All organizations strive for successful leadership transitions - ones without time lost for planning or interruptions in achieving a long-term vision for growth. As one of the leading management schools, you would have expected the Weatherhead School of Management’s change at the top to be textbook. And it was.
Since stepping in as interim co-deans for the Weatherhead School of Management in September 2022, J.B. Silvers and Andrew Medvedev (CWR ’97) have worked together in crafting a new direction for the school. Silvers provided Medvedev with his deep knowledge of academia. Medvedev offered his view from outside the lecture halls and inside business. This made for a perfect partnership for the last year and a half. Now, Medvedev is ready to go solo, taking the vision they created together to move the school forward in order to meet the needs of a new generation of students and a changing business world.
Medvedev, an active alumnus and long-time investment banker and investor, will become the school’s dean, and Silvers, an expert in financial management and health services who has served on the faculty and in various leadership roles since 1979, will move to emeritus status as a senior fellow.
As interim co-deans, the pair successfully launched innovative programs such as the online MBA in product management; revamped the school’s development and alumni engagement strategy; and established the Office of Strategic Research Initiatives to drive thematic, interdisciplinary funded research opportunities.
“Andrew and J.B. have been instrumental in guiding Weatherhead through a period of transition,” said President Eric W. Kaler. “Andrew’s proven leadership and deep ties to the university make him an exceptional choice to lead Weatherhead into its next chapter, and J.B.’s decades of service, expertise, and passion for education have been invaluable. While we will miss his presence, we celebrate his well-deserved retirement.”
In his role as dean, which begins July 1, Medvedev aims to build upon the work he and Silvers have done since 2022. Among his goals: cultivating a culture of trust and belonging in the school, enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration and research, implementing impactful experiential learning, and creating a workplace in which innovation thrives. He envisions Weatherhead as the intellectual entrepreneur’s home of choice.
“I believe Weatherhead can be an audacious school solving the most urgent challenges in management,” Medvedev said. “I believe we get there by fostering a culture of excellence and innovation, attracting bold talent, making critical investments, and focusing on impacting how people think and act.”
Medvedev’s appointment reaffirms Weatherhead’s strategy as a pathbreaking, impact-focused institution that serves as the intellectual and talent hub of the management community.
“I am constantly impressed with Andrew’s vision and dedication,” Provost Joy K. Ward said, “and I have no doubt that, under his guidance, the school will emerge stronger than before.”