SMU Cox's Strategy for the Next Decade: Talent, AI, and the Business of Higher Ed | Todd Milbourn

Todd Milbourn, the 10th Dean of the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University, sits down to discuss his bold vision for transforming business education in the age of AI and his strategic plan to make SMU Cox a dominant force in the business school landscape.

Todd explains why he chose Dallas over other prestigious deanships, citing the explosive economic growth in North Texas and SMU's unique combination of Division 1 athletics, a strong undergraduate business program, and visionary university leadership under President Jay Hartzell. He breaks down how SMU's move to the ACC isn't just about sports—it's an academic accelerant that puts the university in the same conversation as Stanford and Boston College.

The conversation dives deep into the existential pressures facing higher education: declining enrollment, the rise of online alternatives, and the AI revolution threatening traditional job paths. Todd argues that while AI will disrupt many industries, it will create more jobs than it destroys—but they won't be the same jobs. His solution? Infuse entrepreneurial thinking into every student, teaching them the grit, resilience, and problem-solving skills that no algorithm can replicate.

Todd reveals SMU Cox's secret weapon: three separate entrepreneurship institutes working together, including the Caruth Institute (the first endowed entrepreneurship institute at any business school), the Hart Institute for technology development, and the Spears Institute for Entrepreneur Leadership, which just launched its first accelerator program with 18 students building 11 businesses—three of which have already secured outside funding.

From the $100,000 weekend DJ gigs of former students to the challenges of managing tenured faculty like 'senior partners,' Todd offers a rare inside look at what it takes to run a modern business school as a proper business.