In conjunction with the 2026 Alumni Weekend, the Center for Global Management (CGM) hosted a special networking dinner on Friday, May 1, bringing together globally minded UCLA Anderson alumni—many of whom traveled from around the world to celebrate their class reunions.

Earlier that day, Terry Kramer, Faculty Director of the Easton Technology Management Center and the professor who led the CGM’s recent Greater Asia, technology-focused Global Immersion course, which traveled to China and Singapore, delivered a keynote address titled AI@Anderson: Developing Transformative Leaders at Anderson.

Speaking to an audience of hundreds of alumni, Professor Kramer explored the rapid acceleration of AI and digital transformation —not as a future concept or capability, but as a present‑day operating reality. It was evident that many of the most practical AI leadership lessons taught at Anderson are informed directly by what students encounter on the ground through the CGM’s Greater Asia Global Immersion course. In China and Singapore, students observed organizations already operating as AI‑native enterprises, with agents, automation, and AI-driven decision-making embedded at scale. This shift is transforming not only what companies do, but how they are structured and how they are led.

Professor Kramer also shared strategic perspectives on the economic potential of generative and agentic AI, and on how the future of work is actively being redefined. A key takeaway was that some of the most advanced, real-world applications of AI discussed at Anderson are already operating at scale in the Greater Asia region. For CGM—and for UCLA Anderson more broadly—Greater Asia continues to be a vital source of insight, particularly around AI. These insights directly shape how the school teaches, how curriculum is designed, and how students are prepared for the rapidly evolving skill requirements and leadership environments they will soon face.

Later that evening, following the 2026 Alumni Conference and the CGM’s spring board meeting, alumni from Europe and Asia joined the CGM networking dinner, which provided a valuable opportunity to connect with CGM leadership, current students, and fellow alumni.

Held in the Grand Salon of Marion Anderson Hall, the intimate dinner brought together approximately 60 alumni and students, including participants in the CGM mentor program. Conversations focused on pressing global issues, their implications for UCLA Anderson, and the continued strengthening of the school’s international alumni network.

The evening also highlighted the expanding global opportunities available through UCLA Anderson—on campus, virtually, and abroad. Alumni heard from CGM board members about their experiences engaging with students and the center. Executive Director Lucy Allard Nelson (’06) offered welcome remarks, and CGM Faculty Director Romain Wacziarg and Professor Gonzalo Freixes were also in attendance, connecting with members of the global alumni community.

The weekend’s celebrations continued with reunion events across campus, where alumni commemorated their class anniversaries in a celebratory and memorable setting, returning to the place where their UCLA Anderson journey began.