“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should”

On a recent visit to the US, Professor Mark Loon CMgr FCMI attended a talk by an AI expert from Wharton, the Philadelphia-based business school. It left him asking some big questions.

“With AI, it’s like we’re flying the plane while we’re building it,” says Mark, who is himself professor and dean of the School of Business and Creative Industries at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. 

“We’re trying to come up with ways to boost innovation and improve productivity, and we’re also trying to learn what impact it could all have on us. But it’s about more than technology. It’s also about ethics. 

“The question is: just because you can, should you?”

Lessons from crossing continents

AI is the latest issue that Mark has encountered in a career that has crossed continents and covered a range of roles. Born and raised in Malaysia, he served as a management consultant at Ernst & Young, Capgemini and KPMG. He worked in Australia as a consultant, with clients such as Morgan Stanley, before moving to the UK in 2010, where he pivoted to a career in academia.

Mark became a Chartered Manager in 2018 and was nominated for the CMI Chartered Manager of the Year awards in 2024. He is a strong supporter of the CMI’s work and a believer in the benefits of Chartered status for anyone seeking to develop as a manager in a changing world. 

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“I used to teach leadership and we would speak about self-reflection a lot,” he says. “We’d talk about looking back but also being mindful of behaviours. Also, being in academia has taught me the importance of peer review. There’s nothing more humbling than being peer-reviewed, or asking someone to evaluate your practice. We do it as academics. It’s a good process and important. 

“I think I’m a good (or at least try to be) manager, but what do other people think? The Chartered Manager process is excellent on this.”