Sangeet Chowfla, tipped-to-be CEO of GMAC

Starting 2014, a technology executive of Indian origin will head the organisation that owns and runs the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the global non-profit body of business schools today announced the appointment of Sangeet Chowfla as President to succeed David A Wilson, who has served for the past 18 years as both President and CEO.

Chowfla was selected by a search committee from among around 100 applicants for his leadership background in technology companies. An alumnus of St Stephens College and the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi University (DU), Chowfla has worked for 18 years with Hewlett-Packard across Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and the USA, followed by stints in venture capital and telecommunications companies.

“The globalisation of management education is occurring at a faster pace and with technology playing an ever greater role. Mr Chowfla’s experience as a technology executive, his international experience as a manager and leader, coupled with his understanding of global markets, are perfectly suited to the challenges facing GMAC,” said Dina Dommett, incoming Chair of the GMAC Board.

Coincidentally, Ashish Bhardwaj, the man who heads GMAC’s Asia Pacific region is also an FMS Delhi alumnus.

Since 2010, persons of Indian origin have been taking over global leadership positions in business education. Nitin Nohria of Harvard Business School, Soumitra Dutta of Cornell-Johnson, Dipak C Jain of INSEAD and Sunil Kumar of Chicago-Booth are all deans who had been raised in India but moved abroad for advanced higher education.