Discussions around the need to reexamine graduate management curricula have been a natural consequence of the current economic turmoil: Are we properly preparing students to meet the dictates of a changed economy? Attendees at “Selecting for Success” will be challenged to move the conversation further as they explore the very nature of what success means—and whether we’re identifying the unique individuals who are capable of achieving it. “There’s been a lot of important discussion around whether schools are teaching the right things. And that should continue. Here we hope to add to the dialogue by asking a different question. Are schools teaching what they teach to the right people,” said Julia Tyler, vice president for GMAC in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

“Selecting for Success” follows the exceptionally well-received “Mind the Communication Gap” conference held last fall in London. The impetus for this year’s topic came from a variety of sources: new generations of students redefining what they hope to get from the business school experience, continued shifts in the global economic landscape, employers sharing their changing needs and wants. “We believe that now is the time to think more critically about whom you want the next class of alumni from your program to be,” Tyler said.

The day-and a-half-long conference includes interactive sessions and will touch on a variety of themes and topics, including:

• Should business be taught more as an art and less like a science?
• Should business schools refine the profile of students they admit into their programs?
• What can business schools learn from how other industries select for talent?
• What role does an individual’s bias and perspective play in the selection process?
• What is success, what is it for you, and how can you best help your students define it for themselves?

Attendees should come prepared to engage speakers and each other in thought-provoking dialogue and expect to leave with a better idea of:

• The skills needed to lead in the next economy
• Tips on recognizing and overcoming your personal selection biases
• Recommendations for the types of leaders that business schools might consider admitting and cultivating into the next class of global leaders

The big take away is that after the conference attendees should be better able to identify the right candidates—ones who can take what your school’s program gives, add that certain je ne sais quoi, and then set the world on fire.

For more information and to register now, visit the GMAC European Conference  web page. Please contact the GMAC London office at emea@gmac.com with your questions.