"Senior Director for Custom Solutions, Executive Education"

The Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management (Owen) is seeking a bold, collaborative, and entrepreneurial leader to serve as its Senior Director for Custom Solutions, Executive Education.

Owen is one of the world's top business schools. Its rigorous curriculum, world-class faculty, and dynamic learning environment have consistently produced top-tier graduates. Owen is building the next generation of leaders through collaboration and a portfolio of programs that focuses on creating opportunities for its faculty, staff, and students to discover, grow, and thrive in business and beyond.

Transformation lies at the core of Owen's mission, and this is a particularly game-changing period in the school's history. Vanderbilt is a growth-minded university, and Owen is a key player in that strategy as the university looks to expand its business education and computing programs to West Palm Beach and explore an enhanced presence in New York City with a campus in Chelsea. Since Dean Thomas Steenburgh joined Owen in 2023, he has developed a new mission statement, moved Vanderbilt's undergraduate business degree to Owen, enhanced program offerings, and grown enrollment. A new state-of-the-art facility reinforces Owen's commitment to an unparalleled learning environment. Redesigned classrooms, gathering spaces, and a new multi-purpose space foster collaborative and academically enriching study environments.

The Senior Director for Custom Solutions, Executive Education, will be asked to infuse Owen's "Discover, Grow, and Thrive" mission into its Executive Education efforts. In particular, the Senior Director will be expected to strategically grow the Executive Education portfolio, nurture program innovation, amplify faculty and staff engagement to enhance Executive Education offerings and delivery, foster collaboration and synergy with university partners, and elevate Executive Education marketing.

The ideal candidate will possess deep knowledge of Executive Education, bring a creative and collaborative mindset, exhibit strong analytical and listening skills, and demonstrate the ability to work well with senior colleagues, C-suite executives, and Vanderbilt faculty to diagnose organizational learning needs and co-create impactful solutions. The ability to proactively identify and cultivate relationships that contribute to new client acquisition and the growth of existing client engagement, and a willingness to aggressively engage in prospecting and the pursuit of leads will be essential for success. Agile and flexible thinking, the ability to communicate with transparency and candor, and skill in leveraging the talents and commitment of colleagues will be assets for the role.

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Owen draws from a city that has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, emerging as a vibrant hub for business, technology, and innovation. The city's dynamic and diverse economy, coupled with its rich cultural offerings, makes it an attractive destination for prospective students and working professionals. Owen has an enrollment of over 650 students in its MBA, Executive MBA, Global MBA for Executives, Master of Science in Finance, Master of Accountancy, Master of Marketing, and Master of Management in Health Care programs. In addition, the Owen School oversees the Hoogland Undergraduate Business Program, a trans-institutional business minor designed to complement students' strong liberal arts education. Owen's student body represents a broad range of backgrounds from across the U.S. and more than 40 countries.

Owen Executive Education, established in 1991, offers open-enrollment, certificate, and custom programs for practicing managers across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, technology, energy, retail, construction, and hospitality. More than 6,000 executives from diverse industries and functions have developed and sharpened their skills through Owen's programs.

WittKieffer is assisting Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management in this search. The review of candidate materials has begun and will continue until an appointment has been made.

Applications, nominations, and inquiries can be directed to Shelley Arakawa, J.D. and Maya Holt-Brockenbrough, Ph.D at VanderbiltBusiness-ExecEd@wittkieffer.com.

To apply, please visit the WittKieffer website for the search or contact VanderbiltBusiness-ExecEd@wittkieffer.com.

Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.