We had the honor of welcoming to SolBridge Dr. Dan LeClair, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer of AACSB International on Tuesday, November 1, 2016. His lecture on “Why Business Education Matters” was attended by many of our faculty members, staff, and students.

During LeClair’s insightful presentation, he explained why business education matters by focusing on an individual studying business, organizations, and society. He enlightened us all with both the practical approach to a business education, but also its application in organizations and society.

“It’s not only the skills that you develop which are important,” LeClair said, who also emphasized the importance of soft skills, “but it’s also about who you are and your perspective of the world.”

LeClair also offered advice for students to look beyond the business classroom.

“The way you get things done is through people,” he said. “It’s not what you know, but what you do. Don’t hesitate to do things outside of your comfort zone.”

Business education also matters a lot for organizations. He emphasized that if a company has better business practices they will perform better.

“Companies perform better when they are managed better,” he said.

And, finally, business education has an important role in society through the value it creates.

“With your ability to make a difference in the world, business education becomes crystal clear,” LeClair said. “We create value for society.”