ISB Announces
Professor M Rammohan Rao
as New Dean from July 2004

‘Next phase of growth to focus on establishing world class research and thought leadership culture’ 

Hyderabad , April 18, 2004 : The Indian School of Business (ISB), one of Asia ’s leading B-Schools, announced the appointment of Professor M Rammohan Rao as the new Dean from July 1, 2004 .  Professor Rammohan Rao takes over from Professor Vijay Mahajan who served as Dean of the ISB since 2002. Professor Mahajan held a dual responsibility over the last two years, that of being the Dean of ISB, and also as the John P Harbin Centennial Chair in Business at the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin.  After completing his tenure at the ISB, Professor Mahajan returns to Austin to continue his role as the Professor of Marketing.

Making the announcement, Rajat Gupta, Chairman of the ISB, said, “Vijay Mahajan was a remarkable leader and a great Dean.  He ensured that the ISB made rapid strides during his tenure, and was instrumental in shaping the School into what it is today. He has led the ISB with phenomenal energy and enthusiasm.  I expect him to continue to support us in a number of ways.  We will miss him greatly.” 

Professor Vijay Mahajan said, “It was a privilege and an honour to have served as the Dean of the ISB. Rarely does one get the opportunity to be part of building a great institution and I have been very lucky to have been given such a wonderful privilege, Over the past two years, we faced several challenges but I also was able to overcome them with the tremendous support of the Board, the faculty, the students and the staff of the ISB. I am extremely pleased to see that the ISB has established itself as an excellent institution for management education in this country. I will always be associated with the ISB in a number of ways and will watch it grow from strength to strength. I wish Professor Rao the very best. He is an excellent academician and will lead the ISB to become a great B- school that India will be proud of.”

Speaking about the appointment of Professor Rao as the new Dean, Rajat Gupta said, “Dean Rao will lead the ISB through its next phase of growth and will help establish a strong research culture at the ISB.  His outstanding track record in management research and his international experience will help the ISB achieve its aspiration to be a world- class B- school and a management thought leader in India . The Executive Board of the ISB and I are extremely happy to have Professor Rao join us.”

Talking about his new role, Professor Rammohan Rao said, “It is an honour to be chosen to lead the ISB as its Dean.  It is also a great responsibility.  The ISB established its leadership in India in a very short period of time. I hope to build on all its strengths and help it make a mark for itself internationally.  The calibre of a top- class B-School is judged by its academic excellence and the quality of research it produces. During its next phase of growth, I will focus on creating a world class research culture at the ISB.”

Welcoming Professor Rao, Dipak Jain, Dean of the Kellogg School of Management, one of the partner Schools of ISB, said, “On behalf of Kellogg, I am delighted to welcome Professor Rammohan Rao to the ISB as its new Dean.  I feel confident that under his leadership, the ISB will march forward in becoming a leader in management research, and will begin to be counted among the top B-Schools globally.”

Professor Jagmohan Raju, Joseph J Aresty Professor of Marketing, The Wharton School, and  Area Leader of Marketing at the ISB, said, “The ISB is at a significant juncture of its growth.  Professor Rao’s strong credentials will help build ISB further as a B school par excellence. I am certain that his academic reputation will attract good quality research programmes to the ISB.”

Professor Rao has a PhD in Industrial Administration from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), and dual Masters’ degrees from CMU and Cornell University .  He was a tenured Professor of Operations Research at the Stern School of Business, New York University, and also taught at the University of Rochester and the University of Tennessee before joining IIM Bangalore. He has served as the Dean and the Director of IIM Bangalore.

Professor Rao is renowned for his research in the field of Operations Research.  He has published over 85 articles in various renowned professional journals, and has undertaken consultancy assignments for several companies. He currently serves on the boards of several companies and educational institutions.

Professor Rao is the recipient of the Fulkerson Prize sponsored by the Mathematical Programming Society and the American Mathematical Society.  He also won the Institute of Marketing and Management Award for Excellence as Top Management Educator.  

The ISB recently announced its successful placements for the Class of 2004.  It is increasing the number of students again this year from 220 to about 290. The new Class of 2005 commenced its one-year Post-Graduate Programme in Management on April 17, 2004 .

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