A better brand

It has been a century since The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business was formed, and leaders at the business education organization thought it was time for a change.

AACSB International Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Dan LeClair tells Coffee Talk the Tampa-based organization's new mission and vision were critical drivers for the recently debuted AACSB International brand transformation. That includes a new logo and website.

The updated mission and vision were released last year. The new mission? To foster engagement, accelerate innovation and amplify impact in business education. The new vision speaks to AACSB International's ambitious goal — transform business education for global prosperity.

“In some ways, the brand transformation was a reflection of something we'd already become — more than an accrediting body,” LeClair says. “For 100 years, we've been known best for accrediting business schools. That's still an integral part of our mission and brand, but it's not the only part.”

LeClair says the organization saw several key areas of opportunity, such as business schools becoming catalysts for innovation, hubs of lifelong learning and a venue for leadership development, not only for people in the business sector. LeClair says it's more common now for people interested in starting social enterprises to go to business school.

AACSB International also offers professional development for business school leaders and benchmark information for schools. And it aims to serve as a thought leader in business education worldwide. Says LeClair: “We believe business schools need to be more connected with practice, and AACSB plays an important role in that.”