‘Both-And’ Leadership In The Age Of AI: Notre Dame’s Dean On The Future Of The MBA

Business education is moving quickly. Artificial intelligence is reshaping decision-making, employers are recalibrating expectations, and MBA programs are under pressure to prove their value in new ways.

For Martijn Cremers, dean of the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame, the response begins with a question that has not changed: What kind of leaders are business schools trying to form?

At Notre Dame, that answer is framed as a “both-and” proposition – graduates who are both analytically excellent and morally grounded, both technologically fluent and strong interpersonally. It is a philosophy that runs through the school’s MBA, from its growing use of AI to its emphasis on ethics, experiential learning, and leadership formation.

In a conversation with Poets&Quants, Cremers discusses how Mendoza is embedding AI across the curriculum, why responsible AI is emerging as a point of differentiation, and how the school is working to integrate purpose and performance more concretely.

P&Q: Business education is in the middle of a period of rapid change driven by AI, shifting employer expectations, and new learner demographics. How is your vision for the Notre Dame MBA evolving to meet this moment, and where do you believe Notre Dame is positioned to lead rather than follow?

Martijn Cremers: Business schools are indeed facing rapid change. The central challenge remains the same for us at Notre Dame: What kind of leaders are we trying to form? We take a “both-and” approach: We are committed to forming leaders who are both analytically excellent and morally grounded, both technologically fluent and strong interpersonally. This commitment is fundamental to how our MBA is evolving.

Regarding AI fluency, we are integrating AI within the MBA curriculum, both in the required core and in electives. Every student begins with analytics and AI-focused coursework in the first semester, then builds from there.

Where we are positioned to lead is in the responsible use of AI. The differentiator for us is not just using AI, but managing it responsibly and understanding its consequences. We intentionally pair technical expertise with leadership and ethics, asking students to think about moral responsibility, stakeholder impact, and what a good decision looks like when the answer is not obvious.

Courses like Leadership in the Age of AI, and Ethics of Data and AI, make that connection explicit. Students are pushed to think about moral responsibility and stakeholder impact. They develop the ability to spot ethical issues before they become problems, reason through messy real-world scenarios, and make decisions they can stand behind as leaders. These courses are discussion-heavy, grounded in real cases, and force students to take positions and defend them.

We believe the future of business depends on leaders who can pair technological fluency with sound judgment. That’s why we’ve built exceptional strength in AI, analytics and responsible technology. Our professors exemplify this commitment. For example, Ahmed Abbasi brings more than 20 years of expertise in human-centered analytics, machine learning and predictive modeling, while Nick Berente is a leading scholar of the organizational and ethical implications of AI whose perspective is shaped by both pioneering research and experience founding two technology companies. Their work ensures our students learn not only what AI can do, but how to use it responsibly to benefit organizations and society.

Many schools talk about developing principled, purpose-driven leaders. How does Mendoza operationalize those ideals so they become measurable capabilities rather than aspirational language?

At Notre Dame, purpose is in our DNA. It is grounded in our mission as a Catholic university, where contributing to the good of others is a fundamental principle.

Notre Dame MBA students experience this difference from the first day that they set foot on campus.  During MBA orientation, students are introduced to three words from the Notre Dame Alma Mater as guideposts for the kind of servant leaders we hope to form: Tender, Strong, True. Tender, in leading with humility and empathy, seeking to understand others deeply and learning from everyone’s perspective. Strong, in acting with courage and resilience, speaking up for those in need, and lifting others and growing oneself through challenges. True, in remaining authentic and trustworthy, grounded in one’s mission and faithful to one’s vocation and commitments.

During the very first week of orientation called Now Irish, our MBA students participate in Leadership Launch, where they learn the basic tenets of our Tender, Strong and True guideposts for ethical leadership.  They learn a lot about themselves and how to put forth their best leadership selves through leading with empathy, acting with courage and remaining authentic and grounded in purpose.

Across the curriculum, principled decision making is treated as a capability that develops over time. It begins with analytical training and continues in courses where students examine how business decisions affect employees, customers and broader stakeholders.  Throughout the MBA core curriculum, and reinforced through required ethics electives, students are consistently asked not only what works, but what is right, what is sustainable and what serves the broader good.

