Exploring how Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is reshaping the boardroom in an AI-driven world
San Marcos, CA — Rohan Sharma, award-winning executive strategist and author of AI and the Boardroom (Springer Nature), was recently invited to deliver a guest lecture at the California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) College of Business.
The session, titled “AI Leadership Across Cultures”, explored the growing importance of cultural intelligence (CQ) alongside traditional leadership traits like IQ and EQ. Sharma emphasized that in an era of global AI adoption, the ability to lead across borders, cultures, and disciplines has become a strategic imperative.
“In a world where AI is rewriting how organizations operate, the human lens—especially cultural fluency—is what will differentiate great leaders,” said Sharma during his talk.
The lecture attracted students and faculty interested in innovation leadership, global business, and responsible AI strategy. Hosted by Professor Luciana Simion, the session is part of CSUSM’s broader initiative to expose students to emerging themes in executive leadership and technology ethics.
Sharma brings over 15 years of transformation experience at companies such as Apple, Disney, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Nationwide, and currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer at Zenolabs.ai, an AI-first clinical trials company backed by Microsoft for Startups.
In addition to speaking at TEDx Yale, Sharma advises leading accelerators at Stanford Seed and UCLA Anderson, and serves on the advisory boards of Frost & Sullivan and Call & Contact Center Expo.
Learn more about his work at www.rohansharma.net.