Rollins Launches Rick Goings Institute for Management & Executive Leadership

Rollins announces the launch of The Rick Goings Institute for Management & Executive Leadership, a bold new initiative that builds on the College’s long history of pragmatic liberal arts to establish a new standard for advanced leadership and management training.

At a time when senior executives face continuous disruption—from geopolitical realignment and regulatory volatility to technological acceleration and shifting stakeholder expectations—the Institute addresses a capability gap not fully met by traditional executive education: the capacity to exercise sound judgment when established frameworks no longer apply. The Institute will focus on leadership judgment and its impact on business performance, helping senior leaders anticipate market shifts, redesign operating models, and translate strategy into execution in periods of disruption and growth.

“I’ve spent 30 years in strategy consulting and industrial operations,” says Eric Spiegel, former CEO of Siemens USA and partner at Booz Allen Hamilton. “Traditional executive education gives you frameworks. What it doesn’t give you is judgment—the ability to think clearly when the frameworks don’t apply anymore. I’ve believed instinctively for a long time that what’s missing is what a serious liberal arts education develops, but I haven’t been able to articulate it correctly. Now someone finally has.”

Made possible by seed capital from The Rick & Susan Goings Foundation, the Institute completes Rollins’ Innovation Triangle—alongside the Rollins Museum of Art and The Alfond Inn.

“Effective leadership can no longer be measured simply by efficiency and scale,” says Anil Menon, CEO of The Rick Goings Institute and dean of the Crummer Graduate School of Business. “Leaders today are not navigating isolated disruptions; they are operating in an environment of continuous change. Transformative leaders must have the character, judgment, and perspective to navigate complex new terrain and forge new paths that meaningfully advance their organizations, their communities, and the world. The Rick Goings Institute will prepare executives not only to lead well but also to lead wisely, stewarding institutions, strengthening communities, and leaving the world better than they found it.”

The Rick Goings Institute will deliver advanced leadership education for executives who have already established their fundamental leadership capabilities. Its programming will focus on developing the capacity for clear thinking about complex operational problems, recognizing and addressing the market transitions leaders face today, managing technological change, and pivoting organizations for execution and growth.

The Institute will launch inaugural programs in 2026, delivering custom corporate offerings and establishing strategic partnerships with organizations in Florida and beyond, including the Young Presidents’ Organization, founded in 1950 by Ray Hickok ’40. Additional strategic partners and details about specific initiatives will be announced in the weeks ahead.

“Rollins has long held that a liberal arts education cultivates critical thinking grounded in multiple perspectives and thoughtful judgment, preparing graduates to challenge conventions, integrate new ideas and innovations, and lead by forging new paths,” says President Brooke Barnett. “In recent years, Rollins has advanced a series of initiatives that reinforce our standing as a leading higher-education institution not only in Florida but nationwide. The Rick Goings Institute will further strengthen our ability to educate and develop leaders who are ready to meet this moment by building resilient organizations, strengthening communities, and creating lasting impact.”

The Institute will convene global leaders from business, nonprofit, and government sectors around a unifying vision that transformative leadership can enable organizations to navigate complexity with ethical clarity and lasting societal impact. It will be built around three key elements: focusing on serious business content from people who have studied and run complex operations; providing extended time with other leaders facing the same challenges; and bringing together leaders from these different sectors who are looking to collaborate on finding innovative solutions.

“Throughout my career, and especially as CEO of Tupperware Brands, where we empowered a salesforce of millions of entrepreneurs, my focus has been building leadership and an entrepreneurial mindset at every level,” says Rick Goings, chair of the Rollins Board of Trustees. “Leadership is a human endeavor, and the best leaders bring out the strengths of the people around them to drive results. As technological change, geopolitical shifts, and market volatility reshape how organizations operate, it’s more important than ever to recognize the distinct value of human judgment, perspective, and purpose. The Rick Goings Institute will expand access to human-centered leadership approaches that enable organizations to thrive today and in the future.”

For close to a century, Rollins has focused on developing leaders who can think broadly about complex problems. The Rick Goings Institute draws on the College’s approach to pragmatic liberal arts—an educational tradition that blends liberal arts with business, STEM, and professional studies to foster critical thinking. Moreover, it has been at the forefront of advancing improved pedagogical approaches, including convening a transformative curriculum conference on the liberal arts in 1931, chaired by John Dewey, to help define the modern purpose of liberal arts education. By applying key elements of this approach, the Institute aims to foster precisely the skills and mindset that modern organizational leaders need most: meaningful perspective, advanced systems thinking, and a human-centered approach to leadership.

Construction of the building that will house The Rick Goings Institute for Management & Executive Leadership (and the Rollins Museum of Art) is currently underway at the Samuel B. Lawrence Center site on the corner of New England and Interlachen avenues, with an estimated completion date of fall 2027.

“Rollins understands that leadership develops over time, through experience, reflection, and the exchange of ideas with others who are doing the work,” says President Emeritus Grant Cornwell, chairman of the advisory board of The Rick Goings Institute. “The Innovation Triangle brings those conditions together in a powerful way. With this launch, Rollins is building a forum where accomplished leaders can sharpen the judgment and human understanding required to guide institutions wisely and responsibly.”