AMBA & BGA Global Deans and Directors Conference 2025

AMBA & BGA announced Berlin as the host city for the prestigious annual Global Conference 2025 for Deans and Directors.

This flagship event brought together visionary business school leaders from some of the world’s top educational institutions to engage in meaningful discussions on the most pressing challenges and opportunities shaping management education strategy.

18–21 May 2025
Berlin, Germany

Set against the backdrop of Berlin’s iconic venues, the three-day conference fostered insightful dialogue, vibrant networking, and thought leadership. This year’s programme featured an engaging lineup of sessions that explored:

Standing Out in a Crowded Market
Industry Insights
Innovative Academic Leadership
Meeting Student Expectations in the Digital Age

Certificates of Attendance
AMBA & BGA issued Certificates of Attendance for the event through Proof of Knowledge’s (POK) digital platform, ensuring easy access and verification. For more information, delegates were invited to contact the team directly or speak with the POK representatives at the event in May.

Pre-Conference Workshop: Enhancing MBA Programmes with Business Simulations
Ahead of the main conference, a workshop was hosted in collaboration with Edumundo, featuring Dr. Dane Anderton and Milo Hendriks. The session shared best practices for integrating business simulations into MBA programmes, focusing on improving student engagement, learning outcomes, and overall programme impact.

Delegates discovered how business schools could incorporate experiential learning to elevate course delivery, drive student success, and enhance the broader impact of responsible management education in higher education.

Need more information about events?

Contact the team

2:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Pre-conference networking tour
We will be hosting a cultural tour showcasing some of Berlin’s top tourist spots on Sunday 18 May. Highlights of the tour include the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, Hitler's Bunker, Museum Island, the Berliner Cathedral, the Berlin Palace, and Checkpoint Charlie.

Download the conference programme below

Meet the speakers

Professor Jörg Rocholl, PhD
President, ESMT Berlin
Professor Vincenzo Vinzi
Dean and President, ESSEC Business School
Professor Himanshu Rai
Director, Indian Institute of Management Indore
Professor. Dr. Kunal Saigal
Deputy Vice-Rector International, IU International University of Applied Sciences
Zhongming Wang
International Advisor for China, AMBA & BGA, Zhejiang University, China
Vidya Iyer
Innovation Catalyst, Plush Ventures
Dr Dane Anderton
Director of ULMS MBA Programmes and Director of Studies Liverpool MBA, University of Liverpool
ULMS
Milo Hendriks
Director, Edumundo
Vijaya Bhaskar Marisetty
Dean (Academic) and Dr Ambedkar Chair Professor, IIM Visakhapatnam
Olivier Malafronte
Coach, PhD candidate and Lecturer specializing in HR, AI, Leadership Development and Coaching at the University Côte d’Azur’s Group of Research in Management
Veijo Kyosti
CEO, Cesim Business Simulations
Molly Ihlbrock
Director of Corporate Communications, ESMT Berlin
Dr Sarah Ivory
Former Assoc. Professor, Climate Change and Business Strategy, University of Edinburgh Business School
Abi Parker
Global Talent & Leadership Specialist | Diversity & Inclusion Advocate at Cappfinity
Anastasia Kynighou
Reader (Associate Professor) in HRM, Manchester Metropolitan University
Celine Floyd
Chief Skills Officer, Cappfinity
Divia Lorenz
Solutions Engineer, Turnitin
Emma Holt
Reader (Associate Professor) in Professional Education, Manchester Metropolitan University
Matt Symonds
CEO, BlueSky Education
Micaela Lezica
Co- founder & CPO POK Proof of Knowledge
Oliver Matthews
Founder, 4Uni Solutions
Tânia Roquette
Vice President, Full Fabric
Tomas Mindlin
Co-Founder & CEO POK Proof of Knowledge
Vera Huebner
Chief Marketing/Chief Sales Officer, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management
Clare Martin
Head of Capability, Commercial & Institutional, NatWest Group
Ailsa Claxton
Head of Insight, London Business School
Kevin Ellis CBE
Former Senior Partner of PwC in the UK with responsibility for EMEA
Professor Olayinka David-West
Dean and Professor of Information Systems, Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University
Abir Sinno
Director of Strategic Initiatives & Continuous Improvement, Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at American University of Beirut
Joy Jones
CEO, GMAC
Mícheál Collins
Co-founder and Managing Director, Business Test Methods
Dr. Ignacio Bartesaghi
Director of the International Office of the UCU Business School, Uruguay
Jun Qi
Associate Dean, School of Management, Jinan University, China
Kenji Yokoyama
Dean of External Relations, NUCB Business School, Professor Emeritus, Ritsumeikan APU
NUCB Business School
Dr. Yangao Xiao
Associate dean, Management & Economics School, Electronic University of Science & Technology of China
Dr. Xiaolan Yang
Dean of Business School, Shanghai Foreign Studies University, China
Dr. Paulo Esperanca
Associate Dean of Business School, City University of MaCau, China
Dr. Haijun Wang
Associate Dean, Huazhong University of Science Technology, China
Ksenia Yuzhaninova Karadenizli
Dean, Graduate School of Business, Almaty Management University
José Manuel Esteves de Sousa
Dean, Porto Business School
Joanne Powell
Head of Advisory Services, QED
Ajit Arun Parulekar
Director, Goa Institute of Management
Goa Institute of Management
Adrian Johnson
Co-Founder Qinect, Qinect SAS, Adjunct Professor, INSEAD
Dr. Arvind Sahay
Director, Management Development Institute Gurgaon
Julia Arvidsson
Faculty Development and Student Engagement Advisor, Mentimeter
Annelies Dejonckheere
Head of Expansion, Wooclap
Antoine Moulin
EdTech International Business Developer, Wooclap
Dr Saloomeh Tabari
MBA Programme Director and Lecturer in Marketing and Strategy, Cardiff University
Stéphanie Villemagne
Chief Development Officer, ESSCA School of Management
Oltjona (Olta) Mucaj
Senior Account Executive UK & EMEA, Ready Education
Mahadeo Jaiswal
Director, IIM Sambalpur, India

InterContinental Berlin

InterContinental Berlin is perfectly situated in the embassy district between Kurfürstendamm and Potsdamer Platz. Nearby you'll find the famous Tiergarten Park, the iconic Brandenburg Gate, and other architectural and cultural destinations. You’ll be able to enjoy the comforts associated with a luxury conference and hotel venue but also enjoy the best the capital city has to offer.

Due to high demand, we would encourage delegates to book your stay at the InterContinental Berlin as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. AMBA & BGA has negotiated preferential room rates for all our conference delegates at the conference venue for the duration of the event. For more information and to book your stay, please contact Anita Galea.