The integration of data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence is transforming the very fabric of decision making, management and business education. These technologies enable users to do much more than produce forecasts to improve their decisions; they can analyze multi-modal inputs, such as data, text, image and voice to create convincing content, summarize lengthy reports to create accurate summaries and sensible categorizations, analyze unstructured questions and indicate ways to address them, and much more. These technologies create an environment where best practices will require that humans work with machines in order to effectively respond to market dynamics and anticipate future trends. They also create a new set of ethics and governance issues.

As organizations embrace these technologies, management roles are drastically changing, and leaders are no longer just visionaries; they become data-driven strategists who embrace agility, adaptability, and a deep understanding of technology’s potential. They use technology-driven insights to foster innovation and drive sustainable growth. Communication is also changing, as it becomes more instantaneous and data-centric, enabling organizations to foster deeper connections with their stakeholders, facilitate collaboration and enhance overall performance. This creates the risk of a-personal communication, and challenges leaders to find ways to foster organizational belonging and culture.

Moreover, the rise of digital technologies is creating unprecedented opportunities for entrepreneurs. Startups can harness AI and analytics to scale operations, enhance customer experiences, and disrupt industries with innovative solutions.

The impact of these advancements extends beyond the corporate environment, reshaping the nature of business education. Educational institutions are reimagining curricula to equip future leaders with the skills needed to navigate this digital era. Business schools are now focusing on interdisciplinary approaches that blend traditional management principles with technological acumen, preparing students for the complexities of modern entrepreneurship.

The future of business schools lies in cultivating a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation, ensuring graduates are not only ready to lead but also to innovate in a world where the cumulative effects of change disrupt traditional practices every decade. By embracing AI and related developments, we can transform the way we work, live, and govern, paving the way for a more dynamic and inclusive future. The Leading and Managing in the Digital Era (LMDE) conference will explore these exciting possibilities and provide directions on how to shape the leaders of tomorrow.

Business programs all over the world are preparing students for the sweeping changes taking place today. The MaCuDE project (www.macude.org), led by Stevens Institute of Technology, systematically addresses these issues. The initiative is sponsored by AACSB International, supported by PwC, and involves more than 100 business schools globally. While the MaCuDE teams have already identified interesting results, significant research worldwide is examining the future of work, the changing roles of management, the new skills needed in the digital era, how curricula should change, and how modalities of delivery will change.

This is the second LMDE conference, building on the success of the previous one which took place in 2023. The conference is unique in that it brings together leaders and researchers from industry and academia to discuss new results on management and leadership in the digital era, as well the impact of AI and Data Analytics on business and on education. It is also a special venue because it covers a broad range of topics whose common thread is data analytics and AI, and as such, gives to the participant an inter-disciplinary approach, something very much needed today as a catalyst for innovation and problem solving.

The conference will feature selected papers presenting innovative research results and their business impact, as well as discussion papers and panels by academic leaders and industry leaders on their vision about the future of business education in view of the developments in the digital era. We welcome innovative work on data analytics and AI and how they impact decision making and operations, as well as strategy, entrepreneurship, leadership and business education

In addition, the Syros extension will give the opportunity to participate in presentations of doctoral research, and to attend presentations of important funded research initiatives, engage in networking for possible collaborations in funded research, meet experts and discuss potential collaborations in research projects, and participate.

More specifically, the conference is built using four central pillars—Leadership & Governance in the Digital Age, AI and Data Analytics for Improved Operations; Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the AI Age; and Transforming Business Education and Research for the AI Era. In addition to topics around AI and Analytics, the conference invites thought leaders in areas related to the evolution of work, technology governance, and related themes.