To the Columbia Business School Community, On behalf of the Student Leadership and Ethics Board (SLEB), we want to introduce ourselves—Marissa Guiang '22 MBA, Margaret Knowles '21 EMBA, and Brian Roxas '22 MBA—as the Co-Chairs for the 2021-22 academic year. We are excited and honored to work in close partnership with The Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Center for Leadership and Ethics to engage the CBS community in impactful conversations and action-oriented progress on ethical business issues and values-based leadership. 

As some pockets of the world begin to emerge from the pandemic, it is imperative that we recognize that global society has changed. In addition to COVID-related issues, in the past year, society has witnessed and participated in a reckoning as it pertains to racial injustice, information warfare, and the disruption of various industries. In the coming year, the Student Leadership and Ethics Board will play a critical role in helping the CBS community navigate our "new normal" and redefine the importance of ethical leadership and decision-making. Our main focus is community engagement on every level. While we are the designated leaders of SLEB, our mission is not just driven by the Board; it’s shaped collectively by all of you. As such, we want to create more forums for candid discussions and difficult conversations so that we can learn from each other and grow as ethical leaders. These topics pervade beyond the classroom, and we want all of you to have a safe space to voice diverse opinions and perspectives. 

Revamping the Core 

One of the projects that we are most passionate about is incorporating ethics saliently into our core curriculum. Recently, we all have seen how closely moral issues such as racial justice, public health, and individual and communal safety are intertwined with business processes and leadership decisions. Our recommendations for improving the core, which are based on the IBSC Committee’s thorough review of class material as well as student feedback, will bring these real-world dilemmas and challenges into course conversations on a regular basis.  

Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion 

A significant part of what makes CBS one of the top business schools in the world is our diverse and talented student body. While there is no shortage of learning opportunities on campus, some of our most valuable lessons will come from our peers’ unique backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. As Columbia transitions back to an in-person environment, SLEB hopes to form connections and build inclusive communities through provocative programming, engaging activities, and thought-leadership content. At SLEB events, disagreement is the starting point of a discussion, and everyone can feel safe to openly and respectfully express their views. Listening thoughtfully to other points of view will help us to become more inclusive, ethical, and authentic leaders. 

As we look ahead to next year, we hope to bring with us the lessons we learned during this year, which was unlike any other. We are so excited to connect with all of you and look forward to hearing your perspectives. At its core, ethics are rooted in discourse and engagement, and we warmly welcome you to join the conversation. If you’d like to get involved, stay tuned for more information. 

Sincerely, 

Marissa Guiang MBA '22, Margaret Knowles EMBA '21, and Brian Roxas MBA '22 2021-22 SLEB Co-Chairs