BITS School of Management, Mumbai (BITSoM), has appointed Saravanan Kesavan as its new Dean. With a tenure of 16 years at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, notably as the Associate Dean of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Kesavan brings with him a wealth of experience.
He has a doctorate in technology and operations management from Harvard Business School, advanced degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and a B-Tech from IIT Madras. Kesavan takes over from BITSoM’s Founding Dean, Ranjan Banerjee, who has decided to explore opportunities outside the business school environment.
Kumar Mangalam Birla, BITS Chancellor, commented on the transition, “As the world undergoes rapid technological and societal shifts, the role of premier institutions like BITSoM becomes even more crucial in shaping the future of business leadership and innovation. Dr Kesavan, with his deep understanding of global education trends, will no doubt steer BITSoM to new heights.”
A dedicated researcher, Dr Kesavan’s contributions have appeared in prestigious journals like Management Science, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management (MSOM), and Production & Operations Management. His research has been featured in mainstream media such as The New York Times, The Economist, Forbes and was acknowledged in the 2022 Economic Report of the US President.