2024 Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professors: Mark DesJardine, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College

Mark DesJardine
Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College

“Mark has been a knockout teacher for a long time. He was initially hired as an Assistant Professor at HEC Paris in 2016 and was the only professor allowed to teach in the school’s MBA program directly out of a PhD program. This speaks volumes to the confidence that not Mark, but his peers, had in his teaching abilities.

“Mark is also an extremely multidimensional professor, both in his teaching skills and content. Mark has redesigned traditional course offerings and also introduced new courses to the classroom. When tasked to teach Social Entrepreneurship at Tuck, Mark adopted the syllabus from a previous professor and completely rehauled it to transform the course into a type of “business incubator” for social business ideas. Students would come to class, work on specific aspects of testing and launching their ventures, and connect with seasoned entrepreneurship experts, including venture capitalists and angel investors. The students loved it, and rated Mark’s teaching in the course at a perfect 6.0 on a six-point scale.” – Vijay Govindarajan, Coxe Distinguished Professor of Management, Mach49 Faculty Partner

Mark DesJardine, 37, is Associate Professor and the Daniel R. Revers T’89 Faculty Fellow at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He is also a senior fellow at the Wharton ESG Analytics Laboratory.

He has won awards from both academic and industry communities for his research, including two emerging scholar awards and Canada’s Governor General’s Gold Medal. Prior to becoming a professor, Mark worked in investor relations. He holds a PhD in Business Administration and is a CFA Charterholder.

BACKGROUND

At current institution since what year? 2022
Education: PhD in Business Administration (Western University), CFA Charterholder
List of MBA courses you currently teach: Social Entrepreneurship

TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR

I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when… I thought about my grandfather Charles, who was an accomplished principal and teacher of a high school in Canada. In his last years, when I was visiting him in the hospital, nurses and administrators would recognize my grandfather from when he was their teacher and praise him for the dedication he showed when teaching them. He was loved by his students because he cared about them and had a major impact on their lives, and I wanted to do the same.

What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? The causes and consequences of shareholder activism and the conflicts of interest that can occur among different investors. A big insight we just discovered is that politicians can sway the dynamics of shareholder activist campaigns in big ways, based on how they respond to these campaigns.

If I weren’t a business school professor… A founder of a startup or working in private equity. Both require leadership, visionary thinking, and a deep understanding of strategy.

What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I deeply care about my students. It can be an unpopular message, but it says in Philippians 2:3–4 to “count others more significant than yourselves” and to “look to the interests of others.” I want my students to succeed and if I can do anything to help them have a bigger and more positive impact on others, I’ll do it.

One word that describes my first time teaching: Humbling

Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: If you’re tenure track, you’ll face a constant tension between research and teaching. It takes constant commitment and dedication to put your students first when faced with the rewards that can come from making big scientific discoveries in research.

Professor I most admire and why: Jonathan Haidt. He’s not only brilliant, but he’s not afraid to go against the current. It’s easy to be blackballed in an academic institution, especially if one doesn’t go with the “popular” opinion of the day. Haidt has courage to express a different view than the mainstream, which can get people thinking more constructively to benefit us all.

TEACHING MBA STUDENTS

What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? They are driven, eager and motivated to succeed. It keeps the classroom fun and lively.

What is most challenging? They are driven, eager and motivated to succeed. It makes teaching preparation demanding.

In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Humble.

In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Arrogant.

When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as… Transparent.

LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM

What are your hobbies? Camping. I have four children, all six years old or younger, and a loving wife. Getting outdoors, off the grid and all jammed into one six-person tent makes for intense bonding. It’s incredible – when it doesn’t rain.

How will you spend your summer? In a cabin on a lake north of Toronto, on the beaches of the New England coast, and in a pool. The more water, the better.

Favorite place(s) to vacation: Portugal. As a business professor, I care about return on investment. It’s the best value per dollar, in terms of natural beauty, the food, and culture.

Favorite book(s): Mere Christianity. It houses C.S. Lewis’ contemplations about God. It contributed to me realizing there was something bigger than myself.

What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? I rarely watch television, and strongly prefer books and writing.

What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? I like story-telling, and country music seems to do it best. I want a song to take me on a journey. Zach Bryan’s The Greatest Day of My Life is a hard one to beat right now.

THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS

If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this… community. Tuck alumni give more back to the school on an individual basis than anywhere else. We have a special community, and joining Tuck made me realize just how important having a sense of community is for the best MBA experience.

In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at… caring about their employees and customers. I mean deeply caring. Not thinking about employees and customers as a means to an end, often their wallets. But thinking about employees and customers as the end. Make their lives better and the rest will follow.

I’m grateful for… my life. A lot of things can run off the rails in someone’s life. Early on I got distracted from academic life and struggled immensely through high school, finishing with a cumulative average below 60%. Given my lack of commitment, every year my English teacher would tell me to take the more basic courses, reasoning that I wasn’t fit for the academic path. Because of my grades, my only academic option out of high school was entering community college.

After one year of relentless study, I finished with a 97% cumulative average and transferred to a university that accepted my application into business school, aided by its football coach recruiting me to his team. Needless to say, with all the ups and downs, I feel extremely fortunate to teach at a leading business school and college, and to teach students who are far brighter than me. Every day I get to do it is a blessing.

DON’T MISS: THE ENTIRE 2024 ROSTER OF THE WORLD’S BEST 40-UNDER-40 MBA PROFESSORS