Top execs back in class, now for AI lessons

It’s back to the classroom for India’s senior executives. This time, to the school of artificial intelligence (AI).

- Shreya Kalra

Preeti Nayar, chief operating officer at music media firm Billboard India, has built a career by constantly upgrading her skills and knowledge. “Whatever you study as a 21- or 22-year-old can only take you this far,” said Nayyar, 48.

In fiscal year 2017 (FY17), she took a sabbatical from The Walt Disney Co. in India to do a senior leadership programme at Harvard Business School. Last year, the same curiosity sent her back, this time to the Indian School of Business (ISB), for a five-month online course on advanced leadership with AI.

“Everybody was claiming to know something about AI,” she said. “I kept wondering, how do I even build perspective?”

This realization dawned on Samual Machado, managing director (MD) at Sabre International, travel hospitality company, in a different way. He was talking to a customer when the conversation turned to AI, and he realized that he had nothing to contribute. “If you have no clue what they’re talking about, how are you going to sell? That was a moment of awakening,” said Machado, who decided to upgrade his skills. He completed an advanced programme in AI for leaders at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta in January.

IIM-Calcutta says the programme is “designed to foster cross-functional collaboration within organizations, empowering leaders to harness AI’s potential effectively.”