On July 1, 2024, Dean Raghu Sundaram officially steps down as NYU Stern’s Dean, taking on the newly created role of Senior Vice-Chancellor and Head of Global Strategy for New York University.

 

Appointed by NYU President Linda Mills, Dean Sundaram will no doubt bring to bear myriad talents that are destined to spur strategic innovations, and forge meaningful and lasting partnerships for NYU globally. However, he will be sorely missed by the entire Stern community.

 

If you aren’t already aware, the name “Raghu” means “the swift one” in Sanskrit, an apt descriptor for beloved Dean Sundaram, who has moved at warp speed in his six-plus years as head of the Stern School to engage, enliven, and elevate Stern’s community and brand around the world.

 

To quote President Mills: “Raghu’s tenure as Dean has been, in a word, outstanding. On essentially every measure—fundraising, admissions, job placements for students, strategic expansion (both globally and online), research—his deanship has been marked by success after record-setting success.”

 

In fact, under Dean Sundaram’s deanship, Stern broke records on multiple dimensions—highest GMAT, highest GPA, highest MBA compensation, largest gifts in the School’s history—not to mention securing a leading position at the intersection of tech and entrepreneurship with innovations such as Endless Frontier Labs, the Andre Koo Tech and Entrepreneurship MBA, and the Anand Khubani Business, Technology and Entrepreneurship Program.

 

“Words cannot adequately express what a privilege it has been to serve as Stern’s Dean and what a gift it has been to work with the members of such an extraordinary community of faculty, students, administrators, staff, and alumni,” said Dean Sundaram in his announcement to the Stern community.

 

But a picture can paint a thousand words. Following are snapshots from throughout Dean Sundaram’s tenure as Dean along with sentiments about him from members of the Stern community.

 

NYU Leadership and Stern Board Members Share Their Sentiments

"Raghu is one of those rare people who brings together raw discipline and ambition with real leadership, empathy, and the ability to connect with people, while holding himself and everybody around him to a very high standard.”

— DIETRICH BECKER (MBA ’91), partner and president of Perella Weinberg Partners

 

“Raghu has done an incredible job in raising the quality at every level of Stern, from faculty to students to how people look at the School. I couldn’t be more proud.”

— WILLIAM BERKLEY (BS ’66), Founder of W. R. Berkley Corporation

 

“When you see him with students, he’s warm, he’s very thoughtful, he’s understanding, he listens, which I really appreciate.”

— DAVID KO (BS ’93), CEO and member of the Board of Directors of Calm

 

“We accomplished almost everything we set out to accomplish. Raghu is one of the brightest, most hardworking people I have ever known, and it’s been an amazing journey working alongside him.”

— ANDRE J.L. KOO (MBA ’94), Chair, Stern Executive Board, and Chairman of Chailease Group

 

"Every single thing Raghu touched, he made it better. As a grateful alum, thank you from the bottom of my heart, because we are where we are today in good part because of Raghu's vision and leadership."

— KENNETH LANGONE (MBA ’60), Founder and CEO of Invemed Associates LLC

 

"He saw that his alumni and the School were more global, and put together a Board that was more global, which now offers more diverse perspectives and more of a global presence.”

— ALISON MASS (BS ’80, MBA ’81), Chairman of the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs

 

“Raghu is the embodiment of what is possible at NYU when you have a leader who knows how to bring other people along on that journey to that greatness. It’s truly astonishing.”

— LINDA MILLS, President, NYU

 

“Raghu, in my opinion, is unique. His ability to accomplish, his ability to lead fearless of new ideas and new programs. Not a show off, not looking for credit. He just gets the job done.”

— LEONARD STERN (BS ’57, MBA ’59), Chairman and CEO of The Hartz Group

 

A Deanship in Photos

Dean Raghu Sundaram with Henry Kaufman (Arts ’48, PhD, center)

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at a Full-Time MBA Launch event

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at a fireside chat with David Ko (BS ’93)

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at the Dean's Welcome Tour 2018 in London

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at a fireside chat with Ken Langone (MBA ’60)

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at the ribbon cutting for the Elizabeth Elting (MBA ’92) Lecture Hall

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at an MBA Launch Event

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at the establishment of the Chao-Hon Chen Institute for Global Real Estate Finance with Charles Chen (MBA ’91, center)

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at MBA Convocation

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at a fireside chat with Alan Gallo (BS ’87, MBA ’90, right)

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at a Fertitta MBA veterans luncheon with Lorenzo Fertitta (MBA ’93)

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram with Mark Cuban (center)

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at the Dean's Alumni Breakfast Reception in Taipei

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at the Dean’s Welcome Tour in Mumbai

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram celebrating the Endless Frontier Labs graduating cohort

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at the launch of Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi one-year Full-Time MBA Program

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram with EMBA DC students

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at the launch of the Fubon Center for Technology, Business and Innovation with Richard Tsai (MBA ’81)

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram and Andre J.L. Koo (MBA ’94) celebrating the Andre Koo Tech MBA Program

 

Dean Raghu Sundaram at a fireside chat with John Paulson (BS ’78, center)