Joseph Milner, Professor and Interim Dean, said: “We are delighted to work with Dubai Chambers to help family business leaders explore how emerging AI technologies can drive innovation, strengthen competitiveness, and position their businesses for long-term success across generations. We see this initiative as an important foundation for broader collaboration with Dubai Chambers in the UAE and internationally.”
Under the agreement, the Dubai Centre for Family Businesses, which operates under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, will collaborate with the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto to deliver the ‘Agentic AI for Family Business Leaders’ programme. The programme is designed for family business leaders and the next generation preparing to assume leadership roles within their family enterprises.
The programme focuses on aligning AI applications with the strategic priorities of family businesses to support long-term growth, strengthen governance, facilitate the transfer of institutional knowledge across generations, and develop future leaders.
The programme will be delivered in two parts. The first will consist of in-person learning in Dubai, combining interactive discussions, case studies, and practical workshops. The second will involve three days of company visits and experiential learning in Toronto, enabling participants to gain first-hand insights into how organisations develop, deploy, and govern agentic AI solutions.
The programme covers five core modules: AI Strategy and Organisational Transformation; Understanding Agentic AI and Unlocking Business Value; Designing High-Value Agentic AI Use Cases; From Use Case to Action: Implementing Agentic AI; and Company Visits and Experiential Learning.
Special emphasis will be placed on the distinctive characteristics of family businesses, including how to adopt emerging technologies while preserving family values and organisational culture, safeguarding data confidentiality, strengthening trust, and supporting business continuity. Participants will also learn to assess potential agentic AI applications based on their expected business impact, feasibility, scalability, and associated risks.
Throughout the programme, participants will develop practical use cases addressing real challenges and opportunities within their own businesses. This will culminate in the preparation of implementation roadmaps outlining strategic priorities, organisational readiness requirements, governance frameworks, and approaches to measuring impact. The company visits in Toronto will provide further opportunities to refine these roadmaps by drawing on the experiences of organisations already integrating AI into their operations.
