Our guest today is Jim Ellis, Dean Emeritus at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business. You may know him better as one third of our triumvirate of Deans Counsel hosts.

Jim took a somewhat unusual path into higher education. Before joining USC, he spent nearly three decades in business as an entrepreneur and business leader, including serving as President and CEO of Porsche Design’s U.S. operations. He later joined the faculty at USC, where he became a highly regarded professor of marketing, served as Vice Provost for Globalization, and ultimately spent twelve years, from 2007 to 2019, as Dean of the Marshall School, transforming that business school in so many ways. His impact was profound and today, he continues to lend his advice both to USC and to Marshall.

That experience is at the heart of his new book, A Journey of Insights: Lessons in Leadership and Legacy, which brings together lessons gathered over more than five decades in business and higher education. A central idea in the book is deceptively simple: some of the most important lessons in leadership come not from talking, but from carefully and thoughtfully listening.

In our conversation, Jim reflects on his 12 years of service in higher education, and lends his insights into the skills and techniques that helped him chart a positive course for USC, including:

• The art of active listening

• The importance of emotional awareness

• Making decisions, often while operating with imperfect information

• His approach to philanthropy

• Building a story to deliver a key message

Learn more about Jim Ellis.

Jim's book, A Journey of Insights: Lessons in Leadership and Legacy, is published by Simon & Schuster and available now.

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

Our guest today is Dr. Rajiv Ranjan, Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs at Chandigarh University in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, a position he took on in March 2026. Prior to that, he served as Dean of Integral Business School, also in Lucknow, where his impactful leadership resulted in positive gains in most areas under his purview. Prior to moving into academia in 2024, Rajiv was a Principal Consultant and Associate Partner at Ernst & Young in India, where he specialized on initiatives and partnerships involving education.

In this fascinating conversation focused on his brief-but-effective tenure at IBS, Rajiv shares with us what he's learned in his career transition from consulting to academia, and how he turned that into a successful business school. Topics discussed include:

• Starting a new business school

• Managing risk

• Leveraging the corporate community

• Developing an AI philosophy

• Fostering new idea generation

• Nurturing leadership talent

Learn more about Rajiv Ranjan.

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 previously-published episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Bob Bruner, University Emeritus Professor, Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Business Administration and Dean Emeritus of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Bob is a giant in the field of deaning, and we're honored to have him on the show.

As the former longtime Dean of one of the top business schools in the country, Bob has the experience to speak with authority about the temperament that the position demands. A dean must be tough when needed, but also possess strong emotional intelligence -- qualities that are difficult to evaluate in the search process. In this conversation, Bob brings to bear the depth of his knowledge on this tricky intangible, as he addresses:

• The essential importance of clarity of purpose

• The many ways to evaluate temperament

• Mentorship and professional development

• The art of balancing anger and leadership

Learn more about Bob Bruner.

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