Carol Dominguez is the president and CEO of John Clements Consultants, Inc., one of the leading providers of human resources and world-class leadership development services in the Philippines. An alumna of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School Executive Education, Carol shares her thoughts on the Competing in the Age of AI—Virtual program.
Why did you choose to attend this virtual learning experience?
Artificial intelligence is critical to any organization that wants to compete successfully in today's data-driven markets and grow and thrive in the future. I'm passionate about the power of education and training to transform careers, companies, and countries. Living in Asia, I was excited to see that the program was being offered as a virtual learning experience.
What specific business challenges were you looking to address?
My main objectives were to gain a deeper understanding of AI, in particular the cutting-edge technology that can serve our industry, and of how to apply it in the business of recruitment and leadership development. I was able to immediately use my new skills in AI and data science to match jobs and candidates more efficiently and effectively.
What were your favorite parts of the experience?
I found the case studies and interactive lectures led by Professors Marco Iansiti and Karim Lakhani to be especially relevant to the AI issues confronting my company. The interviews with industry experts were inspiring. They shared insights on how AI is transforming business and operating models, strategy, and leadership across industries. The group discussions and asynchronous learning materials further enhanced the sessions.
Having also attended programs on the HBS Campus, I was truly surprised to discover that both the virtual and on-campus learning experiences are comparable. For me, the huge benefit of the virtual program is that I didn’t have to fly to Boston to take the program.
How has the program helped you meet a challenge at your organization?
I decided to review the program sessions, including the case studies, with my colleagues over 10 weeks. Subsequently, we engaged a UK firm to help us build an applicant-tracking system and CRM platform that uses AI and data science. We are currently testing the application with all our recruiters. If all goes well, we will roll out this year.
Is there anything else you'd like to share about your learning experience?
It was such an incredible learning opportunity that I decided to apply to another HBS Executive Education program, Preparing to Be a Corporate Director—Virtual. As I said, I'm passionate about the transformative power of learning!