Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver has appointed a committee to conduct a national search for the next dean of Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. Chris Guthrie, dean of Vanderbilt Law School and John Wade–Kent Syverud Professor of Law, will chair the committee, which includes faculty members from multiple disciplines, a Vanderbilt Board of Trust member and Owen alumnus, and a current Owen School student.
“The Owen School’s national prominence and culture of collaboration and individual development make it a highly desirable destination for research and learning,” Raver said. “The search committee is charged with identifying a leader who will capitalize on Owen’s many strengths, nurture its distinctive sense of community, and continue to propel the school on its strong upward trajectory.”
M. Eric Johnson, Ralph Owen Dean and Bruce D. Henderson Professor of Strategy, will step down as dean of the Owen School effective June 30, 2023. Under his leadership, the school has experienced a period of great momentum and growth in innovative programs, research collaborations, world-class facilities, alumni engagement and more.
“The Owen School’s stellar reputation rests on its faculty’s influential scholarship, the rigorous and collaborative learning environment it offers its students, and its demonstrated success in producing business leaders,” Guthrie said. “Our committee is excited to recruit a new dean who will embrace Owen’s culture, build on the school’s many strengths, and lead the school in exciting new directions.”
The members of the search committee are:
- Chris Guthrie (chair), dean of Vanderbilt Law School and John Wade–Kent Syverud Professor of Law
- Yasin Alan, associate professor of operations management
- Elizabeth Crowe, MBA’23
- Kelly Goldsmith, E. Bronson Ingram Professor and professor of marketing
- Carolyn Heinrich, University Distinguished Professor of Leadership, Policy and Organizations; University Distinguished Professor of Political Science; and Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor and professor of public policy and education
- Alex Jahangir, MMHC’12, professor of orthopaedic surgery, vice chair of orthopaedic surgery, director of the Division of Orthopaedic Trauma and executive medical director of the Vanderbilt Trauma, Burn and Emergency Surgery Patient Care Center
- Jessica Kennedy, associate professor of organizational studies
- Douglas Parker Jr., MBA’86, Vanderbilt Board of Trust member and chairman and former chief executive officer of American Airlines Group
- Richard Willis, Anne Marie and Thomas B. Walker Jr. Professor and professor of accounting
- Alan Wiseman, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Political Economy and chair of the Department of Political Science
- Yesha Yadav, Milton R. Underwood Professor, professor of law and associate dean for diversity, equity and community, Vanderbilt Law School
- Tracey George (ex officio), vice provost for faculty affairs and Charles B. Cox III and Lucy D. Cox Family Professor of Law and Liberty
The committee will work with Spencer Stuart, a global executive search and leadership consulting firm with extensive experience across higher education, nonprofits and foundations, to identify the best candidates.
The committee also will engage the Owen School community in its search efforts by holding listening sessions with faculty, staff and students over the next month. These sessions will ensure that the committee selects candidates who are well-equipped to address the needs of the Owen community and to foster a culture of discovery, scholarship and collaboration.