The Future is Now

As we enter our 75th year as an institution and reflect on the history of the “tiny school in Arizona where thousands of people came together from many nations and went out and literally changed the world,” we are really celebrating our community’s collective journey, all that has been achieved by those who have shared this experience.

Perhaps this 75th Anniversary is that bit sweeter given the last decade of the journey. For a time, reaching the 75th year was not assured, and for a brief moment, it looked unlikely. As the saying goes: “we are stronger in the broken places.” That has certainly become true for our community and our beloved school, as what was once uncertain has become assured and what we once thought would only be remembered has steadily risen again to a place of pride and global prominence that even the most steadfast alumnus might have questioned just a few years ago. In so many ways, for Thunderbird, the future is now.

We see the future in our incredible new home in downtown Phoenix as we prepare to inaugurate this new global headquarters. We literally walk into the future as we enter “the most technologically advanced business or management school on the planet.”

We see the future every time Dean Khagram joins our alumni in opening a regional center of excellence in yet another global city, adding to the ribbon of connections across our network, from Jakarta to Sāo Paulo, from Amsterdam to Nairobi, and London to Tokyo.

We certainly glimpse the future every day at Thunderbird as we work with our students, each one preparing to take up the mantle of global leadership for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. And, we see the future in each and every member of this diverse and accomplished global alumni family through the impact you have in the lives of others every day.

For decades now, we have used the phrase, “the world needs Thunderbird, now more than ever.” It is a powerful statement, but after saying it for over 20 years, what does it even mean? I would suggest that it has been true all along and that while we have passed through a period in time where we were not fully able to meet that challenge as a school, the future is now, and the promise of Thunderbird, sustainable and equitable prosperity, is very much within reach.

As T-birds, once again proud alumni of this storied institution, the world needs us, and we need you! One of the things that the last decade has taught us is that we are one community – the School, the faculty, the students, and the alumni, we are Thunderbird. And if we are going to make the impact that we need to make in this increasingly complex and demanding world, we need everyone, we need you. However alumni engage with the School, whatever path they choose, our goal is that they feel they get more out of that experience than they put into it. Our students need mentors and guide points – they need and want to hear your stories and to learn the lessons you have learned, guided by faculty who have themselves been both in the classroom and in the boardroom.

The last year has demonstrated for us all quite dramatically what an increasingly complex and interconnected place our world is. Leadership makes demands today that could not be imagined just a few years ago, and Thunderbird – all of us together – is prepared to answer those challenges and manage that complexity in a way that no other institution can or will.

So, T-birds, Happy 75th Anniversary! It is thanks to each and every one of you – your belief, your support, your pride, and your spirit – that we have collectively reached this milestone. The future is truly now. Let’s walk into it together.

Patrick McDermott, Chief Engagement Officer