Tomorrow’s business leaders will face challenges unlike any of their predecessors as the need to operate sustainably within planetary boundaries moves from an important priority to a critical necessity.
Giving these future leaders an understanding of not just the risks but the many opportunities associated with a sustainability-first approach has been at the heart of the QUT Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Executive MBA programs’ ongoing evolution in recent years.
The project is led by former government relations executive turned academic Dr Carla Liuzzo and aims to integrate a range of sustainability-focused learning outcomes for each teaching unit within the MBA programs.
“My role across the QUT MBA and Executive MBA programs, as well as the entire QUT Graduate School of Business, is to elevate the importance of sustainability and ensure it is viewed through the lens of innovation and entrepreneurship,” Dr Liuzzo said.
“There are huge opportunities if you are not thinking of businesses being there for profit maximisation alone.”
Turning a passion for sustainability into a career
Samara Currie has always aspired to build a career in sustainability. Her journey has taken her through diverse roles and industries, with each experience playing a key part in building to her recent milestone, being appointed as the Manager of Environmental Sustainability at the Metro South division of Queensland Health.
After completing a Bachelor of Environmental Management in 2013, she had her first taste of working in the sector via a graduate program with an industrial company.
“I quickly realised the work wasn’t aligned with why I wanted to get into sustainability, and it felt like most of the opportunities in the sustainability space were in similar jobs in the construction and mining sectors,” she said.
READ MORE: HOW QUT IS CHANGING THE WAY YOU MBA
After heading overseas on a working holiday, Samara returned to Australia and took a finance role with Queensland Health while still holding aspirations of a career in sustainability.
“The longer I worked in finance, the further I felt from my passion, so I decided to get a more rounded qualification like an MBA to help me transition back into the sustainability space.”
Samara chose the QUT MBA because of the diverse subject offering and completed her degree in 2021.
“It has been a very empowering experience and has given me the confidence and knowledge to make a meaningful impact on my organisation, my career and the community,” she said.
The flexible structure of the QUT MBA was also an important consideration, with each MBA unit of six credit points conveniently delivered on weeknights outside of work hours over a seven-week teaching period (comprising six weeks of teaching with a final assessment in week seven). The degree can be completed in 1.5 years full-time or four years part-time equivalent.
The QUT MBA gave Samara a much deeper understanding of the role of sustainability in organisations and the need to move beyond a purely environmental focus.
“Sustainability is crucial to so many aspects of society, and organisations have an important role to play in developing strategies that ensure they are doing their bit to build not just a cleaner planet, but a better planet for all,” she said.
One of the most valuable units Samara studied during her MBA was Communicating for Influence (GSN407). Learnings from the unit have been particularly valuable since late last year when she transitioned back into a full-time sustainability role with Metro South Health.
“It is a new role identified and created as part of a strategic review, and we are building the role and position from the ground up, so getting buy-in from other stakeholders will be critical to success,” she said.
“I have taken a lot of the learnings and principles from Communicating for Influence and applied them in the new role to ensure we are helping to create an environment for change.”
Keeping the MBA Relevant
One of the enduring strengths of the QUT MBA has been its ability to adapt to the evolving needs of society and produce confident leaders who are equipped to make a difference.
Dr Liuzzo believes business schools are uniquely positioned to lead a new approach to sustainability.
“The sustainability agenda has yet to deliver the results it needs to, so there is evidence that we need to adopt new ways of thinking about the role of leaders,” she said.
“Sustainability shouldn’t be an add-on to other subjects; it should be seamlessly integrated across all aspects of the course. That will ensure we look at sustainability through a much wider lens incorporating a quadruple bottom line of people, profit, planet and purpose.”
“That approach will allow us to sustain ourselves and live within planetary boundaries. Business has a core role to play, and our leaders need to eco-literate and cognisant of the environment we find ourselves in.”
Dr Liuzzo said the focus on sustainability will ensure the QUT MBA will remain at the forefront of executive education in Australia.
“Our goal is always to develop the leaders of tomorrow, who will inspire, motivate, and drive meaningful change in their organisations and communities,” she said.
Applications for QUT’s MBA close 9am, Monday 3 March 2025. Find out more and apply now.
