Standard Chartered CEO: Wharton MBA Regret
- Bill Winters, the CEO of Standard Chartered, contends that his MBA from the university of Pennsylvania's Wharton School was a "waste of time." He said the humanities degree...
- Winters, 63, told bloomberg that his undergraduate studies in international relations and history taught him "how to think." He graduated from Colgate in 1983.
- Winters, who began his career at JPMorgan in 1983, rose to co-CEO of its investment bank. After leaving JPMorgan, he launched Renshaw Bay in 2011 before becoming CEO...
Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters challenges conventional wisdom, arguing his humanities degree, not his MBA, was key to his career role. He believes critical thinking skills, honed thru studying international relations and history, are more valuable than technical expertise in an age of AI. Winters’ outlook highlights a shift in what businesses value. News Directory 3 notes the rise of AI and the growing importance of interpersonal skills for success. The CEO’s experience shows a trend by many high-ranking executive officers. Understand how to adapt as businesses evaluate their leadership demands. Discover what’s next for education and career paths.
Standard Chartered CEO: Humanities Degree Key to Career role, not MBA
Updated June 27, 2025
Bill Winters, the CEO of Standard Chartered, contends that his MBA from the university of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School was a “waste of time.” He said the humanities degree he earned at Colgate University proved more valuable in preparing him for his current role and the evolving demands of the workforce.
Winters, 63, told bloomberg that his undergraduate studies in international relations and history taught him “how to think.” He graduated from Colgate in 1983. He believes these skills are increasingly vital as artificial intelligence takes on more technical tasks.
Winters, who began his career at JPMorgan in 1983, rose to co-CEO of its investment bank. After leaving JPMorgan, he launched Renshaw Bay in 2011 before becoming CEO of Standard Chartered in 2015.
Winters stressed that interaction skills, including understanding an audience’s needs with curiosity and empathy, are paramount. He believes technical skills are becoming less essential.
“I got an MBA later, but that was a waste of time,” Winters told Bloomberg. “I learned how to think at university. For the 40 years since I left university, those skills have been degraded, degraded, degraded.”
Marco Argenti, CIO of Goldman Sachs, shares a similar view. He advised engineers to study philosophy, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking alongside technical expertise.
The rise of AI is rapidly changing the tech landscape. Reports indicate that AI now generates a significant portion of new code at major companies like Google, Microsoft, and Meta.
What’s next
As AI continues to advance, expect more business leaders to emphasize the importance of humanities and critical thinking skills in navigating the changing job market and maintaining a competitive edge.