Marketing professor Lalin Anik has been the program director of the MBA program in International Business for six months now. 'After Covid, there is so much uncertainty in the world. This uncertainty in the industry and society calls for a different type of leadership and for new leaders who are willing to take on this uncertainty. Self-awareness, being prepared to take action, and having deep interest in connecting with others are increasingly important in this landscape. In this program, we want to be part of your journey towards achieving these and more!'

More than twenty years ago, Lalin Anik left Istanbul for the United States as a student and competitive swimmer. There, she received her PHD in Marketing from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and business from Brandeis University. Lalin: 'I taught at Harvard, Duke, University of Virginia and the Columbia Business School in New York. More than a year and a half ago it was time to change course. I wanted to be closer to home. Friends who were working at VU Amsterdam made me very excited and convinced me to move. So, I exchanged New York for Amsterdam.'

Making a connection together Lalin is passionate, enthusiastic, optimistic, and she also expresses this at SBE. 'I have a community of great people around me who like to help each other. I also want to convey that feeling of connection and 'togetherness' in the MBA programme. The world is changing rapidly, and so much is uncertain. Both companies and society are looking for answers. We aspire to answer this call for strong, entrepreneurial leaders, who are inspired to be and do better. To be able to genuinely do that, you have to look inward and authentically reflect on how you can contribute to the world around you. At SBE, in our MBA programmes, we educate the entrepreneurial and driven leaders, who feel and fulfill this responsibility. Here, we train them to become internationally aware leaders who wake up to make impact and who are motivated to do good in the world.'

Interdisciplinary leadership According to Lalin, the world needs leaders who are curious by nature and pursue questions instead of judgements. 'We learned that during Covid, the systems we believed in – from government to health care to banking – all crumbled. It is precisely then that people had to be curious, ask the right questions, stay focused and motivated for change. This requires being knowledgeable about a wide range of issues, growing as an interdisciplinary leader, and cooperating with others. Furthermore, it is necessary to have an open mind, inclusive attitude and courage to take risks. In a world where we are increasingly working in hybrid and virtual teams, we need leaders who are able to link the world across distances, borders and frontiers.'