Lakehead welcomes Subbu Sivaramakrishnan as Dean of Business

October 25, 2024 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

After an extensive search, Lakehead University has appointed Dr. Subramanian (Subbu) Sivaramakrishnan as its new Dean, Faculty of Business Administration.

Dr. Sivaramakrishnan brings over 30 years of experience in teaching, research, academic administration, and strategic planning. He joins Lakehead University from the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba where he has been since 1999, as Associate Professor of Marketing and Associate Dean of various portfolios over the past 11 years.

“The close-knit, personal atmosphere of the university particularly attracted me,” says Dr. Sivaramakrishnan. “I’m looking forward to joining the team and working closely with faculty, staff, students, and the executive team to take the Faculty of Business Administration to new heights over the coming years.”

Among his many achievements at the Asper School of Business, Dr. Sivaramakrishnan led both the MBA and Bachelor of Commerce program curriculum revamps to align with social changes and industry needs to modernize the curricula and make graduates career-ready. In the undergraduate program, this included introducing a mandatory course on Indigenous business in line with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, a core course on sustainability, business analytics, and several professional skills courses to make graduates career-ready. In Maclean’s The Ultimate Guide to Canadian Universities 2024, the Asper School’s new undergraduate curriculum was lauded as a “standout program”. Dr. Sivaramakrishnan also led the school’s most recent AACSB accreditation renewal, and increased enrolment in the MBA program by 80 per cent within three years when he started as Associate Dean.

“I welcome innovation and tend not to be a vanilla person. We have to give students a good reason to choose Lakehead University over going to another Ontario or Canadian university”, he said. “I go to great lengths to consult and be democratic without being afraid to make tough decisions when needed. I hope the synergies between my leadership style and the collegial atmosphere at Lakehead will allow innovation to thrive.”

“It’s this philosophy developed through years of leadership and marketing experience that will play a key role in achieving his priorities as dean over the coming years.” said Provost and Vice-President (Academic), Dr. David Barnett. “In our increasingly competitive postsecondary environment, I believe that Dr. Sivaramakrishnan’s leadership style and innovative mindset will help foster a culture of innovation that will help to position the Faculty of Business Administration prominently on the Ontario business school map.”

Dr. Sivaramakrishnan will begin his role as Dean, Faculty of Business Administration on January 1, 2025.