From Jaipur to the World: Reinventing Careers in the Age of AI, Globalization & Self-Discovery
In conversation with Gregory J Dunn, Dean of HSB
Welcome back to this is part of our series with Gregory J Dunn, the thoughtful and forward-looking Dean of Hari Shankar Singhania School of Business (HSB).
In this edition, we move from systems and strategies to something more personal: you.
Your career, your path, your reinvention.
Because as Greg reminds us—a meaningful career today isn’t linear. It’s designed.
🧭 Navigating the Future of Work: What Business Education Needs Now
From black swan disruptions to AI-powered classrooms—how HSB is reimagining the MBA experience for the modern world
🌀 When Change Is the Only Constant
Greg calls it out right away: the future of work is uncertain, but one thing is clear—adaptability is no longer optional. Whether it was the COVID-19 pandemic (a true black swan event) or the AI revolution, disruption has become the norm.
So, what’s the antidote?
“You have to treat your career like an iterative journey. Co-create the future you want, while staying open and responsive to what the world throws at you.”
This mindset—of continuous learning and intentional reinvention—is baked into how HSB approaches education.
🎓 Rethinking the MBA: From Classrooms to Boardrooms
One of the most powerful shifts HSB has made is bridging academia with industry. Their faculty roster includes top-tier academics and current industry practitioners—from startups to global tech giants like Oracle and Microsoft.
“We don’t believe in locking students in classrooms for two years,” Greg shared. “They’re out there solving real-world problems from Day 1.”
For instance, students are often given live business challenges—problems that companies haven’t had the bandwidth to tackle internally. The results? Some projects have directly led to internships and job offers. Others have led to innovative, actionable solutions for businesses.
HSB even hosted a Shark Tank-style pitch session where students presented live projects, turning theory into practice in front of real investors and industry leaders.
🤝 Mentorship That Matters
Another key differentiator? Every MBA student at HSB is assigned an individual industry mentor.
These aren’t just “check-in” relationships. Mentors actively guide students on:
How to approach their coursework with intent
How to build a standout career portfolio
How to develop leadership skills in the AI age
And it's not just for early-career professionals. HSB believes in creating value for mid-career professionals and senior leaders alike, especially as generational expectations and work cultures collide.
“We’re seeing senior leaders trying to learn from Gen Z—and vice versa. Mentorship becomes the bridge between them.”
🌍 Breaking Borders: Global Classrooms, Global Mindsets
In today’s globalized world, learning to collaborate across cultures is just as essential as mastering frameworks or algorithms. HSB is leaning into this by ensuring one-third of their courses are taught by international visiting faculty.
The result? Students gain exposure to global perspectives, engage with cross-cultural teams, and get access to international networks—without ever leaving the HSB campus.
Even those staying in India are being prepped to work with international partners, investors, and customers—something that’s now a given in most industries.
🛠️ AI, Upskilling & Leadership in the Modern Age
Greg and I also explored the tension between technology and timeless human values. While AI offers incredible leverage, students need guidance on how to use it ethically and effectively.
“Some students are using AI as a shortcut. That’s not what it’s for,” Greg cautioned. “We’re teaching them how to use AI to enhance their thinking—not replace it.”
And that’s the heart of it: HSB is training students not just to keep up with AI, but to lead with it. This means pairing cutting-edge tools with critical thinking, empathy, and leadership—skills that remain irreplaceable.
🔑 Takeaways from This Conversation
Adaptability is the new must-have skill—especially in the face of black swan events and rapid change.
Real-world exposure matters. Case studies are useful, but real business problems build lasting capability.
Mentorship drives transformation. Personalized guidance turns learning into growth.
Global readiness is non-negotiable. Cross-cultural competence is critical in every career stage.
AI is a tool, not a crutch. Knowing how and when to use it makes all the difference.
🧠 AI, Leadership & Lifelong Learning: What the Modern Business School Must Get Right
How AI changes everything—and why timeless leadership still matters
🤖 AI Is Not the Enemy—But It’s Also Not a Shortcut
Let’s get one thing straight: AI is here, and it’s powerful. But as Greg reminded us, it’s not a magic wand.
“AI can support leadership, but it will never replace it.”
