Ron Sibert

Market Development Director, Africa
Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)

Formerly a University of Delaware MBA Program director, Dr. Sibert led Full-time, Part-time and Executive MBA programmes as well as MBA career services. Earlier public policy-related accomplishments at the University culminated in his appointment as chairperson of the Governor’s Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens with related policy oversight responsibility for the State Department of Education. In addition, he served for 3 years on the board of directors of the Ph.D. Project, an organization dedicated to increasing diversity among professors in U.S. business schools.

What makes business schools relevant? While Africa has a critical need for skilled managers, many talented candidates pursue training and careers abroad. African business schools are perfectly positioned to play a pivotal role in closing the management skill gap. They can do so more effectively by retaining more of Africa’s most talented candidates.

How could business schools increase their impact exponentially? African business schools could increase their impact exponentially by developing and uniformly adopting globally recognized admission and quality standards that enable them to compete favorably with their foreign counterparts while retaining their distinctive regional relevance. Adoption of common admission and quality standards would provide focal points around which a cohesive community of African business schools could be established—thereby increasing their impact exponentially.

Education: B.S., Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia; MBA in Finance and Ph.D. in Public Policy—both from the University of Delaware.