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Deans Counsel

Deans Counsel

By: David Ikenberry / James Ellis / Ken Kring
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Being a Dean in today’s modern university is without a doubt one of the most challenging jobs in higher education. With ever changing tensions and pressures from conflicting constituencies, the job can be both overwhelming yet intensely invigorating at the same time. However, by design, it’s also one of the most lonely jobs in the Academy. Where can one turn for confidential advice? In this podcast we interview Business School Deans peer-to-peer to hear their perspective on a wide variety of pressing issues. Please join your panelists Ken Kring, Senior Client Partner in the Philadelphia office for the search firm Korn Ferry and Co- Managing Director of their Global Education Practice, Jim Ellis, former dean of the Marshal School at the University of Southern California and Dave Ikenberry, former dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder for this latest edition of ….. “Deans Counsel.”Copyright 2023 Deans Counsel Career Success Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • 65: Umaimah Mendhro (One League) on Disrupting MBA Education
    Jun 20 2025

    On this episode of Deans Counsel, we've got all three of our moderators -- Jim Ellis, Dave Ikenberry, and Ken Kring -- onboard to speak with Umaimah Mendhro, Founder and President of One League, an organization empowering highly promising, underserved changemakers to realize global impact. Partnering with Stanford, Harvard and MIT as well as global industry leaders, One League is focused on bringing world class education to a highly engaged and academically accomplished set of students who, because of location and economic or social status, are unable to access top graduate-level business education.

    Less than 3% of the students at top schools come from the bottom income quartile. As such, tremendous talent is left behind. By making graduate-level education accessible to these typically marginalized groups, One League is truly a disruptive force for good on today's higher education landscape.

    This unique episode touches on numerous topics, including:

    •modular and online education

    •corporate relations and philanthropy

    •recruiting and mentoring

    •Umaimah's advice to other deans

    Learn more about Umaimah Mendhro

    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

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    38 mins
  • 64: Adam Goodman (Northwestern) with Leadership Advice
    Jun 6 2025

    On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Jim Ellis and Ken Kring speak with Adam Goodman, Director of the Center for Leadership at Northwestern University, where he's also a Clinical Professor in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. With a career journey that began as a special assistant to the president of the University of Colorado, Adam has accumulated an incredible amount of knowledge about what it means to lead at the highest academic levels.

    In this edifying episode, Adam speaks from experience about a number of topics, including:

    •the interdisciplinary nature of leadership studies

    •the importance of developing leadership skills in academia

    •degree-granting leadership programs

    •some practical advice for new deans

    Learn more about Adam Goodman

    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

    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • 63: Paul Pavlou (Miami) on Realizing Moonshot Goals
    May 23 2025

    On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Jim Ellis and Ken Kring welcome Paul Pavlou, Dean of the University of Miami's Herbert Business School and Leonard M. Miller University Chair Professor. Recognized as one of the "World's Most Influential Scientific Minds," Paul earned a Ph.D. in Information Systems and a master’s in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor’s in electrical engineering and managerial studies, magna cum laude, from Rice University. Before arriving at UM, he served as Dean of the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston, where he helped raise over $150M in philanthropic gifts and commitments.

    With equally impressive backgrounds in information systems and fundraising, Paul is well-positioned to lead Miami Herbert into he future, as well as wax eloquently in this conversation on such subjects as:

    •engagement with industry

    •alumni relations

    •AI integration

    •the challenges ahead for higher education

    •the transformative life experience of being a dean

    Learn more about Paul Pavlou

    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

    Show More Show Less
    33 mins

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