Dean gives insights into the future of Ross Business School in Michigan on its 100th anniversary
To say that educator Sharon Matusik is living her dream would be an understatement.
Matusik, the Edward J. Frey Dean of the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business, has been on a roll since taking over as head of the nationally renowned business school nearly two years ago.
In one of her first public appearances since leaving her position as dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder, she met with Ross graduates in Plymouth in November 2022.
At the event, Matusik was interviewed by one of the most influential women in business – GM Chairman/CEO Mary Barra – as well as Barra’s husband, Tony Barra, who earned his Master of Business Administration from the school. Matusik had never met the couple before.
The situation may have been frightening for some, but not for Matusik. In fact, it was a moment when Matusik, who grew up outside Chicago where her father worked on GM’s assembly line, was forced to pinch herself.
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“I was a little overwhelmed when I met Mary Barra,” she told me. “I admire everything she has done at GM in terms of safety, sustainability and valuing those who work for her. She is a visionary leader and has incredible skills to lead a very large organization into that future. … She is truly a role model for our students and alumni who aspire to be the leaders of the future.”
Preparing young people for the jobs of the future and helping their communities have been the pillars of the school since its founding 100 years ago. The business school was then called the University of Michigan School of Business Administration.
Today, Ross has over 4,000 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs and over 57,000 graduates.
Including:
- Car designer John DeLorean
- Former GM CEO Roger Smith
- Tiffanie Boyd, Senior Vice President at McDonald’s USA
- The late former owner of the Detroit Pistons, William Davidson
- US Representative John James
- Doug Meijer and his brother Hank Meijer
- Google co-founder Larry Page
- Syntel founder Bahrat Desai
- Peter Hoekstra, Chairman of the Republicans in Michigan
- Former Ambassador Ron Weiser
- Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud
““We provide students with practical knowledge and skills so they can have a positive impact on the world,” said Matusik.
Celebrating a centennial is a big deal, and Matusik told me the school is planning some special events this fall to mark the occasion.
The Ross School’s reputation is well documented. If you pick up a national magazine like U.S. News & World Report or Forbes, you’ll find Ross in their annual list of the best undergraduate and MBA business programs, and usually at the top.
Brian Tauber earned a dual law degree and MBA from UM, attracted by its national reputation and the flexibility of dual degrees.
After graduating, he worked for the late U.S. Senator Carl Levin, former U.S. Representative Sander Levin, and former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer Sr. He then joined Complex Tooling & Molding and acquired the company’s North Carolina manufacturing facility.
“We grew sales from $15 million (annual revenue) with one plant to $70 million with international operations,” said Tauber, who served as CEO. He sold the company in 2021 and is now pursuing his passion while giving back.
“I’m going into my third year as girls basketball coach at Aspen High School (Colorado) and will be teaching a constitutional law course there,” he said.
His parents also have degrees from UM. His father, Joel Tauber, earned his law degree and MBA and supported the Tauber Institute for Global Operations, founded in 1993 and a joint program between Ross and UM’s engineering school.
I, too, am a graduate and got my MBA from UM. I have seen the influence of the Ross School in some interesting places. Most clearly in Xian, China, when I was taping a TV show about Michigan and China and visited the city where the Terracotta Warriors were discovered in 1974. It is a tourist attraction because thousands of clay warriors and horses were buried around 209 BC to protect China’s first emperor in the afterlife, or so the story goes.
Imagine my surprise when I saw a ledge in the middle of the stadium-like structure covering the Warriors with a group photo of people holding a “GO BLUE” banner and wearing Ross T-shirts. Obviously a photographer thought this would help attract customers.
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Finding ways to keep the Ross School at the forefront
Matusik’s background and expertise revolve around strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship as she applies these skills in her role.
To give you an idea, in October 2023, Ross signed a partnership with the Financial Times to conduct a monthly poll on the impact of the economy and economic climate on the 2024 election. Ross executives then comment on the poll results.
Ross invited 500 MBA students and business leaders to his ClimateCAP summit in February. The students learned more about the economic consequences and risks of climate change and the promising innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities it presents.
Ross is also becoming more involved in the Motor City, as is the entire UM. In 2023, Ross took over the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneur Project, which has helped nearly 700 small businesses since 2016. Through the program, Ross students provide free consulting services to Detroit business owners, 90% of whom are minorities, to help them grow their businesses.
“The DNEP program is great for the economy and the city of Detroit because it helps create more economic opportunities,” Matusik said.
Contact Carol Cain: 248-355-7126 or [email protected]. She is executive producer/host of “Michigan Matters,” which airs Sundays at 5:30 a.m. on CBS Detroit and Sundays at noon on Detroit 50 WKBD. Watch U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on this Sunday’s show. “Michigan Matters” can also be found on these stations’ schedules on FUBO, Pluto TV and Youtube.com.
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