Geoffrey Garrett: Reinventing Business School for the AI Era

Geoffrey Garrett, Dean of the Marshall School of Business at USC and former Dean of the Wharton School, has spent his career at the center of some of the world’s most respected institutions. But in this conversation, he makes a compelling case that even the most established business schools must evolve quickly to meet the demands of the AI age.

From his unlikely journey growing up in Australia to teaching Rhodes Scholars at Oxford to leading at Yale, UCLA, Wharton, and now USC, Geoff reflects on the mentors, pivotal moments, and leadership lessons that shaped him. Yet the heart of this episode is his vision for the future of higher education.

What does it mean to prepare students for a world of “vertical” technological change? Should admissions prioritize technical fluency? How do universities balance AI productivity with deep learning and responsible leadership? And what does “AI for X” (applying artificial intelligence across every discipline) mean for the next generation of business leaders?

Geoff shares why AI literacy must become an entry condition, why distinctiveness matters more than ever in admissions, and why the real challenge isn’t adopting AI, it’s doing so responsibly.

If you care about the future of business education, leadership, or the role universities will play in shaping the AI era, this conversation is for you.

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Time Stamps:

00:00 – An Unlikely Beginning

03:00 – Leadership Is a People Business

04:30 – The Pivot from Scholar to Builder

07:00 – Breaking Academic Silos

10:30 – Why Relationships Still Matter (Especially in a Digital World)