On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with

Tom Steenburgh, Ralph Owen Dean and Professor of Marketing (since July 2023) at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management. He's an expert in business-to-business marketing and sales, and believes in the power of collaboration between academics and business leaders to explore novel research ideas and solve real-world problems.

Prior to coming to Owen, Dean Steenburgh served as the Richard S. Reynolds Professor and Senior Associate Dean of the Full-Time Program at the Darden School of Business. Before joining Darden, he was on the faculty at the Harvard Business School where he developed electives and led executive education courses in business-to-business marketing and sales. Tom Steenburgh is a co-founder of the Thought Leadership on the Sales Profession conference, a unique event that brings together leading academics and senior business leaders to discuss cutting-edge ideas and practices in sales.

Tom bring his deep experience in business-to-business marketing and strategizing to our conversation, where the focus is on such topics as:

•choosing a strategic direction and mobilizing that strategy

•why Owen is expanding its reach by opening a campus in Miami, FL

•finding ways to cultivate the great ideas often hidden in the "trenches"

•leading faculty and staff through strategic visioning

Learn more about Thomas Steenburgh

Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at feedback@deanscounsel.com

Thanks for listening.

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Produced by Joel Davis at Analog Digital Arts

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DEANS COUNSEL: A podcast for deans and academic leadership.

James Ellis | Moderator | Dean of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (2007-2019)

David Ikenberry | Moderator | Dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado-Boulder (2011-2016)

Ken Kring | Moderator | Co-Managing Director, Global Education Practice and Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry

DeansCounsel.com

On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with

Caroline Nahas, a Senior Advisor to Korn Ferry. She has served as Vice Chairman and Managing Partner of the Los Angeles Headquarters office and North America Leader of the Consumer Practice during her career with Korn Ferry.

Caroline's primary focus is consulting and advising boards on governance, succession, effectiveness and recruiting, and has been involved in a number of CEO and Board building engagements. Her clients range from private to mid-cap to the Fortune 100 in a wide range of industries.

Caroline currently serves on the board of directors of DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN). She served as lead director during a CEO transition, is Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and sits on the Compensation Committee.

Active in many civic groups, Caroline is the incoming Chair of the UCLA Anderson School Board of Visitors and served as the Corporate Board Chair for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

Considering her vast and unique experience, Caroline is perfectly positioned to discuss such topics as:

-- The ins and outs and do's and don'ts of structuring a non-fiduciary board

-- The importance of authenticity in the Board Chair/Dean relationship

-- Instituting unity in a board composed of smart, strong-willed members

-- Leveraging the board's potential

Learn more about Caroline Nahas

Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at feedback@deanscounsel.com

Thanks for listening.

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Produced by Joel Davis at Analog Digital Arts

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DEANS COUNSEL: A podcast for deans and academic leadership.

James Ellis | Moderator | Dean of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (2007-2019)

David Ikenberry | Moderator | Dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado-Boulder (2011-2016)

Ken Kring | Moderator | Co-Managing Director, Global Education Practice and Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry

DeansCounsel.com

On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with someone who doesn't represent any particular school, but whose experience will benefit deans at all schools.

Glenn Bunting is the Founder and President of G.F.BUNTING+CO, a San Francisco-based strategic communication firm. Glenn works closely with CEOs, boards of directors, Fortune 500 companies, technology and healthcare firms, startups, universities, attorneys, athletes, celebrities and individual clients on issues ranging from reputation management and media relations to litigation support and crisis consulting.

Following a career spanning three decades as an award-winning investigative editor and reporter, Glenn has developed particular expertise in the areas of strategic thinking, creative problem solving and storytelling. He directly works with clients on sensitive issues including extortion, crisis planning, sexual harassment and discrimination, social media attacks, litigation communication and opposition research.

