On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Brooke Elliott, the Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor in Business and Dean of Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She leads the College in developing a compelling, strategic vision while continuing to build upon its distinctive brand and identity. This includes assessing and expanding Gies Business’ portfolio of on-campus and online programs to strengthen its position as an innovative leader among the nation’s best business schools.

Prior to her current role, Brooke served as Executive Associate Dean of Academic Programs and EY Professor in Gies College of Business where she was responsible for providing strategic oversight of the Gies portfolio of academic degree and non-degree programs. Brooke also served as Associate Dean of Online where she was responsible for the development and execution of Gies’ strategy in online education and Head of the Department of Accountancy in Gies, leading one of the most innovative and high ranked accounting departments in the world.

This conversation with Brooke touches on several topics, including:

- Managing continual innovation

- Leveraging on-line learning

- AI and Accounting

- Handling the drop in int’l students

- Building a new business minor

- Revenue management

Learn more about Brooke Elliott.

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

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, hosts Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with David Thomas, President of Morehouse College and Dean and William Berkeley Chair (retired) at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business.

Since his installment in January 2018, he has led dynamic, purpose-driven advancement in Morehouse’s strategic and operational effectiveness, programmatic reach, and pedagogical innovation. Among other transformational successes, Dr. Thomas has overseen a fundraising acceleration which has generated nearly $330 million since his arrival—a giving total during his tenure that is higher than during any other presidential tenure in the history of the college. Under his leadership, Morehouse has extended its reach by launching its first online degree programs and has amplified its positioning as a center of intellectual discourse and social engagement in areas such as global leadership, professional equity, social justice, and innovation.

Our discussion with David covers many topics, among them:

- David's theory of transformation leadership

- his Georgetown journey

- building a strategic plan vs following strategic principles

- approaching curricular change and completely designing an MBA curriculum

- building student excellence

Learn more about David Thomas.

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, hosts Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Stowe Shoemaker, a current Special Assistant to the President at UNLV, and until 2025 the Dean of UNLV's Dean Harah College of Hospitality.

Since becoming Dean in 2013, Stowe has been active in advancing the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality to meet — and exceed — the Top Tier goals set by the university. His long and varied career in hospitality and gaming has garnered him numerous scholarly grants and honors including a Lincy Professorship, Michael D. Olsen Research Award, and many others.

In this instructive conversation, Stowe talks about what he's learned at the intersection of business and hospitality in higher education, including:

- how hospitality education has evolved and where’s it headed

- the benefits and drawbacks to the current trend of blending of hospitality into many business school programs

- the value proposition of management education

- The Enrollment Cliff

Learn more about Stowe Shoemaker.

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

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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, hosts Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Steve Currall, Executive Director and Associate Vice Provost for Academic-Corporate Initiatives at Harvard University, where he leads that school’s efforts to build multi-dimensional collaborations with major corporations and external stakeholders in support of research and innovation.

Trained as a psychologist, Steve previously served as president of the University of South Florida, provost of Southern Methodist University, and dean of the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Davis.

In our discussion with Steve, he touches on several topics that have informed his long career in higher education:

- the role universities can play in advancing society

- advice on building corporate relations

- insightful reflections on academic leadership

- leveraging academic leadership to gain exposure to cross-campus initiatives

Learn more about Steve Currall.

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

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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, hosts Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Chandra Subramaniam, Dean of David Nazarian College of Business and Economics at California State University Northridge. He has also served as the Interim Dean, Associate Dean for Students and Programs, Chair of the Department of Accounting, and Professor of Accounting at the University of Texas at Arlington College of Business.

As Dean at CSUN, Chandra has focused on making his college's specific and unique demographic successful by developing programs to enhance student skills and experience, find internships, and supporting students financially and academically. He's gained some valuable insights along the way, including:

- Students are hardworking but need help with social skills

- the importance of integrating CSUN into the LA community at large

- Addressing student food and financial insecurities

- Introducing students to competition as a tool to gain experience

- Identifying threats and opportunities for this demographic

Learn more about Chandra Subramaniam.

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

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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, hosts Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Bob Shepard, a true veteran in philanthropic circles with a storied career spanning roughly 40 years, much of that running Duke University's philanthropic efforts.

Today, Bob is a consultant with Grenzebach Glier & Associates, a full-service philanthropic management consulting firm (and now a part of Huron Consulting Group), where he continues to help shape philanthropic efforts at a variety of universities.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into this area of philanthropy and glean some incredibly helpful observations and advice from a true pro in the field, covering topics such as:

- Different approaches to dealing with the Ask

- The necessity of having a solid development officer

- Private or public organizational structure

- Navigating conflict between athletics and academics units

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

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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, hosts Jim Ellis, Dave Ikenberry and Ken Kring speak with Vallabh "Samba" Sambamurthy, the Albert O. Nicholas Dean of the Wisconsin School of Business. Recognized as an impactful administrator, attentive leader, and preeminent scholar in the areas of innovation and digital strategy, Dr. Sambamurthy brings extensive experience to the dean position.

Samba has been recognized for his contributions to teaching, research, outreach, and mentoring. This varied discussion focuses on his efforts at building relationships with communities beyond campus borders, and collects Samba's ideas on such issues as:

- Outreach to parents

- Building a fundamentally rich Exec Ed curriculum

- His holistic approach to corporate relations

- Nurturing corporate relationships which aid faculty research

- Using CRMs

Learn more about Samba Sambamurthy.

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

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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

[This recording of Deans Counsel originally published on July 25, 2025 as episode #67.]

On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis and Ken Kring speak with Blair Sheppard, Special Advisor to Duke Kunshan University, and previously Dean of Duke's Fuqua School of Business. Blair is responsible for directing all of Duke Kunshan's fundraising, corporate development, non-degree program development and regional development for the newly formed campus in China.

From 2012-2024, Blair served as Global Leader for Strategy and Leadership at PwC, where he focused on building resilient strategies and leadership for PwC worldwide, and further sharpened his ability to see further into the future than most of the rest of us.

In this episode, we hear very compelling observations from Blair about four key mega-trends -- climate, technology, global forces and aging -- that he feels will fundamentally reshape every aspect of society (including business, of course).

With us, he shares some insight into how business schools, through their research and teaching, must soon lean into these abrupt changes in societal needs. In so doing, he also lends advice as to how we as leaders should go about the change process of taking faculty through this difficult process, touching on topics such as:

- Why some long-held assumptions are no longer holding

- Our rapidly changing world's impact on curriculum

- Rethinking the teaching of strategy

- How Ai will shape demand for the MBA

Learn more about Blair Sheppard.

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