The Workforce of the Future with Catalina Rivera

I'm a psychologist by profession and a divorced mom of two beautiful girls. I’ve worked in the United States, Mexico, and South America as a Talent and HR director at big and small companies. I’ve started programs from scratch, like being Groupon’s HR Director for Latin America. I’ve also overseen talent at large companies that have over 50,000 people. My current position brought me back home to Chile.

I was considering an MBA but didn’t have time for a full-time program. I was interested in knowing what will happen next – the future of work, including what will happen with platforms and with technology. This program was my chance to hear the latest and get expert insights from the faculty and my cohort.

There's nothing else like this program. You get the latest research directly from the researchers themselves. You want to talk about the future of work, Executive Development Program Co-Faculty Director Stephan Meier shares his research in his Managing the Workforce of the Future session. You want to learn how to innovate, you learn directly from Sheena Iyengar, the author of Think Bigger, the most recent book published on innovation. You then have amazing conversations with people from all across the world because the cohort is global. Hearing from people from Singapore, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, the US, and Europe was amazing. And, if we’re talking about the future, you have to be open to change. I'm a psychologist; I love change. But it is intrinsically hard to change. This program was like an express on all of the topics that are important for the future, both technical – financials, cybersecurity, platforms, online marketing and data, data privacy, global financial landscape; as behavioral, like deep diving into leadership, values, and coaching.

I never thought I could understand cryptocurrency, platforms, or blockchain. I now can. That was tremendously valuable. Even in areas I considered myself an expert, I discovered new, valuable insights. I thought I was already an expert in values. It’s a big part of my job. The Values-Based Leadership session with Professor Paul Ingram was so deep. I still have my values card, this powerful tool we printed at the end of the session. It’s a physical reminder that helps you stay grounded.

Everyone in my cohort, whatever their background, found something new. We had experienced people – vice presidents, general managers, founders, and others – and they were at the edge of their seats impressed, engaged, and learning something new. This program helps you get ready to handle this change and the very complex environment of stakeholders, politics, economics, and cultural movements. You will learn how to be aware of what is going to come and how you can ensure you are ready to address what’s coming.

This program was an overview of all of the things that are relevant for business today on all fronts. It's about yourself as well as your business environment – the economic, political environmental – around you. It's like a fast track to the future of business. You are going to the pinnacle of where business happens, New York City, to hear the latest that is happening. In this program, you have the chance to be at the center of the conversation where things are actually happening. These professors are consultants to the biggest minds in business. That combination – the experts, the knowledge, the connections, being in the heart of the business world – is impossible to replicate somewhere else. It can only happen at Columbia Business School.

I hope to apply what I learned to shape the future of my country through public policy, as well as in the private sector. It's a challenging task, particularly in an underdeveloped country, to discuss the need of flexibility and change. Despite my lack of political experience, I am passionate about having these conversations at a higher level, especially regarding the future of work and entrepreneurship. I want to be a part of the think tank to promote a new way of working, where entrepreneurship, flexibility and agility are the key drivers.

Awareness, curiosity, and caring. Because you are aware that something is happening, you have to be curious about what that is, and you should care about how that affects you and your surroundings.

Absolutely. Nobody knows what is coming in the future; however, you know that it will affect many different levels – yourself, stakeholders, the environment, the government, finance, marketing, supply chain, the future of work, crypto, cybersecurity, platforms, and leadership. You can be certain that change will affect or touch all of your systems. This program gives you the mindset to be ready to lead into the future.