In this illuminating discussion with Ken and Dave, Glenn:

• addresses higher ed's inherent struggle with crisis management

• points out the boundaries of transparency and the dangers of social media

• shares some do's and don't's of crisis management for deans

Learn more about Glenn Bunting

Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at feedback@deanscounsel.com

Thanks for listening.

-

Produced by Joel Davis at Analog Digital Arts

--

DEANS COUNSEL: A podcast for deans and academic leadership.

James Ellis | Moderator | Dean of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (2007-2019)

David Ikenberry | Moderator | Dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado-Boulder (2011-2016)

Ken Kring | Moderator | Co-Managing Director, Global Education Practice and Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry

DeansCounsel.com

On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Executive Vice President and Provost Rachel T.A. Croson, the chief academic officer of the University of Minnesota multi-campus system and provost for the Twin Cities campus, with overarching responsibility for fostering the academic excellence of the educational and research missions of the University and providing leadership for undergraduate, graduate, and professional education.

Rachel's path to Minnesota provided her with a raft of unique and broad experiences, including serving as Dean of Business at Texas-Arlington and Social Sciences at Michigan State, Division Director at the National Science Foundation, and Director at Texas-Dallas' Center on Negotiations.

As Executive Vice President at Minnesota, Rachel has systemwide oversight responsibility for promotion and tenure, for policies and practices spanning all operational areas that affect the academic life of the university and faculty development, and for the development, revision, and approval of academic programs.

As Twin Cities Provost, Rachel leads the Deans of the colleges, schools, and academic units of the Twin Cities campus and is responsible for advancing the academic mission of the flagship campus. In both these roles, she has responsibility for implementing many elements of the Systemwide Strategic Plan MPACT 2025.

In her wide-ranging conversation with Ken and Dave, Rachel waxes expertly on what it means to be a successful provost, touching on topics such as:

• the role of metrics in leading

• the importance of broad experiences in advancing to campus leadership

• best practices for hiring deans and effectively reviewing their performance

• do's and don't's for deans

• her biggest surprise upon becoming a provost

and more.

Learn more about Rachel Croson

Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at feedback@deanscounsel.com

Thanks for listening.

-

Produced by Joel Davis at Analog Digital Arts

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DEANS COUNSEL: A podcast for deans and academic leadership.

James Ellis | Moderator | Dean of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (2007-2019)

David Ikenberry | Moderator | Dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado-Boulder (2011-2016)

Ken Kring | Moderator | Co-Managing Director, Global Education Practice and Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry

DeansCounsel.com

On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with C.K. "Tina" Gunsalus, Director of the National Center for Principled Leadership & Research Ethics (NCPRE), Professor Emerita of Business, and Research Professor at the Coordinated Science Laboratory in the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

A licensed attorney, Tina has been on the faculty of the colleges of Business, Law, and Medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and served as Special Counsel in the Office of University Counsel. In the College of Business, she taught Leadership and Ethics in the MBA program and was the director of the required Professional Responsibility course for all undergraduates in the college. She was a member of the faculty of the Medical Humanities/Social Sciences program in the College of Medicine, where she taught communication, conflict resolution skills, and ethics.

As a lifelong educator who has just about seen it all at the highest levels of academia, Tina comes from a position of well-regarded expertise as she shares with Ken and Dave her thoughts and experience on conflict resolution and having difficult conversations:

• the importance of knowing your "why"

• helping to manage conflict by managing yourself

• Tina's College Administrator's Survival Guide

• dealing with dysfunctional (challenged) units

• her work with the NCPRE

and more.

Learn more about C.K. Gunsalus

Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note!

Thanks for listening.

-

Produced by Joel Davis at Analog Digital Arts

--

DEANS COUNSEL: A podcast for deans and academic leadership.

James Ellis | Moderator | Dean of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (2007-2019)

David Ikenberry | Moderator | Dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado-Boulder (2011-2016)

Ken Kring | Moderator | Co-Managing Director, Global Education Practice and Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry

DeansCounsel.com

On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Mark Brostoff, most recently Assistant Dean and Director, Graduate Career Services, at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business, a position he occupied for eight years, until January 2024.

