A call to arms
19 February 2025
Elena Liquete offers her insights from the recent EFMD Deans Conference 2025.
Hosted by the Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics in Lisbon, the EFMD Deans Conference 2025 brought together over 400 deans and thought leaders from top business schools around the world to explore the theme “Leading in Times of Disruption.”
Felipe Santos, Dean of Católica, was a gracious host throughout the event, offering insightful summaries and providing thoughtful opening and closing remarks. The Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, who holds an MBA from Harvard, kicked things off with an inspiring speech, sharing his own vision of leadership. It was a perfect start to two days filled with thought-provoking ideas.
In a bold plenary session, Steven Braekeveldt, former CEO of insurance business, Grupo Ageas, challenged the audience to think differently about leadership and the role of business schools. He even had the audience questioning the usefulness of mission statements by sharing a list from leading business schools. Few had much to distinguish them from each other, and then Braekeveldt revealed that three of those he read out were from arms manufacturers, suggesting schools need to think harder about their true purpose!
It was clear that the conference was not just an event but a platform for true collaboration. Old friends and new colleagues came together to exchange ideas on some of the most pressing issues in business education. Conversations revolved around the changing role of leadership in today’s fast-paced world, including crisis management and the growing role of AI in business schools.
One panel, moderated by Ines Drieselmann, VP for Alumni and Careers at IE University, sparked some critical reflections. Andrew Jack, Global Education Editor at the FT, and Leila Guerra, Vice Dean at Imperial College London, discussed the pros and cons of global university rankings and highlighted how they may not be perfect but remain an important tool for many prospective students. According to recent data from CarringtonCrisp, 93% of MBA candidates use rankings as part of their search, underscoring their continued relevance in helping students make informed decisions.
As if the discussions weren’t already interesting enough, the impact of current events in the U.S. made its way into the conference. From executive orders threatening federal funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to comments by the Vice President at a summit of EU leaders in Munich, it was clear that the global academic community is facing some major challenges ahead. Business schools, as global hubs for talent and innovation, must adapt to these shifts while maintaining their commitment to inclusive and impactful education.
In the end, the conference highlighted how critical it is for education leaders to come together and address the disruption we’re all experiencing. As one attendee said: “Our work in academia has never been more critical.”