Start your journey as a Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer.
Equip yourself with the skills to lead AI initiatives, set strategic AI visions, and implement AI-driven solutions that enhance business operations.
Program Overview
The Costello College of Business’s Chief Artificial Intelligence program, presented in partnership with industry and educational leaders, offers participants opportunities to engage with cutting-edge AI technologies, learn from industry experts, and connect with peers to create a network of AI leaders.
Next Cohort: January 2026 - May 2026
Delivery: Hybrid; online sessions and in-person sessions at Mason Square (formerly the Arlington Campus)
Cost: $8,500
Contact: execdev@gmu.edu
Program Details
Who Should Attend?
The ideal candidate has:
- Executives with 4-6 years of experience in management roles.
- Professionals with a solid understanding of AI technologies and their applications.
- Leaders seeking to integrate AI into their organization's strategic framework.
- Individuals with strong communication skills and a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
Schedule
- Opening Session: January 12 - January 14, 2026
- Online Sessions: January 20 - February 27, 2026
- Mid-Point Session: March 4 - March 5, 2026
- Online Sessions: March 11 - May 7, 2026
- Closing Session: May 12 - May 13, 2026
Program Topics
- AI Strategy and Implementation (30%)
- Organizational Transformation and AI (20%)
- Business Acumen and AI Integration (20%)
- Leadership and AI Culture (15%)
- Strategic Mindset for AI Leaders (15%)
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Chief AI Officer program will be able to:
- Develop and lead the AI strategy aligned with organizational goals.
- Execute AI initiatives to enhance business processes and decision-making.
- Build AI-driven ecosystems that foster innovation and value creation.
- Engage with senior leadership to support AI integration at the enterprise level.
Executive Certificate
This program is delivered as a non-degree, executive certificate. Attendees have the opportunity to add a badge credential from Credly for successful completion of the program to their resume for organizational recognition (internal and external) and to indicate the accomplishment of obtaining a George Mason University credential. In addition to the Credly badge, attendees receive 8.5 CEUs upon successful completion of the program.
“At the Costello College of Business, we recognize that artificial intelligence isn’t just transforming industries—it’s reshaping leadership. Our Chief AI Officer program equips executives to lead responsibly, strategically, and creatively in this new era.”
Ajay Vinzé, Dean, Costello College of Business at George Mason University
Program Curriculum
Transformational Organization Leadership (Fulfills ECQ 1 & ECQ 2)
The C-Suite Leader in an Organization
Begin by exploring the pivotal role executive leaders take in shaping organizational success and culture. Together with all C-suite programs, this session will delve into the essential leadership skills required for C-suite executives, including decisiveness, integrity, team-building, and problem-solving. Participants will gain insights into how leaders can navigate changes while contributing to the overall goals of an organization. The session aims to equip aspiring and current C-suite leaders with the tools necessary to lead effectively, foster innovation, and drive positive outcomes for their teams and organizations
Faculty
- TBD
Being a Strategic C-Suite Leader
In today’s rapidly evolving environment, C-suite leaders need to go beyond operational execution to think strategically. This session will explore what strategic thinking means and how executives can cultivate it to drive their success.
We will examine strategic discovery, the process of uncovering opportunities and anticipating shifts in a world of uncertainty. Additionally, we will discuss how leaders can achieve strategic alignment to ensure that vision and execution are coherent across their teams.
Participants will engage in a mix of thought-provoking discussions and practical activities that will enhance their appreciation of strategic thinking and execution.
Faculty:
- Dr. Greg Unruh, Arison Chair in Values Leadership/Associate Professor, School of Integrative Studies
Cultivating a Positive Organizational Culture
Investigate the construct of emotional culture and the importance of cultivating a positive emotional culture for employees, teams, divisions, and organizations. Distinguish among the key emotions impacting culture and describe how individuals and organizations can achieve enhanced employee health and wellbeing. This session will provide evidence-based techniques that managers can integrate into their daily work practices to increase personal and professional success.
Faculty:
- Mandy O’Neill, Associate Professor of Management, Costello College of Business, George Mason University
Communication Techniques for Dynamic Teams
Participants will explore how improv techniques can revolutionize team communication and leadership strategies. Led by the Business Improv team, this session focuses on enhancing executive communication skills through active listening, adaptability, and collaboration. Participants will engage in interactive exercises designed to break down communication barriers and foster a culture of innovation and trust. By embracing spontaneity and flexibility, the group will gain practical tools to improve decision-making and problem-solving in dynamic business environments, empowering them to lead with greater effectiveness and creativity.
Innovative Business and Operational Acumen (Fulfills ECQ 3 & ECQ 4)
AI and the Future of Business
Examine the transformative role of artificial intelligence in reshaping business sectors. Designed for business leaders and decision-makers, this session emphasizes AI's disruptive potential while exploring the necessity for organizations to embrace it to thrive. Participants will learn AI fundamentals, its integration into business processes, and implementation strategies to enhance efficiency and innovation throughout the organization.
