Hult Alumni Magazine | Page 21

Mark Esposito Professor of Business & Economics Breakthrough Idea Award 2017 nominee Thinkers50 Previously nominated to be ‘On the Radar’ for Thinkers50 in 2016, Dr. Mark Esposito was nominated for a Breakthrough Idea Award at Thinkers50 in 2017 for his latest book Understanding How the Future Unfolds. Mark and co-author Terence Tse discuss how to harness megatrends—the biggest forces shaping our world today. The Thinkers50 Breakthrough Idea Award celebrates a eureka moment in management thinking. It’s given for radical ideas and insights that have the potential to change the way we think about business. Mark teaches Business & Economics at Hult International Business School. He is also a member of the teaching faculty at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education and serves as Co-leader of the Institute Council for the Microeconomics of Competitiveness program at Harvard Business School. Mark holds a PhD in Business and Economics from the International School of Management in Paris/New York and an Executive Doctorate of Business Administration from the Ecole des Ponts Paris Tech. Mark is very busy outside of teaching, having co-founded Nexus Frontier Tech, an AI studio. He is also a Fellow at both the Mohammed Bin Rasid School of Government in Dubai and the Social Progress Imperative in Washington, D.C. How does it feel to be shortlisted at Thinkers50? It is one of the most prestigious awards I have ever been shortlisted for. When I was inducted into the radar of the 30 rising thinkers in management back in 2016, it was a moment of pure pride. I was so glad to dedicate the award to all of the students who have made it possible for me to gain that level of global exposure. What is teaching at Hult like? What do you particularly like about it? I love every moment of it. Since I started at Hult back in 2012, I have been fascinated by the truly international nature of the school. My teaching workload is spread across at least three campuses and it happens sometimes that during an academic year I get to teach in both U.S. campuses, in London, in Dubai, and in Shanghai. That variety is hard to beat! You’re also involved in various projects outside of teaching. Tell us about your experiences and what you hope to take on next. I have always been an entrepreneurial academic and I love bridging theory with practice. The most remarkable adventure has been the co-founding of my company, Nexus Frontier Tech, together with my friends Danny Goh and Terence Tse. What advice do you have for our alumni community? My best advice is to leverage the network as much as possible. The value of a degree is never nominal but it is always dependent on the power of the alumni network. So build bridges with those people who have shared the same alma mater. It worked well in my career and I can continue to see that it is the smartest investment for a graduate degree. 21