Students—and professionals—need to treat AI as a co-pilot, not a crutch. The goal isn’t to let AI do the thinking for you, but to use it to enhance creativity, decision-making, and productivity.
Greg shared a telling anecdote: a major newspaper in the U.S. published an AI-generated book recommendation list, only to later discover that many of the books were completely made up. A powerful reminder that critical thinking and editorial judgment remain non-negotiable.
🧭 Ethical AI, Responsible Use & Education’s Role
So how do you teach AI the right way?
At HSB, they don’t just hand students the tools—they teach them the rules and ethics of responsible AI usage.
“We help students understand not just what AI can do, but what it shouldn’t do.”
This includes common-sense practices, like verifying outputs, understanding hallucinations, and using AI to complement—not replace—human intellect and emotional intelligence.
Rather than banning AI or pretending it doesn’t exist, HSB integrates it into learning mindfully. And that, Greg believes, is the only way forward.
🧑💼 Executive Education in the Age of AI
AI isn’t just disrupting how fresh graduates learn—it’s fundamentally changing how mid-career professionals and leaders must evolve too.
Here’s how HSB approaches executive education in today’s climate:
Foresight as a core skill: Teaching leaders to anticipate change before it hits.
Strategic AI literacy: Understanding not just how AI works, but what it means for business models, operations, and competitive advantage.
Human-centered leadership: As automation rises, people skills become even more valuable.
Greg puts it bluntly:
“If you wait until AI disrupts your business to react, you’re already too late.”
Whether it’s a manufacturing giant or a legacy retail company, leaders across all sectors must now build adaptive organizations ready for exponential shifts.
🏭 Every Industry Is Now a Tech Industry
While AI feels native to startups and software firms, Greg warns against complacency in so-called "traditional" sectors.
“Even old industrial businesses are being disrupted. If you’re not paying attention to AI and automation, your competition will—and they’ll move faster and cheaper.”
This insight reinforces the idea that upskilling is not optional anymore. Every industry, from healthcare to logistics to banking, is on the brink of tech transformation. The question isn’t if—it’s when.
🧑🏫 Industry + Academia: A Two-Way Street
Greg believes business schools must go beyond their traditional role of preparing students and become active partners in shaping industry evolution.
“We’re not just turning out graduates—we’re actively training and supporting businesses in their transformation journey.”
That means:
Offering training, coaching, and mentorship to companies
Listening to industry’s evolving needs
Co-creating content, case studies, and problem-solving frameworks that solve real challenges
This is especially vital for enterprise clients navigating multi-year digital transformations. Business schools like HSB are positioning themselves as not just educators, but co-pilots in transformation.
🧑💻 Online vs. In-Person: When Does E-Learning Work?
With working professionals juggling time, geography, and ambition—online learning is a lifeline. But Greg draws an important distinction:
For technical or tactical skills (e.g., PowerBI, SQL, Excel) → e-learning works great.
For leadership, strategy, and transformation → nothing beats in-person, real-time interaction.
“You don’t become a better leader by watching YouTube. You become a better leader by interacting, reflecting, and engaging deeply with others.”
Hybrid models work well too—but for higher-order skills like negotiation, change management, or strategic thinking, the human connection remains irreplaceable.
🚀 From Learning to Landing: Making Upskilling Count
The final piece of the puzzle? Helping students convert learning into opportunity.
At HSB, this means:
Structured support for placements
Career coaching that looks beyond just the first job
Helping students map a long-term trajectory, not just a short-term outcome
“A good job after your MBA is great. But we care just as much about where you’ll be 5–10 years from now.”
This holistic, future-forward view is what makes the HSB approach so aligned with today’s realities—and tomorrow’s demands.
🔑 Key Takeaways
AI won’t replace leaders—but leaders who use AI wisely will thrive.
Executive education must blend AI literacy with timeless leadership values.
E-learning works for skills. Human interaction is vital for strategy and growth.
Business schools must be partners, not vendors, in industry transformation.
Long-term career success depends on adaptability, foresight, and purpose-driven growth.
🛤 The New Career Playbook: Think Like an Entrepreneur
Today’s professionals no longer follow one straight path. Instead, the winning strategy is about agility and experimentation. And sometimes, reinvention.
