In this episode of Change Leader Insights, Jessica Crow speaks with Paula Anastasiade, an Organizational Change Manager, Consultant, and Trainer based in Bucharest, about her research on change management in higher education and where there are gaps in the system.

Paula has 8+ years of organizational change management experience. Her mission is to help organizations adopt new ways of working and interacting with one another. She has led change management efforts for multinational companies running change and transformation initiatives, such as AI and ERP deployments, tool and process improvements, organizational business model redesigns, and organizational restructuring across IT, environmental technology, FMCG, finance, marketing, and sales teams.

During the conversation, Jessica and Paula discussed the three essential skills Paula believes are most important for MBA students looking to become organizational leaders. Says Paula, “Change management is one of them. In my opinion, [change management should be] a mandatory topic worth exploring as a standalone course. [The others] are critical thinking and decision-making.”

Highlights from the conversation include:

☑️ Staggering statistics around how few colleges offer change management as a core program and the lack of change management focus within MBA programs

☑️ Why digital transformation should be part of a holistic business leadership curriculum alongside change management education

☑️ The distinction between change leaders (the sponsors or people managers) and change managers (the practitioners)

If you want to learn more about change management and higher education, be sure to tune in and hear what Paula has to say!