With over 16 years of senior-level higher education leadership experience, Mark is a career development expert who empowers professionals to achieve success in the ever-changing landscape of academia and work. As such, he's perfectly positioned to offer this perspectives on today's recruiting environment.

In this episode, Mark shares with Jim and Dave his views and expertise on a wide range of topics, including:

• how MBA hiring is tied to interest rates and the overall economy

• current employment trends

• today's field of job opportunities for MBA's

• where MBA placement directors should be focusing their attention

• the challenge to incorporate AI into the curriculum

and much, much more.

Learn more about Mark Brostoff

Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note!

Thanks for listening.

-

Produced by Joel Davis at Analog Digital Arts

--

DEANS COUNSEL: A podcast for deans and academic leadership.

James Ellis | Moderator | Dean of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (2007-2019)

David Ikenberry | Moderator | Dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado-Boulder (2011-2016)

Ken Kring | Moderator | Co-Managing Director, Global Education Practice and Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry

DeansCounsel.com

On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Antonio "Tony" Bernardo, Dean and John E. Anderson Chair in Management at UCLA's Anderson School of Management, a position he's held since July 2019.

Tony began his academic career at UCLA Anderson and has been a member of the finance faculty since 1994. He has a long history as an active and engaged member of Anderson’s faculty and its administration, having served as department chair and senior associate dean for academic affairs from 2006 to 2009, and finance area chair from 2013 to 2015 and again in 2019. He previously held the Joel Fried Chair in Applied Finance and Robert D. Beyer Term Chair in Management.

His impressive CV perfectly positions Tony to speak with us about the skills and temperament that being a dean requires, and his conversation with Jim and Dave is a must-listen for anyone curious about or aspiring to a deanship, as well as current deans seeking additional perspectives on the position.

During this engaging episode, Tony shares with Jim and Dave useful advice and "hacks" for current and future deans, including:

• Philanthropy as a pleasant surprise

• Building an effective reporting structure

• Tricks for multi-tasking

• Technology and future pedagogy

• Curricular ideas for the MBA

Learn more about Tony Bernardo

Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at feedback@deanscounsel.com

Thanks for listening.

-

Produced by Joel Davis at Analog Digital Arts

--

DEANS COUNSEL: A podcast for deans and academic leadership.

James Ellis | Moderator | Dean of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (2007-2019)

David Ikenberry | Moderator | Dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado-Boulder (2011-2016)

Ken Kring | Moderator | Co-Managing Director, Global Education Practice and Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry

DeansCounsel.com

On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Amy Dittmar, Howard R. Hughes Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and a Professor of Finance at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business since 2022. Amy is also a Professor of Economics at Rice's School of Social Sciences.

Amy comes to Rice from the University of Michigan, where she held a series of top-level administrative roles, including acting provost, senior vice provost, executive vice president for academic affairs, and chief academic and budgetary officer.

In this wide-ranging discussion, Amy talks about key issues for provosts today, holding the mission for the broader institution, and what keeps a provost up at night. Also covered:

• Dean, remember you are part of the broader institution

• Combating the criticisms of higher ed with student success.

• Using the Provost as the “bad guy” when dealing with tough decisions

• Bringing solutions when sharing your problems with the provost

• Learning to compartmentalize so that key stressors don’t overload you

• Knowing your own personal de-stressing mechanisms

• Being sensitive to the volatility of your costs and revenues

Learn more about Amy Dittmar

Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at feedback@deanscounsel.com

Thanks for listening.

-

Produced by Joel Davis at Analog Digital Arts

--

DEANS COUNSEL: A podcast for deans and academic leadership.

James Ellis | Moderator | Dean of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (2007-2019)

David Ikenberry | Moderator | Dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado-Boulder (2011-2016)

Ken Kring | Moderator | Co-Managing Director, Global Education Practice and Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry

DeansCounsel.com