Currently Dean of Yale School of Management, Edward A. Snyder has held two other business school deanships (Chicago and Virginia) and was Senior Associate Dean at University of Michigan Business School.

Snyder is a strong defender of management education, having stated that the MBA is the most successful professional degree in modern history based on its general value in developing an understanding of (i) markets and competition and (ii) organizations, networks, and leadership. He foresees a greater weight going forward on a “third competency”, i.e., the ability to navigate the complexities within and across societies.

Snyder has been critical of the “students are customers” view of education, and has articulated an alternative view that sets expectations and emphasizes feedback. ¹

Snyder has had extraordinary success with various business school rankings. At Michigan, when he was Senior Associate Dean in charge of the MBA program and part of a team led by B. Joseph White, the school rose to the No. 2 spot on the BusinessWeek rankings. While at Virginia, Darden reached No. 9 in BusinessWeek. When Snyder arrived at Chicago in 2001, the school never had had a No. 1 ranking and was ranked No. 10 in BusinessWeek. In 2006, during his tenure at Chicago, the school moved to No. 1 in BusinessWeek and has continued to hold the position. Chicago also gained two No. 1 rankings in the Economist during his tenure.

Snyder also is a prolific fundraiser. He first developed a reputation for fundraising at Darden, and later was called a business school turnaround specialist by The Wall Street Journal based on his performance at Darden and Chicago Booth. ²

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