William Dávila: Azerbaijan needs people who understand global trends

To achieve the goals set by Azerbaijan and its institutions, the country needs people who can operate across different sectors, understand global trends, and remain closely connected to local realities, according to William Dávila, Executive Chairman for Corporate Relations at IE University, Report informs.

Speaking at the opening of the AZEMBA program of the IE Center for Leadership and Innovation, organized with the support of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Science and Education, in partnership with SOCAR and IE University, Dávila Valeri noted that the world is undergoing an extraordinary transformation:

"Artificial intelligence (AI) creates new challenges for organizations. Technology accelerates decision‑making processes. Geopolitical changes reshape markets and business strategies. Assumptions once considered reliable for years can now change within months. In such an environment, education becomes even more important – not simply because it provides more information, but because the real challenge is knowing what to do with that information, what questions to ask, how to understand context, connect different perspectives, make decisions under uncertainty, and turn knowledge into action," he said.

The official stressed that leadership is crucial in this context: "This is where I believe the connection between IE and Azerbaijan can be particularly strong. To achieve its goals, Azerbaijan needs people who can work across sectors, understand global trends, and stay closely tied to local realities. We are talking about leaders who can manage transformation, build organizations capable of adapting to change, and understand that transformation is ultimately about people."