July 4, 2024. Seoul – Frank Bournois, CEIBS Vice President and Dean, has been awarded the International Educator of the Year 2024 by the Academy of International Business (AIB), a leading global organisation of international business scholars and professionals, at the academy's annual international conference in Seoul today.

The award is conferred annually to recognise leaders in business education who have developed exceptional international business programs, recruited and supported international business faculty, and provided students with real-world connections through courses, internships, and international experience.

Speaking during the award ceremony, Prof. Bournois thanked the AIB community and the selection committee for honouring him with the award. He further reflected on the meaning and role of an educator in international business.

“When I hear the word 'educator’, I immediately think of two different Latin roots of the English word ’education’. One is educare, which means to train or to mold; the other is educere, meaning to lead out,” he said.

Drawing on his diverse international background and experience across France, the UK, and China, Prof. Bournois shared six categories of characteristics that he believes future international leaders must exhibit: Intellectual, Interpersonal, Adaptive, Executive, Digital, and Environmental.

“The idea of intellectual is to develop international managers with vision, and the so-called helicopter view; interpersonal is about team management, especially multicultural teams and the management of global and national networks; with adaptive, we have something very subtle about demonstrating political sense and the ability to execute a plan or a project without resistance to change; executive style then refers to achievements, energy and style with a preference for modesty; digital transformation, led by artificial intelligence, will very much be sought after; and environmental aptitudes allows one to focus on sustainable development while integrating the interests of all stakeholders,” Prof. Bournois explained.

Quoting Coco Chanel, who said that “Success is most often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable”, Prof. Bournois then identified some key practices for deans to succeed in international business schools amidst global uncertainties, including monitoring future trends, operating with a differentiation strategy, ensuring diversity in faculty and students, connecting with international companies, and embracing digital transformation.

“In today’s fast-changing world, there will always be a need for international managers, and we, as deans of international business schools, must avoid pitfalls to drive impact in a rapidly evolving business environment,” he concluded.

Prof. Bournois joined CEIBS in April 2023 after serving as Executive President and Dean of ESCP Business School since 2014. In addition to his academic background, he is also an expert in corporate governance and how large firms identify, manage and develop their future leaders.