For example, signature Notre Dame MBA experiences like Grow Irish send students into the field to solve real problems for real clients — companies and nonprofits around the world. Working in teams, they gather data, apply analytics and present their findings in environments where the stakes are significant. Along the way, they apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to analyze problems carefully, communicate across differences and develop solutions that keep the organization’s purpose and the needs of those it serves front and center.

This kind of upfront, face-to-face interaction with people facing diverse challenges and needs often proves personally transformative for the students. They see firsthand how business challenges like supply chain disruptions play out in everyday lives. They develop a deeper understanding by hearing firsthand the stories of those affected. These meaningful connections are the essential building blocks of Notre Dame MBA’s mission to develop students as servant leaders.

In 2019, you said analytics should be “a simple component across all different business programs.” Where have you made the most progress on that vision, and how has AI changed what analytical fluency should look like?

When I said that, I meant that analytics – and AI – should be part of everyday managerial thinking, not confined to a single course. We have made real progress on that front. Analytics and AI are now embedded across the curriculum, and students use these tools constantly to inform decisions.

In finance, marketing and strategy, students are expected to frame problems clearly, test assumptions with evidence and interpret results in context. Analytics and AI are not treated as technical specialties; they are part of how leaders make decisions.

For students who want to dive more deeply into the technical side of analytics and AI, we offer optional majors and minors focused on advanced technical skills. They work with generative AI, predictive models and other advanced tools.

At the same time, they are trained to question results, assess biases and weigh risks. This foundation shapes their work throughout the program; technology informs their decisions, but it does not replace judgment.

Notre Dame MBA students graduate with both technical competence and ethical awareness, paired with strategic clarity. They understand that while data can guide decisions, responsibility ultimately rests with people and with a commitment to human flourishing.

You have emphasized experiential learning as a core priority. What distinguishes Mendoza’s approach in an increasingly crowded MBA market?

Every MBA program offers experiential learning. What distinguishes ours is that our programs are mission-oriented. They have a clear purpose tied to how business can contribute to society.

For example, in the Meyer Business on the Frontlines program, students work in challenging environments around the world, applying business tools to address issues such as poverty and social exclusion. The stakes are real, and the challenges are substantial.

Another mission-driven effort is the Notre Dame U.S. Competitiveness Initiative — ND-US Competes, for short — which focuses on restoring the strength of U.S. manufacturing through automation and professional management. MBA students contribute in several ways. Students work on reshoring manufacturing and defense-related production, partner with manufacturing firms, and start or acquire companies through our new Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) program.

In a crowded MBA market, our distinctiveness comes from integration. Our projects bring together analytics and judgment, performance and purpose. Students learn not only to solve problems, but also to define them well, weigh trade-offs, and lead responsibly.

If you look ahead five to ten years, what will define a successful MBA graduate?

MBA students come to Notre Dame looking to join the Notre Dame community in order to make a change, whether that means switching industries, building new skills or moving into leadership. That calls for a more flexible curriculum that gives them room to explore, while also connecting our MBA students to our amazingly generous alumni community.

As finance, technology, marketing and analytics become more interconnected, this flexibility allows students to build expertise across areas; for example, combining finance and technology in preparation for a fintech career. Our MBA curriculum is rigorous and gives students more choice so they can design an MBA that fits where they want to go professionally.

As we look further ahead, we’re focusing on the curriculum on three capabilities that we feel a successful MBA graduate will need: a deep understanding of technology, disciplined problem solving and interpersonal competency.

AI and advanced analytics are becoming as basic to management as finance or accounting. At the same time, as more technical tasks are automated, the ability to ask the right questions, work well with others and communicate effectively becomes even more important.

We are less interested in chasing trends and more focused on preparing leaders who can adapt as conditions change. That means grounding them in fundamentals, building real technological competence and reinforcing a steady ethical compass. If we do that well, our graduates will be equipped not only to navigate change, but to influence where it leads.

DON’T MISS 1-ON-1 WITH NOTRE DAME’S MARTIJN CREMERS

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