Major Midwestern University 
Dean, Business School SPEC BRIEF
Assignment #05-003-022A

~ Position Filled ~

Opportunity Summary 
As a key member of the executive team, the Dean will lead the long- term development and successful operation of the Business School for this leading university located in Chicago, Illinois. This opportunity represents a career level challenge to help establish the school as a leading graduate education provider across a carefully selected spectrum of management education areas. Current strengths include well-regarded programs in Finance and Financial Markets and in Environmental Management. There is a particular interest in leveraging the schools strong foundation in technology-related education by creating a signature program in the rapidly emerging Management of Technology (MOT) field. Through the creation of this program and other institutional enhancements, there is a dramatic opportunity for the new Dean to make a major impact on the strategic direction of the school as well as the university as a whole. The most important goal of the job will be to align the business school with the current and developing needs of the marketplace

The successful candidate will positively and dramatically impact the revenue growth and constituency satisfaction levels of the business school over the coming years by increasing the enrollment and diversity of the student body, attracting top faculty, creating new programs, encouraging cutting edge research/development, and leading the positioning of the school in a way that will be easily measured at appropriate milestones to place the school among the leaders in the areas in which it competes. 

The primary responsibility of this challenge is to make the Business School a place where talented and promising business managers, who aspire to leadership, will want to earn their graduate level degree. In so doing, the new Dean will help define, refine and promote the value proposition of the business school among key thought leaders and decision makers in academia, business and government. It is expected that the hired candidate will become a key attractor in the recruitment of top faculty, students, and trustees who will also support achieving the short and longer-term strategic goals of the school. Part and parcel of meeting the primary responsibility will be success in fund raising through aiding in the development of leadership gifts and in broadening the support from alumni and other sources.

Key Responsibilities
Director, OSR

• Drive a steady 10% annual increase in Program Enrollments over the next several years.

• Improve the quality and depth of existing and new key constituency relationships with (trustees, overseers, faculty, students, business & government leaders) through active listening, proactive communication and rapid/successful development of existing and new academic program offerings.

• Build trust, rapport and effective working relationships with all key constituencies.

• Work closely with the President, Provost, and other key administrators to provide regular quantitative and qualitative reports of on-going results from development efforts.

• Be the go to person most responsible for developing and executing the new message and strategy for the business school.

Key Performance Indicators

At 6 months

Development of strategic plan including faculty hiring plan, new program development, student recruitment and marketing, external relations and fund raising; initial implementation of plan

At 12 months

Enrollment improvement of 10% with increased domestic enrollment, new programs developed and introduced

At 24 months

Technology and innovation management fully integrated into MBA and new specialty masters programs in place; continued improvement in enrollment and student quality; new faculty in place

QUALIFIED CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE: 

Must Haves Easily/ readily Verifiable

• 10+ years progressive academic and business leadership experience that can be applied to this challenge

• Strong academic scholarship and leadership record developed over the years through publication and association activities.

• Solid fund raising track record that readily evidences a facility and ability to generate a steady upward flow of both leadership and average contributions. 

• Demonstrated track record as a teacher and administrator.

Experience (Preferred)

• Tenurable at the rank of Professor

• Senior corporate experience, especially with technology based companies. 

Key Personal Qualities/ Work Style

• Hands on self-starter motivated to achieve substantial long lasting results. 

• Highly articulate and sensitive to the work styles of colleagues so that recommendations and subsequent actions gain the support and enthusiastic involvement of both inside and outside stake holders. 

• Determined and credible but tactful and polished--someone with real drive, the ability to listen effectively and explain the reasons for his or her recommendations.

• A natural problem solver who goes about the job in a calm, deliberate, consistent and patient manner, and who will be able to work well and easily with a very diverse group of professionals, many of whom are renowned authorities in their areas of academic interest or business activities.

• A person with a natural likeability and friendliness who is clear, persistent and honest in his or her dealings. 

Attributes/ Skill Sets 

• Ph.D. level degree; science or business related is highly desirable

• Strong, demonstrable leadership skills

• Experience and facility with management software

• Highly skilled and effective at making presentations to key constituency groups or "one to one".