kurt dirks
University of Utah President Mitzi M. Montoya announced that Kurt Dirks has accepted an offer to become dean of the David Eccles School of Business. Dirks is Professor of Business Leadership at Bank of America and Director of the Bauer Leadership Center at Washington University Olin School of Business (WashU) in St. Louis. He will assume his new role on July 1, 2024.
Mr. Dirks has been on the public and private business school faculty for more than 20 years and has held multiple senior leadership roles, including senior associate dean, interim dean, and acting dean of WashU at the Olin School of Business. He serves as senior advisor to the president of WashU, developing vision, strategy, planning, and funding to develop students as leaders who are prepared to live lives of purpose, integrity, and impact. Masu. Dirks' focus on values-based leadership fuels his commitment to promoting access and success for all students, regardless of background, identity, or major. Across his various roles, he was instrumental in raising more than $30 million in endowments to support student and faculty research.
“Dr. Dirks joins our campus with a wealth of experience and understanding of what it means to achieve excellence in research and teaching and the importance of leading by example,” Montoya said. he said. “I look forward to working with him as he works with us across campus and the community to achieve the university’s mission of supporting student success and positive impact on society.”
Mr. Dirks was selected following an extensive national search chaired by Rory Hume, Dean of the School of Dentistry, and Bill Hesterly, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy in the David Eccles School of Management.
As dean of the David Eccles School of Business, Mr. Dirks is responsible for the professional MBA program, ranked No. 5 in the West by U.S. News & World Report, and the faculty's No. 2 ranking. He will oversee top-tier programs, including entrepreneurship. In the West by Princeton Review. The Eccles School is home to his four institutes and his five centers, which support research and policy work in economics, social change and transformative learning opportunities. Mr Dirks will further the Eccles School's mission to develop strategic leaders, embrace diverse backgrounds and apply ethical principles to create value.
“I am excited to be joining the University of Utah, one of the great public universities in the country,” Dirks said. “Public universities changed my life by leading me to a rewarding career that I could not have imagined or achieved at any other university. Students from all backgrounds attend the university and pursue their passions. I look forward to helping them pursue the same possibilities.”
Rachel Hayes has been a professor of accounting and a faculty member at the university since 2005, and has been dean of the Eccles School since 2021. She has held numerous faculty and university positions, including the George S. Eccles and Dolores Dore Eccles Presidential Endowment. She is Professor of Ethical Financial Reporting and Associate Dean for Faculty and Research. She will take a well-deserved break after completing her term in June.
“I am grateful to Dr. Hayes for his steady leadership of the Eccles School,” Montoya said. “Students, faculty and staff were inspired by her dedication to the school and academic work at the institution.”