“Careers today are less about climbing a ladder, and more about assembling a portfolio.”
Greg talked about the rising trend of fractional employment—where professionals contribute to multiple organizations, building careers that are both flexible and impact-driven.
Whether you’re launching your own startup or bringing innovation into a legacy company, HSB’s approach is clear:
Train people to think and act like entrepreneurs. That means:
Taking ownership of your career narrative
Designing your own growth trajectory
Embracing change instead of fearing it
💡 Reinvention Isn’t Just a Buzzword—It’s a Necessity
Malthi, now an entrepreneur after 22 years in corporate life, shared how starting her own venture unlocked a whole new skill set she never accessed in her earlier roles.
Greg affirmed that entrepreneurship (and intrapreneurship within companies) is one of the most powerful ways to unlearn, relearn, and reimagine yourself—especially for mid-career professionals.
“It’s about stepping back, seeing the big picture, and asking—how do I define success on my terms?”
🌐 The Power of Global Exposure
One of HSB’s strongest commitments is to international immersion. Every student is expected to spend time studying or interning abroad—because the best learning doesn’t happen in isolation.
“You don’t need to study in one specific country. The act of going abroad itself transforms you.”
Global exposure teaches students to:
Think across borders
Empathize with other cultures
See problems—and opportunities—through a much broader lens
Greg emphasized that this isn’t just about soft skills. It’s about developing leaders who can connect worlds, build across differences, and operate in global environments with confidence.
🧠 Adaptability Over Anxiety: A Mindset for the Future
Greg offered advice that resonates deeply in today’s fast-changing world:
“Don’t worry, be happy… and learn to adapt.”
Whether it’s technology disruption, a surprise layoff, or a career pivot, the key skill is resilience. Students entering HSB are encouraged not to fear change—but to lean into it. Because the future won’t slow down. So we have to speed up our learning and evolve our mindset.
🔁 Real Career Pivots That Inspire
Greg shared a powerful story from his time in Kyrgyzstan:
One of his former office managers—an English literature graduate—self-taught herself programming, moved to the U.S., and eventually landed roles at Google and Apple.
No formal computer science degree. Just curiosity, discipline, and the courage to try.
These are the kinds of stories that inspire HSB’s approach to leadership and education.
⚡️ Rapid Fire Wisdom with Greg Dunn
We ended the conversation with a quick round of rapid-fire questions. Here are some highlights:
Biggest myth about business schools?
That they’re disconnected from the real world.
“A good business school is an extension of industry, not apart from it.”
One tech trend you’re most excited about?
Generative AI, and the opportunities and ethical challenges it brings.
Online vs. in-person learning?
“Technical skills? Online works.
Leadership? Nothing beats human interaction.”
One trait that separates great students?
“The ability to step back, think differently, and not follow the herd.”
🎓 What Makes HSB Different?
Across all three parts of this conversation, a few things stood out about HSB’s vision:
A curriculum rooted in timeless leadership values
A forward-looking embrace of AI and global tech trends
A strong belief in experiential, immersive learning
And above all, an entrepreneurial mindset—whether you’re starting a company or leading inside one
✨ Final Words
Greg left us with this:
“We don’t just want to help you get your next job—we want to help you design a meaningful, resilient, and successful career.”
Whether you’re a young MBA student or a mid-career professional contemplating your next leap, this is the kind of education that builds not just professionals, but leaders of tomorrow.
🎧 Catch the full conversation on “Product Talk with Malthi”—where we cover everything from AI to ethics, global exposure to career pivots, and the future of education.
🔗 Subscribe for more conversations that decode the future of work, leadership, and learning.
📩 Hit reply and tell us—what was your biggest takeaway from this episode?
HSB - Hari Shankar Singhania School of Business is a new global, technology-focused business school located in Jaipur.
Website - https://hsb.edu.in/
HSB Admission Link - https://admissions.hsb.edu.in/
🔗Gᴇᴛ ɪɴ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ ᴡɪᴛʜ Mᴀʟᴛʜɪ:
📧 Email: malthi@sparkprod.in
🌐 Website : http://sparkprod.in
🔹 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/malthis
📲 Buy the course : https://topmate.io/malthi_ss/154057