Dean Ash Soni and his colleagues at other business schools met at the White House with Jared Bernstein, chair of Council of Economic Advisers, and Lael Brainard, director of the National Economic Council.
WASHINGTON – Ash Soni, dean of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, joined a delegation of 10 business school deans who met on June 15 with legislative and business leaders and economists in Washington, D.C.
It was the first time that deans of the nation’s top business schools had come together collectively for such a series of meetings with U.S. senators and House representatives.
Afterward, they traveled to the White House and met with Jared Bernstein, President Joe Biden’s chief economist and chair of the Council of Economic Advisers; and Lael Brainard, director of the National Economic Council and former vice chair of the Federal Reserve.
They began the day with a breakfast meeting with leaders of the Business Roundtable, including its CEO, Joshua Bolten.
U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) co-hosted the delegation at the U.S. Capitol, where they spent nearly two hours discussing issues with legislators and members of their staffs. Among those also in attendance were Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).
The delegation also included deans from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, McCombs School at the University of Texas, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
After the meeting congressmen and their aides, Dean Ash Soni spoke with Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who co-hosted the meeting.
The purpose of the meetings was to discuss strategies to keep American businesses globally competitive and dynamic and to educate the next generation of diverse leaders to prioritize investing in America and our workforce, Khanna and Young said in a joint news release.
“A major part of that leadership is the ability to collaborate across the public and private sectors, which is why this event is important,” Young said. “I am grateful that these business school deans are sharing their time, ideas, and expertise with us, and I look forward to additional collaboration in the months and years to come.”
“This event is a great start to encourage collaboration between the private and public sectors and foster a spirit of unity among the next generation of leaders,” Khanna added.
Business schools will help build the future economy and mold the next generation of business leaders, so it’s important for deans be a part of these conversations, Young and Khanna said.
One question united every meeting: How can America’s business schools educate future leaders and support America’s economic future?
Soni, who also is the Sungkyunkwan Professor at Kelley, said conversations focused on issues at the forefront of business and governance, including the future of artificial intelligence, global health innovation, and sustainability practices.
“It mainly was a free-flowing conversation about issues and it was very bipartisan,” he said. “The business world moves very fast, and discussions like these are vital to ensure we’re all working toward a vibrant and innovative economy. It was very useful dialogue and a very good start. It was something that I look back on and value.”
On a personal level, Soni said his visit to the White House will be a precious memory. He has visited our nation’s capital many times, including through Kelley’s involvement in the Washington Campus educational consortium, which offers an intense five-day program of immersion courses. He had been to the White House as a tourist with his grandchildren, but never to the West Wing.
“It’s cramped. The corridors are narrow. The staircases are narrow. Offices are not that big. The waiting areas are small, but you know you are in the West Wing,” he recalled.
One member of the delegation previously worked in the White House. As they gathered for one of their meetings, he pointed to the ceiling and said, “We are right below the Oval Office.” At that moment, it impressed upon Soni just how close he was to the seat of executive power in the U.S. government.
In addition to the formal meetings, the delegation provided deans with opportunities to meet each other and discuss common issues and interests. Members of the group will follow up with each other later this summer.
“It was good to have the Kelley School there as part of that group,” Soni said. “Hopefully we’ll do this on an annual basis.”
The deans began the day with a breakfast meeting with leaders of the Business Roundtable, including its CEO, Joshua Bolten (fourth from left)