President Benitez Discusses Jesuit Leadership

On November 19, 2024, President Hubert Benitez visited Dr. Karl Alorbi’s Honors Principles of Management class to discuss Jesuit leadership. Students interviewed the president and had the opportunity to ask questions about his role and responsibilities as president of the university, as well as advice on how to be an ethical leader. The following excerpts of the interview are taken from a summary written by Samantha Maldonado ’27, who was part of the class discussion.

Natalie Ojeda, sophomore, double-major in Accountancy and Mathematics, asked President Benitez to describe briefly his current position as university president and its responsibilities. Dr. Benitez explained his role, as president and chief executive officer of the institution, saying his, “overarching responsibility is the operation and every single decision that the university makes around the institution.” He noted that he makes decisions along with his team, the members of his cabinet, who are “important to the everyday operations” of the university.

Faty Kebe, junior, majoring in Economics received excellent advice when she asked what, if anything, President Benitez disliked about his job. The president answered, “Finding that right balance is the most complicated thing in leadership roles” and advocated strongly for students to do good work while also making time for family and for taking care of themselves.

Maldonado said, “As college students, we all struggle to find that balance and it was nice to see that even the president of Saint Peter’s finds it difficult to put down the work. President Benitez made it known that our mental health matters and we should prioritize that over work, when needed, in order to be a good leader. He followed up with what he liked best… we got the answer that the students and staff are what he likes best.”

Hahnaya Cooper, freshman, majoring in Business Management asked what the difference is between average managers and top-performing managers. President Benitez said leadership, “cannot be about you. It has to be about the people [you are leading].” He reminded the class to take care of others and take concern for their individual situations; when caring for others, one can grow as a leader.

The president ending the interview with advice on the power of teamwork, the value of mentorship, and the importance of correcting one’s mistakes. Maldonado note that the class hour ended with the students thanking Dr. Benitez for sharing his time and good advice with them with an enthusiastic round of applause.

Photos were taken by Angeline Boyer, Executive Director of University Communications.