‘Post‐financial meltdown: What do the services industries need from us now?’ by Roger W. Hoerl and Ronald D. Snee: Discussion 1

Roger Hoerl and Ron Snee have done the statistical profession a major favor in providing their vision of what statisticians need to do to help service industries in the post‐meltdown environment. In this discussion, I briefly flesh out my understanding of the actions that statisticians must take to help service industries in the current and future environment. I then turn to a consideration of what I see as some of the significant weaknesses in current statistical curricula in preparing graduates to fulfill these new emerging needs. I conclude by making concrete proposals for some elements of a process for curricular reform. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.