Driving Innovation from the Top
Tuesday, 03 February 2026
9:30 AM EST
Zoom
Dr. Jay Rao
Professor, Operations and Information Management Division.
Babson College - F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business Dr. Rao teaches extensively in the Babson Executive Education programs. His executive teaching and consulting is in the areas of innovation, implementation of innovation initiatives within firms, corporate entrepreneurship and customer experience innovation. Dr. Rao also teaches 2 elective courses in the Babson MBA programs – Leading Innovation: Gorillas, Chimps & Monkeys and #CX #UX #DX Innovation. His research has appeared in The Sloan Management Review, Journal of Innovative Management, The European Business Review, The European Financial Review, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly and others. He is the author of the book “The Discipline and Culture of Innovation.” He has written several business cases on a range of topics: Innovation Strategy, Innovation Culture, Leading Innovation, Customer Service, and Strategy Execution. Through Babson Executive Education he has taught for BBVA, Assa Abloy Americas, Novartis, Fresinius Medical Care, Pernod Ricard USA, Covidien, BAE Systems, U.S. Navy, SABIC, Citizens Bank, Merck, Masco Corp., Scottish Enterprise, Innovation Norway, North Atlantic Capital, EMC, GlaxoSmithKline, and others. He has also taught executives and/or consulted for Reed Elsevier, PWC (Spain), Bayer Material Science (Germany), Iberdrola (Spain), Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston), PRIME Business School (Colombia), Banco Occidente (Colombia), Chilectra (Chile), Agricola Garces (Chile), Groupo Security (Chile), Entel (Chile), Coagra (Chile), Inter-American Development Bank, Benchmark Assisted Living (Boston), EMDSerono, FORUM (Colombia), FitLinxx, Penteo (Spain), BFA Conseil (France), Novartis, Lojack, Fidelity Investments, Merrill Lynch, Boston Scientific Corporation and others. He was a member of the Innovation Advisory Board at Ocean Spray (USA) from 2010 to 2015. He was on the Innovation Advisory Board of Bancolombia (Colombia) from 2015 to 2018, and on the Flavor Advisory Board of Firmenich (Switzerland) from 2015 to 2018. He also has a family-business background and sits on the board of Hymamshu (Bangalore, India).
Katherine McVey
Senior Associate Director of Graduate Admissions
Babson College - F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business Katherine McVey is the Senior Associate Director of Graduate Admissions at Babson College, where she plays a key leadership role in shaping strategic enrollment initiatives and supporting prospective students throughout their graduate education journey. Katherine has contributed to the development of new graduate programs and initiatives at Babson College, sits on the Admissions and Scholarship committees, and maintains global partnerships with more than 20 institutions. She values building meaningful connections with applicants, colleagues, and campus partners to ensure that every prospective student feels supported as they navigate the graduate admissions process. She holds a BA in Classical Studies from Skidmore College and an MLS in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Professor, Operations and Information Management Division.
Babson College - F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business Dr. Rao teaches extensively in the Babson Executive Education programs. His executive teaching and consulting is in the areas of innovation, implementation of innovation initiatives within firms, corporate entrepreneurship and customer experience innovation. Dr. Rao also teaches 2 elective courses in the Babson MBA programs – Leading Innovation: Gorillas, Chimps & Monkeys and #CX #UX #DX Innovation. His research has appeared in The Sloan Management Review, Journal of Innovative Management, The European Business Review, The European Financial Review, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly and others. He is the author of the book “The Discipline and Culture of Innovation.” He has written several business cases on a range of topics: Innovation Strategy, Innovation Culture, Leading Innovation, Customer Service, and Strategy Execution. Through Babson Executive Education he has taught for BBVA, Assa Abloy Americas, Novartis, Fresinius Medical Care, Pernod Ricard USA, Covidien, BAE Systems, U.S. Navy, SABIC, Citizens Bank, Merck, Masco Corp., Scottish Enterprise, Innovation Norway, North Atlantic Capital, EMC, GlaxoSmithKline, and others. He has also taught executives and/or consulted for Reed Elsevier, PWC (Spain), Bayer Material Science (Germany), Iberdrola (Spain), Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston), PRIME Business School (Colombia), Banco Occidente (Colombia), Chilectra (Chile), Agricola Garces (Chile), Groupo Security (Chile), Entel (Chile), Coagra (Chile), Inter-American Development Bank, Benchmark Assisted Living (Boston), EMDSerono, FORUM (Colombia), FitLinxx, Penteo (Spain), BFA Conseil (France), Novartis, Lojack, Fidelity Investments, Merrill Lynch, Boston Scientific Corporation and others. He was a member of the Innovation Advisory Board at Ocean Spray (USA) from 2010 to 2015. He was on the Innovation Advisory Board of Bancolombia (Colombia) from 2015 to 2018, and on the Flavor Advisory Board of Firmenich (Switzerland) from 2015 to 2018. He also has a family-business background and sits on the board of Hymamshu (Bangalore, India).
Senior Associate Director of Graduate Admissions
Babson College - F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business Katherine McVey is the Senior Associate Director of Graduate Admissions at Babson College, where she plays a key leadership role in shaping strategic enrollment initiatives and supporting prospective students throughout their graduate education journey. Katherine has contributed to the development of new graduate programs and initiatives at Babson College, sits on the Admissions and Scholarship committees, and maintains global partnerships with more than 20 institutions. She values building meaningful connections with applicants, colleagues, and campus partners to ensure that every prospective student feels supported as they navigate the graduate admissions process. She holds a BA in Classical Studies from Skidmore College and an MLS in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.This masterclass gives a glimpse into how Babson trains future executives. All business schools claim that they train leaders. But, Babson has the unique ability to claim that we train future executives; not just leaders. Leaders are trained to be Risk Managers. However, Babson goes beyond that. Executives not only have to be Risk Managers, but also Uncertainty Navigators and Ambiguity Explorers. One can understand executives’ challenges only by deciphering the terms “Entrepreneurial Leadership & Innovation Culture.” However, each of these words are highly misunderstood and hence abused. This session will cut through the clutter to expand on these words very carefully and at the same time highlight how Babson is different from other business schools.
Learn tools for resilience
Navigating ambiguity confidently
Learn Babson’s executive training approach
Gain insights into programs & offerings
Expert Guidance
Gain valuable student insights
Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis is one of the premier business schools in the United States, known for its rigorous academic programs, world-class faculty, and emphasis on values-based, data-driven business education. Founded in 1917, the school has built a reputation for excellence in business analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, and supply chain management, offering a comprehensive portfolio of graduate business programs that prepare leaders for the global marketplace. The school's location in St. Louis provides students with unique access to a diverse business ecosystem, from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, while maintaining an intimate learning environment with small class sizes and personalized attention. Olin's commitment to experiential learning, combined with its strong alumni network of over 22,000 graduates worldwide, creates exceptional opportunities for professional development and career advancement across industries.
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