Applying Scientific Skills to the Business World

According to executive search firm Spencer Stuart, one third of Fortune 500 CEOs have undergraduate degrees in engineering or one of the physical sciences, versus 11 percent of such CEOs with degrees in business administration. Yet outside the boardroom, scientists leading businesses are often regarded as a curiosity, as if the skills that are believed by many to be essential to success in business somehow differ fundamentally from those developed by an education in engineering or science. This talk will focus on the skills necessary to succeed in business generally, and more specifically as an entrepreneur. We will explore the overlap between these skills and those that are developed by an education in engineering and science. We will also examine some of the common misperceptions held by scientists about the business world as well as the way scientists are often (mis)-perceived by the business community.