Over three days, the MBA Summer Conference will explore a topic that increasingly affects organisations across sectors and leadership roles: Digital Resilience. The programme will feature keynotes and exciting discussions on several emerging digital topics that are profoundly impacting enterprises and society. The conference will provide a forum to discuss digital leadership and management issues surrounding cyber incidents, public debates about digital sovereignty, the rapid adoption of generative AI in the workplace, and how organisations and their leaders are navigating a fast-changing digital landscape shaped by technological innovation and geopolitical developments.
The event blends insights from research and practice with plenty of space to reconnect with old friends and peers, continue conversations over shared meals, and enjoy time together in Maastricht as summer begins.
16.00 – 16.30 Coffee & registration
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16.30 – 18.00 Icebreaker
Our 90-minute MBA icebreaker activity is designed to connect participants, spark ideas, build trust and energise collaborative conference learning experience.
· Diana Berdún Mingo – MBA Programme Advisor, Maastricht University · Daria Doets – MBA Programme Coordinator, Maastricht University
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18.00 – 19.30 Summer cocktails on campus to unwind, network and continue conversations in a relaxed, informal MBA atmosphere setting.
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09.30 – 09.45 Welcome & introduction
· Ron Jacobs – Executive MBA Director, Maastricht University · Anant Joshi – Associate Professor of Information Management & Conference Chair
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09.45 – 10.30 Opening plenary
The Reality Check – Understanding the Threat Landscape Digital resilience starts with a clear-eyed view of the world as it is; not as we would like it to be. We explore the rapidly evolving threat landscape shaped by cyber risk, geopolitical tensions, and the unintended consequences of emerging technologies such as AI.
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10.30 – 11.00 Coffee break
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11.00 – 12.00 Expert panel
Cybersecurity across Industries We invite alumni experts on cybersecurity to present insights and real-world cases for a shared understanding of how vulnerabilities arise, how threats materialise, and why traditional approaches to risk management are no longer sufficient.
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12.00 – 13.00 Lunch break
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13.00 – 14.30 Cyber simulation
They say, “haste makes waste”, but what if haste is all you’ve got? Together with the Chief Information Security Officer of a well-known international corporation, you will engage in a pressure cooker simulation that pushes you to the max to make the right decisions under great time pressure.
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14.30 – 15.00 Coffee break
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15.00 – 15.45 Keynote plenary
From Risk to Response – Governing & Designing Resilience
Building resilience requires more than awareness; it demands deliberate design and strong governance. This keynote focuses on how organisations can structure their response to digital risk, from cybersecurity frameworks and data governance to the ethical and regulatory dimensions of AI.
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15.45 – 17.00 Breakout sessions
Moving from reaction to anticipation, the breakout sessions will highlight how leaders can embed resilience into decision-making processes, organisational structures and technology choices. You will engage with practical frameworks and board-level perspectives that translate complexity into actionable strategies.
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19.30 – 22.00 Conference dinner
Our “Thirsty Thursday” conference dinner will reconnect alumni and welcome new students, blending nostalgia with fresh perspectives, enriched by music, shared stories and engaging moments that go beyond a traditional sit-down experience.
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08.30 – 10.00 Breakfast session
Start your day with a thought-provoking “Breakfast Booster” linking Cipolla’s laws of human stupidity to digital resilience, revealing how irrational behaviour amplifies risk, undermines decision-making and challenges crisis response in complex, technology-driven environments. · Philip Vergauwen – Professor, Maastricht University SBE & FSE
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10.00 – 10.45 Keynote plenary
The Human Factor – Adoption, Behaviour & Leadership
Ultimately, resilience succeeds or fails through people. How to ensure that strategies, tools, and policies are actually adopted (and used responsibly) in everyday practice? With a particular focus on the rise of generative AI, we examine how organisations can foster a culture of responsible innovation, balance opportunity with risk and support employees in navigating new ethical and behavioural challenges.
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10.45 – 11.15 Coffee break
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11.15 – 12.00 Company case
Adoption Lessons from Practice What kind of leadership, skills and mindset are needed to build truly resilient organisations in an AI-driven world? In this session, we dive into an applied case illustrating the complexities and capabilities of building true digital resilience in organisations.
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12.00 – 13.00 Lunch break
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13.00 – 13.30 Reflections & wrap-up In this closing session, we synthesise key insights from across the conference, translate reflections into clear conclusions, and define concrete actions to strengthen digital resilience, leadership effectiveness and organisational readiness in an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving technological landscape.
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13.30 – 13.45 Closing remarks
· Ron Jacobs – Executive MBA Director, Maastricht University · Anant Joshi – Associate Professor of Information Management & Conference Chair
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