Ambition September 2024 cover story: In conversation with… Horacio Arredondo

Tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to be in your current role

“My background is fairly eclectic; I started out as a public accountant in Uruguay, beginning my career in the financial services industry. After earning an MBA in Chile, I transitioned into strategic consulting, focusing on strategy and execution. This experience provided an invaluable insight into the diverse contexts, opportunities and challenges that businesses throughout Latin America face across various industry sectors.

“Pursuing a PhD in Spain further broadened my interests, especially in corporate and family governance, which is crucial given the significant role of family-owned businesses as the backbone of most economies in this region. As my consulting and academic careers advanced in Chile, I also explored entrepreneurial ventures and began serving on boards across Latin America.  

“I believe that this blend of industry practice, consulting and governance, alongside a passion for teaching, has greatly enriched my capacity to serve as dean at Egade. We operate across multiple campuses, programmes and strategic impact areas, engaging with diverse stakeholders in a number of geographical regions. I am convinced that the greater the diversity in our thinking, skill sets and experiences, the better equipped we are to adapt to new contexts and complexities with agility and impact.

“Throughout my career, numerous relocations have often meant disruption for my wife, Lety and our children, Joaquín and Francisco, whose support has been incredibly significant, not least when the extraordinary opportunity to serve as dean at Egade came along, marking a new and exciting chapter for the family in Mexico."

How have things changed in business education since you started out in your career?

“Over the past 20 years, business education has undergone a remarkable transformation. The rise of digital platforms has been game-changing, helping schools like Egade to attract greater diversity within our student cohort and making learning more accessible and inclusive.

“Student expectations have also changed: the technical content focus of traditional teaching is now obsolete – especially since much of the content can be acquired elsewhere – and students demand a better balance between theory and practice. They also look for more innovative immersive and international experiences to equip them with real-world skills that they can apply immediately.

“In addition, there’s been a significant shift towards sustainability and social impact as the driving forces in business education, reflecting the broader changes in business and society and the pressing need to address the critical challenges of climate change and inequality.

“Moreoever, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative influence and quickly reshaped almost every domain. In business education, the impact of AI on how we think, learn, teach, research, innovate and deliver outcomes for our students, graduates, faculty, teams and other key stakeholders will only continue to grow. In the context of ethics, transparency and accountability, AI development has also become pivotal in constructing a future that integrates technological advancement with social responsibility.”

To read and/or download the full article, please see the September 2024 issue of Ambition magazine