Faculty:
- TBD
Analytical Decision Making
Focus on utilizing data-driven approaches to enhance decision-making processes, emphasizing statistical analysis, predictive modeling, and optimization techniques. Develop skills to systematically evaluate complex scenarios and make informed decisions that drive organizational success.
Faculty:
- TBD
Understanding Organizational Change
People often dislike uncertainty at work and often fear or avoid change altogether. One of the most important roles of leadership then is to manage change and cope with uncertainty in your teams and organizations. This session explores the challenges and opportunities involved in change management, especially the areas of employee resistance, how to overcome it, and how to champion results. This session is a joint session with other C-Suite participants.
Faculty:
- Victoria Grady, Instructional Associate Professor, Management
Creativity and Innovation
Participants will practice using the construct of Appreciative Intelligence® for creativity, new ideas generation, and innovation. Using experiential approaches, participants will learn to develop new insights into typical leadership challenges and develop the capacity to question traditional approaches to management respectfully and non-judgmentally. Honoring the applied nature of the program, we will practice tools for developing a creative mindset during the half-day session.
Faculty:
- Tojo Thatchenkery, Professor; Director, Organization Development and Knowledge Management Program
Influencing and Negotiation
Dive into the fundamentals of negotiation and conflict management theory and best practices in organizations. Most individuals have incorrect assumptions about the best ways to manage conflict in organizations and how to negotiate in the most effective way. Further, many people avoid conflict because of preconceived notions about what is going to happen to them and/or inherent fears. The purpose of this session is to both change those incorrect assumptions while getting participants to feel more comfortable in a variety of negotiation / conflict management contexts.
Faculty:
- Kevin Rockmann, Professor of Management, Costello College of Business
Business and Process Excellence
Operational processes are designed to deliver exceptional value to customers and clients, both internal and external. However, over time inefficiencies creep in or new technology is created to improve processes. Designing and managing processes involves identifying bottlenecks, using appropriate metrics, and innovating to improve value, while managing variability. Lean management tools help to deliver value while identifying wasted time and activities. In this session, we discuss the role of operational excellence in facilitating change and delivering value.
Faculty:
- Ioannis Bellos, Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Program Director
Mastery of the Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem (Fulfills ECQ 5)
The CAIO as a Leader in the Organization
Be about AI strategy versus just AI tactical tool deployment. Participants will explore the pivotal role of the CAIO as a leader within the organization. The focus will be on how CAIOs can strategically guide the integration of AI technologies to drive innovation and enhance organizational performance. Attendees will gain insights into effective leadership strategies for fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous learning, ensuring that AI initiatives align with broader business objectives. Through discussions on best practices and real-world examples, CAIOs will learn how to navigate the challenges of AI adoption, manage cross-functional teams, and influence decisionmaking processes. This session will empower CAIOs to position themselves as key drivers of digital transformation and organizational success.
Faculty:
- TBD
LLM & MPC & RAG, Oh My!
Integrate Generative AI (GenAI) into your organization’s operations, enhancing service delivery and distinguishing real AI capabilities from marketing claims. Learn to implement AI tasks effectively, choose between hosted API or private fine-tuning, and set safeguards to prevent hallucinations/protect intellectual property.
Faculty:
- TBD
AI Governance, Risk and Responsible Innovation
Identify, categorize, and prioritize AI risks across a comprehensive set of domains, including fairness and bias, data privacy, cybersecurity, system safety, transparency, and accountability.
Faculty:
- TBD
AI Model Understanding and Explainability
Navigate technical discussions between the AI team and other teams throughout the organization.
Faculty:
- TBD
Machine – Learning Essentials
Learn how to ask the right ML questions without writing code.
Faculty:
- TBD
Building an Enterprise AI Strategy & Operating Model
Develop a comprehensive AI strategy tailored to an organization's needs, focusing on integrating AI technologies to enhance operational efficiency and drive innovation
Faculty:
- TBD
AI Economics and ROI Measurement
Explore the financial implications and economic benefits of integrating artificial intelligence technologies within organizations. This session emphasizes methodologies for accurately measuring and assessing the return on investment (ROI) of AI initiatives, providing insights into cost-effectiveness and strategic value.
Faculty:
- TBD
Emerging AI Technologies and Future Planning
Examine the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and its potential impact on various industries. Through use cases and scenario planning, participants will leave the session with the ability to harness AI's future capabilities effectively.
Faculty:
- TBD
Data Strategy and AI Readiness Assessment
Integrate data infrastructure requirements for AI initiatives by examining data quality, governance, and privacy considerations, resulting in the assessment of the organization’s AI readiness.
Faculty:
- TBD