{"id":5065,"date":"2025-10-02T08:10:23","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T07:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.iese.edu\/mba\/?p=5065"},"modified":"2025-10-02T08:10:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T07:10:23","slug":"meet-the-exec-director-of-ai-initiative-xili-wu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.iese.edu\/mba\/meet-the-exec-director-of-ai-initiative-xili-wu\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Exec. Director of AI Initiative, Xili Wu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi Xili, please tell us a little bit more about you and your role at IESE’s Artificial Intelligence and Future of Management Initiative<\/a> (AI Initiative).\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

I grew up in Santa Cruz, California. My father was a professor at the University of California, so\u00a0 I practically grew up on a university campus. Knowledge and learning are things that I’ve always been passionate about.\u00a0<\/strong> So after working for many years in investment banking, consulting and the corporate world, it gave me a lot of pleasure to return to a university campus surrounded by knowledge and people enthusiastic about learning. Being at IESE and leading the AI Initiative is like combining the best of two worlds. I enjoy bridging companies and the academic world so that knowledge becomes practical and impactful.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The AI Initiative directly contributes to IESE\u00b4s mission and vision through our 3 main objectives: 1) world-leading research on AI and business, 2) best-in-class teaching faculty, materials and programs to equip managers to have a positive impact in the AI transformation, 3) engaging scholars, managers, policy makers and the general public in discussion about promoting responsible, human-centric innovation to improve general welfare.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

How did the AI initiative come about? Can you please tell us more about how IESE is incorporating AI into our curriculum or teaching?<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n
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One of the conferences held on campus about AI and the Future of Management.<\/p><\/div>\n

In 2018, we realized AI was going to be a completely transformational technology.<\/strong> We did not know exactly what form it would take yet but we knew we needed to be doing something about it.\u00a0 So we designed and launched in 2019 the first edition of our flagship AI course called \u00a8AI for Executives\u00a8, an intensive 5 day program focused on providing executives or managers with knowledge of a) how AI can impact their businesses or business models and b) the framework and all the tools to lead an AI transformation in their businesses.\u00a0 The program has been redesigned many times to keep up with the latest developments in AI throughout the years.\u00a0 It\u00b4s currently in its 13th<\/sup> edition and this academic year we will have 5 editions of this program in Madrid, Barcelona, Munich and New York.\u00a0 We subsequently launched the AI Initiative in 2020.<\/p>\n

IESE has incorporated AI across our curriculum across our MBA, EMBA, and GEMBA degree programs.\u00a0<\/strong> It has also been incorporated in the Global CEO program, and various custom programs with top companies like Sony, Henkel and more.<\/p>\n

Can you please share some of the highlights of your experience at the AI Initiative so far?\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

The part of my work I enjoy most is creating opportunities where knowledge can be shared, people and initiatives can connect, and collaboration can really take root.<\/strong> To make that happen, on the one hand, I engage with companies and managers to learn about their challenges.\u00a0 On the other hand, I like to keep up to date with the topics being covered by the professors and their research.\u00a0 From there, I look for meaningful ways to bring their insights to a wider audience while also finding resources that help their research grow even further, such as by putting them in touch with the right companies and managers that are dealing with similar challenges.<\/p>\n

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What I love the most about my work is creating connections and opportunities between people for deeper collaboration.<\/p><\/div>\n

A typical day for me includes:<\/p>\n