Case Western Business School Dean Talks Workforce Trends Around AI and Gen Z

Before returning to his alma mater, Case Western Reserve University, in 2021, Andrew Medvedev spent around two decades in investment banking and management. The last two years, as dean of Weatherhead School of Management, Medvedev has been handling a different type of world, one of academia and training the business leaders of tomorrow. Gen Z students are entering the era of artificial intelligence and will soon lead the world’s workforce. For Medvedev, this is an exciting time to have, what he calls, “the best job in the world.”

Community Leader: Are the work stereotypes about Gen Z true? 

Andrew Medvedev: I see a generation of kids who want to be connected to a purpose. When they were growing up, we told them, “You can be anything you want, find your dream, find your why.” They have an incredibly high bar, not for style or comforts, but for the impact they want to leave on the world. Enterprises, opportunities, institutions and communities that provide them that opportunity will win the war for talent. I think they feel the need for that
connection. They expect more from their workplace and relationships, and they push us when things don’t make sense. 

CL: Are more graduates from Weatherhead staying in the region, or leaving for big cities?

AM: It depends on which program and which time of people’s lives. Ohio sometimes represents less than 15% of our incoming class. By the time they graduate, close to 30% of the kids choose to stay, which is a testament to the qualities of our region and what students discover here. In our graduate programs, more folks choose to stay in the region because Cleveland offers an array of opportunities that best match this generation’s interests and preferences. That’s a terrific match for Cleveland with its abundance of strong, small and mid-sized enterprises.

CL: Are there any research topics that are your favorite right now?

AM: AI is the future of work. AI holds the promise of being the most transformational technology in centuries, redefining human relationships with work, technology and each other. It has the potential to unlock phenomenal human thriving, both in terms of healthcare, wealth creation and whatever it can be.

CL: Has AI affected enrollment growth in any programs at Weatherhead?

AM: I have not seen a rapid shift in or out of a certain discipline. I think part of it is because the various majors in the business school are based less on a particular concept that you’re learning or set of tools, but rather industries in which you may want to apply them. And those industries will need to evolve in the age of AI but will still remain very, very vibrant. And so if you’d like to be in the investing business and you’re thinking through the world in terms of capital and pricing, or you’d like to be in the marketing business and you think of the world in terms of storytelling and engagement, you’ll have very different opportunities to deploy as modern tools in these different contexts.  

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