CEOs Advocate for Humanities Degrees in Business Careers

A growing number of business leaders are advocating for students to consider humanities degrees, such as English and comparative literature, as valuable pathways to careers in business. Despite the rising popularity of STEM fields, executives suggest that a liberal arts education cultivates critical thinking and creativity, skills they deem essential for effective leadership.

Stephanie Mehta, CEO of Mansueto Ventures, draws on her own background as an English major. She explains that her humanities education taught her to appreciate nuance and originality, and prepared her to navigate diverse interpretations—skills crucial for leadership teams and talent recruitment.

Nikhil Deogun, CEO of Brunswick Group Americas, who studied English and economics, emphasizes the thinking skills developed through a liberal arts education. "It teaches you how to think—how to make an argument, question an assumption, and get to the heart of an issue," Deogun stated. He believes these abilities are fundamental for making sense of complexity and aligning people toward common goals.

David Risher, CEO of Lyft, with a degree in comparative literature, compares successful business ventures to great literature. "Both are about understanding and tapping into universal human interests and needs to create something truly novel," Risher said. He posits that a liberal arts degree offers "immunity against irrelevance," teaching individuals to ask the right questions and form their own viewpoints—skills that remain timeless, particularly in the age of AI.

While enrollment in humanities programs has declined in recent years, with a surge in career-oriented fields like health sciences and engineering, business leaders maintain that critical thinking and creativity fostered by these disciplines are indispensable. They suggest these qualities will continue to be highly valued, even in the highest levels of corporate leadership.