1. Dr. Kemrichard, with your diverse background in strategic leadership and knowledge innovation, how do you think your expertise can contribute to the academic environment at PSM?
Thank you for having me on board. It’s an honor to represent the Paris School of Management as a dedicated faculty member. It’s such a delight to also learn that PSM is registered directly with the Ministry of National Education as a Private Technical Higher Education Institution in France.This way we could ensure our students with a full confidence that their educational qualifications are recognized at the state level. My background began with business development initiatives, multi-generational enterprise management, and academic collaboration between public and private sectors. I specialized in strategic leadership management and human resources, where the fields of knowledge and innovation were integrated as a core developmental strategy for the business. One of which has sustained its business life cycle for nearly a century in the food production industry, where I collaborated within the marketing communication and product management department alongside our strategic global partners. For example, the implementation of our potential academic programs should be realistically based on the industrial requirements by specializations of the program, which will need to be assessed by our management committees and prospective examiners regardless of the private or state-level levels. As my role as an academic researcher in knowledge innovation with management experience, I aim to foster curriculum development and research that bridges theories and practices that meets the evaluation standards of the higher education in France, and build a knowledge-sharing ecosystem that empowers the academic environment here at PSM.
2. Given your focus on creating transformative learning experiences, how do you plan to enhance the student experience at PSM, particularly for those in executive-level programs?
As experienced in corporate training and human resource development programs in my profession, I aim to integrate student-centered learning with the practical implications of strategic planning methodologies in which executive-level participants will be enabled to apply the potential solutions engaged within the classroom to their current and prospective business challenges. We have to come up with the academic topics to be covered within our executive education programs that are logically relevant to the geopolitical and socioeconomic at a global level. For example, topics such as “Global Advanced Management Program (GAMP)”, “The Future of Organizational Leadership”, or “Agile Business Intelligence and Operational Excellence” could be an interesting direction to go in, and if we could collaborate on the postgraduate credits that can be counted towards master’s degree programs in business administration and management. This could also take parts in our postgraduate degree titles such as Global Master of Advanced Management, Master of Organizational Leadership and International Relations, and Master of Business Innovation. These programs would give our students invaluable recognition that reflects in their educational qualifications e.g. Level 7 of the European Qualifications Freamwork at PSM. We could come up with the evaluation framework for the postgraduat credit pathway such as through the implementation-based capstone projects, case study analyses, and academic publications. As a faculty, I believe that we have to ensure alongside with the quality assurance department that all courses and programs are meeting the professional standards e.g. AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA, ACBSP and also the Ministry Audit Requirements of the Ministry of National Education in France.
3. You’ve taught business-related courses in Asia in collaboration with European institutions. How do you see PSM’s international collaborations benefiting its students, particularly those pursuing global careers?
With my academic curriculum implementation and evaluation for over 15 undergraduate/postgraduate courses and dissertation mentorship for doctoral students specialized in business administration, luxury hospitality management, and entrepreneurial leadership for universities and business schools in Asia and the EU,I should conclude that the majority of over a hundred students with whom I engaged were aspiring to global career opportunities. Although it may take an extensive effort for international students to understand the prospective career opportunities in other countries, which often involve understanding work authorization, conditional offers, and coordination difficulties with the immigration to obtain a legal right to work, I believe that they will take this as a significant learning journey to understand how the real job market realistically operates with unique, desirable disciplines. Therefore, I would highly recommend that all international students conduct in-depth research according to their passionate industries, where the positions are based, and how aligned they are with the recruitment processes of those organizations. At PSM, through global strategic collaborations, whether with public or private institutions or organizations, we have to prioritize the promotion of graduate employability as our core value to provide students with the opportunity to pursue global careers.
4. What leadership skills do you believe are critical for the next generation of business leaders, and how can PSM cultivate these skills within its students?
My though on this is that future business leaders need to embrace the reality of how the wolrd is today to succeed. To me, three skills stand out: adaptability, emotional intelligence, and strategic vision. Adaptability is non-negotiable. With markets shifting and new tech popping up daily, leaders have to pivot smartly under pressure. Emotional intelligence is the heart of leadership. You can have all the AI in the world, but if you lose the human connection, you lose your team. Strategic vision ties it all together. Leaders need to see the big picture beyond the ability of spotting trends and aligning strategies with global demands. Through PSM’s global partnerships, students tackle projects like crafting plans for multinational firms, blending bold ideas with practical know-how. My leadership philosophy? Value people’s hearts over pure efficiency. At PSM, our student development progrm should be going to the direction where we could shape leaders who can navigate complexity, inspire teams, and make a real impact in a interconnected world.
5. Given your experience with curriculum development at international institutions, what initiatives would you suggest for PSM to enhance its academic offerings and student engagement?
As a dedicated faculty, I believe we have to tailor our courses and programs based on the National Higher Education requirements in France, which will need to be assessed annually regarding our potential interdisciplinary program development in the fields of business administration, technology, innovation, and sustainability. It would be such a rewarding journey for us to be able to comply with the regulations to establish the PhD/DBA programs by specializations that our prospective would highly benefit from such as International Business Law, Digital Humanitarism, or even in the fields of European Arts and Heritiages where the entrepreneurial minds of sustainable business applied. We would also need to have a consistent schedule for our team meeting between the faculty and the quality assurance departments on our Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs), Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs), and Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). I would also like to recommend the implementation of academic mentorship and career advisory programs to ensure that our students are all supported throughout their journey, and we should definitely consider organizing our academic committees: research assistants/associates, assistant professors, associate professors, and professors to contribute to the PSM as a center of excellence in business education.
6. Finally, what excites you most about joining PSM, and what are your goals for contributing to the school’s vision and academic community?
My goals are simple but ambitious. I want to strengthen PSM’s academic programs by collaborating with the cross-functional teams to advance our academic excellence. My career has always been about empowering team members, making sure that we value the voices of people within our team with grace and respectful transparency. And at PSM,I’m ready to help build a legacy of leadership that makes a difference.