Lucy McCulloch – Hult International Business School

In a world where artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, international mobility is becoming more complex, and prospective students have more educational options than ever before, business schools face a growing challenge: how do you stay relevant and continue to grow?

For Lucy McCulloch, Director of Digital Experience at Hult International Business School, the answer lies in combining a clear brand proposition with constant adaptation. As a globally focused institution competing against established universities and business schools, Hult’s growth depends on demonstrating the value of global experience, real-world learning, and human skills, while evolving quickly enough to meet changing market demands.

BUILDING A BRAND AROUND INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Hult International Business School occupies a unique position in higher education. Unlike traditional universities rooted in a single city or campus, Hult operates across London, Boston, and Dubai, with students able to rotate between locations throughout their studies. That global experience sits at the heart of the brand.

Hult recently refined its brand positioning around three core pillars: building human skills, joining a global classroom, and connecting to the real world — each one reflecting what students want and what employers consistently ask for. According to Lucy, these pillars reflect both what students are looking for and what employers increasingly demand. “We are a truly global school — and that sits at the heart of everything. The idea of joining a global classroom isn’t a tagline; it’s the actual experience students have every single day.”

At the same time, the school works closely with businesses to ensure students graduate with practical experience. Companies such as EY, Accenture, Unilever, Google, Hilton, Revolut, and BMW regularly provide real business challenges for students to solve during their studies. The goal is for graduates to leave with more than just a degree. “We want our graduates to come out with real-world experience, working with actual businesses, alongside the human skills employers are looking for.”

“We are a truly global school - and that sits at the heart of everything. The idea of joining a global classroom isn’t a tagline; it’s the actual experience students have every single day.”

GROWTH THROUGH PROGRAMME EXPANSION

For Hult, growth is measured differently than in many commercial organisations. Ultimately, success comes down to attracting and retaining enough students to sustain and expand programmes. “Growth, for us, means students who choose Hult, show up, and dare to do something with it,” Lucy says.

One of the biggest drivers of recent growth has been expanding the programme portfolio. Alongside its Bachelor of Business Administration, the school has introduced new undergraduate programmes in areas such as entrepreneurship, computer science for business, and politics, economics, and psychology.

For Lucy, the growth of the undergraduate offering reflects Hult’s ability to read and respond to shifting market demand — expanding its reach without losing focus on what it does best. One of the clearest growth opportunities for Hult has been Dubai. “Dubai is a booming destination for international study and career opportunities right now. The appetite for it is growing fast, and we’re seeing real momentum there.”

THE CHALLENGE OF BUILDING A LESSER-KNOWN BRAND

Despite its international footprint, Hult still faces a fundamental brand challenge: awareness.

The institution competes against long-established universities and business schools with decades, or even centuries, of history. For many prospective students and parents, particularly in undergraduate education, familiarity remains a powerful factor in decision-making. To address this, Hult takes a multi-layered approach — investing in brand awareness while running targeted outreach to reach prospective students at the moments that matter most.

“We’re still building awareness in some markets, and that’s actually a space where we thrive — because once people discover what Hult is and what our graduates go on to do, the conversation changes completely.”

The school actively promotes alumni case studies, employer testimonials, and career outcomes across channels, demonstrating the tangible value of a Hult education. Rankings also play an important role in strengthening credibility and reputation. Hult closely monitors rankings from organisations such as the Financial Times and LinkedIn, viewing them as important proof points for prospective students evaluating their options.

“We’re still building awareness in some markets, and that’s actually a space where we thrive — because once people discover what Hult is and what our graduates go on to do, the conversation changes completely.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF A CONSISTENT DIGITAL EXPERIENCE

As Director of Digital Experience, Lucy’s role centres on ensuring that prospective students receive a seamless experience across channels. Whether someone discovers Hult through social media, a paid search advertisement, an email, or the website, the messaging and experience need to remain aligned. “You wouldn’t want someone to receive one message and then arrive on a website where none of the information matches what they were expecting.”

This consistency becomes increasingly important in a long and complex decision-making journey. Choosing a university is rarely an impulse purchase. Students often spend months researching programmes, comparing institutions, speaking with family members, and evaluating career outcomes before making a final decision.

For Lucy, digital experience is therefore about more than usability. It is about creating confidence throughout the journey. “We have strong behavioural data across the journey. The frontier for us now is pairing that with richer qualitative insight — really understanding the human moments behind the numbers.” This creates an ongoing focus on combining behavioural analytics with direct feedback from students, parents, and enrolment teams to better understand motivations and barriers.

“We have strong behavioural data across the journey. The frontier for us now is pairing that with richer qualitative insight — really understanding the human moments behind the numbers.”

AI AS AN OPPORTUNITY, NOT A THREAT

Like many educational institutions, Hult is actively adapting to the rise of artificial intelligence. Rather than treating AI as a separate topic, the school is integrating it throughout its curriculum while maintaining a strong emphasis on human skills. “It’s an opportunity,” Lucy says. “But people also need the skills and business understanding to know how and when to use it.”

This philosophy reflects Hult’s broader positioning. AI capabilities may become standard across educational providers, but Lucy believes differentiation will continue to come from the institution’s core strengths rather than from technology alone. “You can’t rely on AI being the thing that distinguishes you because everyone will eventually offer it.” Instead, she believes institutions need to stay focused on what makes them fundamentally different. “Whatever's happening, we will adapt and offer it as part of what we do. But underpinning that will still be these three pillars because that's true to who we are.”

“You can’t rely on AI being the thing that distinguishes you, because everyone will eventually offer it.”

LOOKING AHEAD: THE FUTURE OF SEARCH AND EDUCATION

Looking ahead, Lucy believes one of the biggest shifts will be how people discover information online. Rather than starting with Google and browsing websites, more people are already turning to AI-powered assistants and conversational search tools. “People are searching in an agent and saying: where's the best place to go?” she explains. “They're not even going to websites anymore.”

This has significant implications for marketers and brands. Instead of focusing purely on traditional SEO, organisations will need to think more carefully about how information is structured and how easily AI systems can understand and surface it. “You need to think about the questions people are asking,” Lucy says. “Being really factual, providing the right content at the right time, and thinking carefully about how information is structured.”

For Hult, that means preparing for a future where prospective students may interact with AI assistants long before they ever visit a university website. “I think education has to remain relevant to the real world and what’s actually happening,” Lucy concludes. “If you don’t do that, you’ll simply fall behind.”

“I think education has to remain relevant to the real world and what’s actually happening. If you don’t do that, you’ll simply fall behind.”