Watch Raj’s interview with Chris Conetzkey below

What initially sparked your interest in your current field or industry?
Growing up in India, my parents always emphasized the importance of higher education. In fact, my grandfather was a college teacher. But my interest truly sparked during my time at Oklahoma City University, where I came to study business as a graduate student. And it all started when I met my marketing professor, Dr. Thomas Brown, who also happened to be a former Oklahoma City University business dean. I was his graduate assistant, and I fell in love with everything that makes American higher education the best in the world: rigorous academic research, transformational teaching, the serene campus, everything! I went on to pursue my PhD in marketing with a research focus on sales management at Kent State after completing my MBA from Oklahoma City University. 

Who or what has had the most influence on your leadership style?
I would not say one person or situation, but it has been a process. I met a few extremely wonderful people who shaped my student-centric leadership style. For example, Dr. Hugh Sherman, former business dean and President of Ohio University. He saw something in me and promoted me to become the department chair at Ohio University at a very early stage of my academic career. This conversation cannot be done without mentioning my predecessor, David Spalding, whose leadership in the last seven years has transformed me in so many ways and he continues to be my coach and mentor. 

What are you most proud of professionally right now?
My tenure, so far, in the Ivy College of Business has been the most rewarding of my professional career, from launching the Ivy Sales Forum to preparing students to be job-ready, leading our custom education initiative, and expanding our outreach to Iowa businesses. I am extremely excited about the new role as it provides me with an opportunity to serve our students, providing an excellent education that prepares them for professional success, and cementing Ivy’s position as a premier institution for all the stakeholders!

What does a typical day – or a great day – look like in your role?
I started my new role on July 1, and since then, it’s been all about listening and learning. I am in conversation with my team, my colleagues, and other college deans within Iowa State. I feel empowered by the end of the day, as I feel I know more about our great college. I am so looking forward to the fall semester when students come back and classes start. 

What’s a challenge you’re navigating that others might not see from the outside?
AI is something that we’re all still trying to figure out. I think we’ve done some things in our college that are helping to better prepare our students to deal with a world where AI is going to play an important role, but I think there’s more work that’s going to have to be done. It’s a constantly evolving story at this point in terms of exactly what AI is going to do for us and how to best optimize or take advantage of that new technology.

But I think the biggest challenge will be related to the enrollment cliff. The decline in fertility rates in the United States, which began in 2008, is going to show signs of impact on higher education in the next couple of years. But the Ivy College of Business is best positioned to address these challenges. The experience we offer inside and outside the classroom will be our distinction. 

What are you most excited about in the next 12-18 months?
A few areas make me excited. I see Ivy expanding its footprint in the AI domain, especially ethical changes associated with the prevalent use of AI. I am excited to lead Ivy collaboratively and leverage our collective strengths to ensure sustained success. I am really excited about our students. They are the reason why we do what we do. I cannot wait to see how things unfold when we all commit to shared governance. I believe Ivy will thrive by serving different constituents and benefiting from a multi-stakeholder team. 

What kind of advice would you offer someone earlier in their leadership journey?
Be authentic. Give your best to every role or responsibility, big or small, assigned to you. Big success is nothing but the accumulation of tiny, small successes. Believe in you, build relationships, and more importantly, surround yourself with people smarter and better than you.  

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