UVA Darden Taps Korn Ferry To Lead Hunt For New Dean

The University of Virginia has retained executive search giant Korn Ferry to help identify the next dean of the UVA Darden School of Business, formally launching a nationwide search to replace former dean Scott Beardsley, who stepped down from the role to become president of the University of Virginia on Jan. 1.

Until a permanent dean is named, longtime Darden professor Mike Lenox is serving as interim leader. Lenox, who joined the Darden faculty in 2008, took over when Beardsley moved to the university’s top job after nearly eight years as dean. Lenox has already informed university officials that he does not intend to be a candidate for the permanent position.

University officials say the search will be guided by a committee chaired by interim executive vice president and provost Brie Gertler and Darden marketing professor Ron Wilcox. Wilcox joined the Darden faculty in 2001. He was formerly an assistant professor at the Carnegie Mellon Graduate School of Industrial Administration and an economist for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The announcement comes a day after Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business concluded its search for a new dean by naming an insider, interim dean Mary Frances Luce, as its new leader after a national search assisted by headhunters Spencer Stuart. Darden also has two obvious internal candidates: Yael Grushka-Cockayne and Melissa Thomas-Hunt, who were both appointed vice deans in February of last year, would immediately become clear favorites in any search. Grushka-Cockayne, a master teacher at a school best known for its superb MBA teaching faculty, is currently senior associate dean for the flagship full-time residential MBA program. Thomas-Hunt, who has worked for both IBM and Airbnb, is senior associate dean for professional degree programs. Both are highly accomplished, dynamic and impactful players.

SEARCH BEGINS AS DARDEN BUILDS ON BEARDSLEY ERA 

The committee includes faculty members, administrators, foundation board members, and two MBA students in an effort to capture a broad cross-section of the Darden community.

“Given Darden’s extraordinary momentum, I am confident we will attract and appoint an exceptional new dean,” Gertler said in announcing the search.

The launch of the search begins the formal process of selecting the 10th dean of Darden, one of the world’s most prominent case-method business schools.

During Beardsley’s tenure, the school expanded its portfolio of degree programs, strengthened its executive education operations, and saw its MBA employment outcomes remain among the strongest in the industry. His move to the UVA presidency created one of the most high-profile dean openings in business education this year.

The committee has already begun holding open listening sessions with faculty and staff to gather feedback on the leadership qualities and experience the community wants in Darden’s next dean. Members of the school were also invited to submit comments via email.

“Darden’s next dean will build on a foundation of academic excellence and strong community,” Wilcox said. “We are eager to hear from across the School as we define the qualities and experiences that will position Darden for continued success.”

A BROAD SEARCH COMMITTEE 

The search committee includes faculty members from across the school along with representatives from UVA and the Darden Foundation board. Among the faculty members serving are Saed Alizamer, Allison Elias, Martin Davidson, Pnina Feldman, and Kinda Hachem. Craig Lefanowicz of the McIntire School of Commerce is also serving as the Faculty Senate representative.

Administrators on the committee include Dawna Clarke, special advisor to the dean and ambassador; David Kutas, senior director for client solutions in Darden Executive Education and Lifelong Learning; and Joanne Meier, senior assistant dean for instructional and digital initiatives.

The school’s foundation board is represented by Jim Cooper, John Fowler, and Mandy Lozano. Two MBA students — Alexa Bartels from the full-time MBA program and D’Auria Henry-Brown from the part-time MBA — are also serving on the committee.

KORN FERRY TO LEAD NATIONAL SEARCH 

To help identify candidates, UVA turned to Korn Ferry, one of the largest executive search firms in the world and a frequent partner for universities recruiting senior academic leaders.

Catherine Lindqvist, UVA’s senior advisor for executive talent, will work alongside the firm and support the search committee throughout the process.

The committee says feedback gathered in the listening sessions will be used to craft a formal position specification for the role and guide the next stage of the search. Darden announced that additional details on the search process and opportunities for community input are expected to be released as the process unfolds.

DON’T MISS: Darden’s Interim Dean Does Not Want To Be The School’s Permanent Leader or Meet Virginia Darden’s MBA Class Of 2026

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