VANCOUVER’S EXPANDING DIGITAL ECONOMY REQUIRES TECH-SAVVY LEADERS

New MBA track at UBC Sauder in tune with employer demands

It’s no secret Vancouver has built an increasing presence on the tech world stage, giving birth to start-up success stories like Hootsuite and Slack. In fact, according to the Vancouver Economic Commission there are now 100,000 technology workers employed across British Columbia with 75,000 in the Metro Vancouver area alone. This impressive growth has placed new demands on workers wishing to advance their career and it has significantly altered the business landscape. The Robert H. Lee Graduate School at UBC Sauder School of Business has seen a rise in demand for leaders in the tech industry, as well as the demand for tech skills from their MBA candidates. The school has just launched a new career track in technology and analytics leadership, aimed at combining the digital know-how with the leadership skills of the MBA. The track touches on all aspects of technology and its application in the workplace—everything from AI commercialization, to fintech, to predictive analytics and machine learning. “Understanding tech is the new cost of entry to employment in many ways,” says Darren Dahl, senior associate dean and director of the Robert H. Lee Graduate School at UBC Sauder. “The world is moving very quickly in the direction of analytics and big data—this is something you need to have experience or affinity with. What our students can expect is exposure to the most contemporary issues that business will be facing in the next five to ten years,” says Dahl. With constant, rapid changes in the digital economy, MBA students must master the nature of innovation, and be willing to adapt to change. At UBC Sauder, this includes providing up-to-date education on cutting edge topics. “We can’t rely on case studies from thirty years ago,” notes Dahl. “We bring in people from the cutting edge as guest speakers, talking about current live case situations, as well as companies that are working in this space.” In Vancouver, access to visitors from these companies, as well as company trips, is a core part of the technology and analytics curriculum. These experiences are intended to launch students straight into an environment where they are comfortable leading in the industry. ‘It’s all about learning to speak the language of tech and developing an innovative mindset that can shape and influence the future of work in this city, and the world,” says Dahl. Learn more at sauder.ubc.ca

UNDERSTANDING TECH IS THE NEW COST OF ENTRY TO EMPLOYMENT IN MANY WAYS.