Sanjay Sharma recruited by Vermont
Sanjay Sharma, Dean of the John Molson School of Business, will take up a new position as Dean of the School of Business Administration at the University of Vermont (UVM) on July 1, 2011. His wife, Pramodita Sharma, a professor in the Department of Management at JMSB, will join him at UVM in Burlington, Vermont, where she will hold the Sanders Professorship as of September 1, 2011.
“Sanjay has been a dynamic force for distinction at Concordia, and it is no surprise that his expertise, strategic focus and contributions to our university would be appreciated beyond our community,” said President Fred Lowy. “We are grateful for his leadership at JMSB, which produced tangible results that will benefit the Faculty and Concordia for years to come.”
Sharma’s guidance of JMSB has been rewarding for its students, faculty, staff and alumni, and has garnered worldwide recognition for the Faculty.
The Economist ranked JMSB’s MBA program among the 100 best globally and the Financial Times placed the school’s EMBA program in the top 100. The Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey of business schools put JMSB 34th in the world in integrating social and environmental stewardship issues into its full-time MBA curriculum.
Corporate Knights magazine graded JMSB third overall in its survey of Canadian schools’ success in integrating sustainability. The Princeton Review, which produces rankings based on how students rate their schools and recognizes excellence across several criteria, included JMSB in its list of the best 300 business schools worldwide.
“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to have a scholar and academic leader of Sanjay's calibre at Concordia. JMSB has made great strides under his leadership and is now well positioned to build on its recent successes,” said Provost David Graham. “I join all members of the Concordia community in wishing Sanjay and Pramodita every success at the University of Vermont.”
During his term at JMSB, Sharma presided over the inauguration of the 15-storey John Molson School of Business Building, built in accordance with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification requirements.
He attracted high-calibre faculty members and students, raised the Faculty’s research profile and helped garner funding for research professorships, chairs and important initiatives such as the David O’Brien Centre for Sustainable Enterprise, a world-class, multi-disciplinary research hub.
Sharma’s strategic focus and support in ensuring that students gain practical experience in applying their knowledge resulted in over 110 podium finishes in national and international business case competitions during his tenure—an enviable record.
“I will look back on my four years at JMSB with satisfaction for the determination with which we pursued our goal of excellence in higher education and research, while strengthening the connection between our school and the increasingly complex, global and sustainable business environment,” said Sharma. “JMSB is on the right path to further raising its global profile and achieving great things in research and the practical application of specialized business knowledge.”
Sharma became the Dean of the John Molson School of Business on August 1, 2007, joining Concordia from Wilfrid Laurier University, in Waterloo, Ontario, where he was the Canada Research Chair in Organizational Sustainability, and professor of policy and Director of the Centre for Responsible Organizations at Laurier’s School of Business and Economics. His academic career followed 16 years of senior management experience with multinational corporations on three continents.
“We will begin the search process for the next JMSB Dean over the next few weeks, and keep the Concordia community informed of developments,” said Graham. “In the meantime, Sanjay will continue as Dean until June 30 and help guide the transition to new leadership.”
Related links:
• Concordia University John Molson School of Business
• University of Vermont School of Business Administration