Sri Zaheer: The Accidental Dean

“Growing up in a small town in India, I was influenced by my dad, a chemist by profession, and an innovator and risk-taker by nature. He set an example for me to keep experimenting, and to keep trying new things. At first, I set my heart on physics. But—to my surprise—my dad pushed business instead. It’d give me a better life, he explained. After earning an MBA, I started climbing the corporate ladder. Working as a systems analyst, moving to finance and leading an IPO, then working as an internal auditor for a multinational company were challenging, interesting, and even creative tasks. These roles taught me how to listen, a lesson I have applied countless times since.

“It helped me as a journalist for Business International in Nigeria, where we moved when my husband accepted a job there. It opened doors to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, where teaching a sophomore managerial economics course opened a whole new career path, which led us across the ocean to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Joining MIT’s PhD program—not to mention becoming parents—brought a host of exciting new perspectives to life. Somehow, we navigated it all, landing in Minnesota in 1991. Now, 31 years later, we’re still here.

I’ve learned that leadership is all about listening. I’ve learned that business is intrinsically a force for good. I’ve learned that stuff happens. Pretty good stuff, too, if you’re open to it. My path to becoming dean of the Carlson School was not by design. Let’s call it a series of accidents.

"Landing in Minnesota was the happiest accident! My family and I have been incredibly fortunate to call Minnesota home. The intellectual atmosphere at the Carlson School is unmatched, as is our connection to the dynamic, influential business community. Our students and alumni, spread across more than 100 countries, use business as a force for good every day. Our staff and faculty are deeply dedicated to the mission of developing human potential. It’s been the pleasure of a lifetime to lead the Carlson School for the last decade. Our school is strong, and it is thanks to the efforts of so many of you. No one knows what the future holds, but I’m confident the Carlson School, with all of your support, energy, and effort, will continue to be the northern star of business education.”

—Sri Zaheer, 

Dean, Carlson School of Management