continual evolution to address the interests of our students and the needs of employers.

These leaders of the future are embracing their passions and pursuing multiple careers, making business decisions for the betterment of society, leveraging technology to enhance their skills, and learning how to lead teams (in-person, remotely, and globally).

Adaptable Problem Solvers

Employers continue to emphasize the need for graduates who can combine analytical and technological skills with creative solutions to address business needs. The use of data and technology continues to grow across industries and so must our graduates’ ability to harness these skills. Knowing how to code or run advanced data analyses only matters if you can apply those skills to solve real problems.

As a STEM-designated MBA, Goizueta graduates are sharpening their analytical abilities and learning the latest in technological advancements in the context of different business fields. At the core of this are foundational analytical and problem-solving skills that Goizueta MBAs hone during their first semester and then apply in their second semester on client projects. Working with some of the biggest brands in the world (like Coca-Cola, Lowe’s, lululemon, Converse), student teams evaluate and research real-world problems for organizations, recommend initiatives to create value, and engage in meaningful dialogue about implementation goals and timelines.

Employers are looking for graduates who not only have hard skills but can utilize available tools to amplify their existing skills to create organizational and societal value.

Learning to Lead

Workers of the future need not only the technical skills learned in class, but also leadership skills. Leaders of today and tomorrow must know how to inspire through a screen and across time zones. As technology continues to advance, managers and executives must also know how to lead those whose technical knowledge surpasses their own.

Every business is a people business. You have to be able to relate to people and be relatable. A great leader cannot lead one way and expect everyone else to conform. They have to be able to manage many different work styles and personalities.

Leadership at Goizueta comes in many forms, both inside and outside the classroom but covers three main pillars: academic, experiential, and reflective. Goizueta MBA students can hone their leadership skills through unique experiences including navigating a US Army training course, sailing the high seas in the Virgin Islands, and engaging in a virtual reality crisis simulation.

Business and Society

Generation Z values a business’s societal and cultural impact, sometimes over salary and benefits, according to research by Deloitte. Of course businesses should generate value through profits. They can also add value to their communities by addressing societal issues, such as sustainability, climate change, and systemic racism.

As complex as these challenges might sound, Goizueta MBA students are already rising to confront them. Goizueta’s Business & Society Institute embeds this system-thinking approach into classes, experiential learning, global experiences, directed studies, clubs, conferences, and case competitions. Students can help address systemic racism in corporate America by running or participating in Goizueta’s signature case competition, the John R. Lewis Racial Justice Case Competition, now in its fourth year. They can also address systemic racism and advance their investment skills by learning how to source companies, conduct due diligence, and make investment recommendations with Goizueta’s student-run Peachtree Minority Venture Fund which focuses on scaling minority-owned ventures.

Students can travel to Nicaragua and support women coffee growers or attend the ClimateCAP Global Summit to better understand how to respond to climate change. They’re given ample opportunities—in a variety of formats—to put their skills to the test in safe, supported environments before bringing their knowledge and ideas to their future companies.

In short, Goizueta graduates don’t fear the future. They embrace it.

Brian Mitchell is the Full-Time MBA Associate Dean at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Prior to joining Goizueta, Brian spent 20 years in marketing and strategy roles in the pharmaceutical industry ultimately leading a specialized products P&L of over $600 million. Upon transition to education, Brian earned an Ed.M. from Harvard University, where he attended as a Zuckerman Fellow and was awarded Harvard’s Intellectual Contribution and Faculty Tribute award. He recently earned an Ed.D. from the University of Georgia’s Institute of Higher Education.