Courtesy of wustl.eduThe Olin School of Business plucked one of its own to take the school’s top post, naming Mahendra R. Gupta, a senior associate dean, as the new business school dean. The University announced his appointment yesterday.
Gupta will replace Dean Stuart Greenbaum, who is stepping down after 10 years in the role on July 1.
“I’m delighted that Mahendra has accepted the appointment as dean of the Olin School of Business,” Chancellor Mark Wrighton said in a statement. “His work as senior associate dean makes him a very knowledgeable successor for Stuart Greenbaum. I look forward to supporting his efforts as he continues strengthening Olin and its national and international programs.”
The announcement ends a nationwide search that began almost immediately after Greenbaum announced his departure in September. The University employed the executive headhunting firm of Korn/Ferry International to help in the search process, hoping lure a candidate in the mold of former President Bill Clinton or Jack Welch, the former chief executive officer of General Electric. The search committee eventually decided upon an internal candidate who they could quickly integrate into the position.
“If we had brought in somebody from the outside, it would take them almost a year to become intimately involved,” said Greenbaum. “The insider always has an advantage. The fact that he’ll be able to grapple with [all the challenges the school faces] is tremendous.”
Student Union President David Ader, an Olin student and a member of the search committee, agreed. “You want someone to come in and know what the position demands of them,” he said. “A prestigious name can’t necessarily do that.”
Greenbaum said that Gupta’s main challenges will be continuing faculty development and growth, expanding MBA and non-degree programs, adjusting to the increasing competition with other business programs and transforming the school’s career center into one of the best in the county. According to Greenbaum, Gupta is up for the challenge.
“He’s an inspired choice. He knows the school inside and out and is uniquely equipped,” he said.
Gupta, who has worked at Olin since 1990 and has served as senior associate dean for the last two years, is also the Geraldine J. and Robert L. Virgil Professor of Accounting and Management. He has also worked on development committees for many of the school’s degree programs.
“Mahendra represents the best of Olin in teaching, research, community service and preparing tomorrow’s business leaders,” said Anjan Thakor, a professor of finance and a member of the search committee for a new dean.
Gupta grew up in India and attended Bombay University for his undergraduate studies. He received his master’s degree in industrial management from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. After working in various managerial posts, he attended the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and in 1991 received his Ph.D. in finance.
In 1991, he placed first in the American Accounting Association’s competition for best doctoral dissertation in the field of managerial accounting. He has also been published in numerous leading academic journals, including The Accounting Review and The Journal of Management Research.
“I’m very pleased and honored to have an opportunity to lead the school,” Gupta said in a statement. “We have the potential to make Olin one of the premier global institutions for business education and research. We have world-class faculty, talented staff and a bright and vibrant student body. Indeed, our path to future success will be defined by key roles played by faculty, students, alumni and our loyal supporters in the business community.”