Dean shares what’s ahead as Michigan’s Ross business school turns 100

To say educator Sharon Matusik is living the dream would be putting it mildly.

Matusik, the Edward J. Frey Dean of the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business, has been on a roll since taking over as head of the nationally ranked business school almost two years ago.

In one of her first high profile appearances after leaving the role of dean of Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder, she met with Ross grads in Plymouth in November 2022.

As part of that event, Matusik was interviewed by one of the most powerful women in business — GM Chair/CEO Mary Barra — along with Barra’s husband, Tony Barra, who obtained his Master of Business Administration from the school. Matusik had never met the couple until then.

The situation might have intimidated some, but not Matusik. In fact it was a pinch-me moment for Matusik, who grew up near Chicago, where her dad worked at a GM assembly line.

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“I was a bit starstruck about meeting Mary Barra,” she told me. “I admire all she has done at GM regarding safety, sustainability and valuing those who work for her. She is a visionary leader and has incredible skill at moving a very large organization forward into that future. … She is truly a role model for our students and alumni who aspire to be the leaders of the future.”

Helping prepare young people for jobs of the future and also helping their communities have been 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 alumnae.

Among them:

• Auto designer John DeLorean
• Former GM CEO Roger Smith
• McDonald’s USA Senior Vice President Tiffanie Boyd
• The late former Detroit Pistons owner William Davidson
• U.S. Rep. John James
• Doug Meijer and his brother Hank Meijer
• Google co-founder Larry Page
• Syntel founder Bahrat Desai
• Michigan GOP Chair Peter Hoekstra
• Former ambassador Ron Weiser
• Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud

“We empower students with real-world knowledge and skills to make a positive impact in the world,” Matusik said.

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 any national magazine, like U.S. News & World Report or Forbes, Ross is usually found somewhere near the top of their annual listings of best undergraduate business and MBA programs.

Brian Tauber obtained a dual law degree and MBA at U-M and was lured by its national reputation and flexibility of dual degrees.

Upon graduation, he worked for the late U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, former U.S. Rep. Sander Levin and former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer Sr. He then went to work for  Complex Tooling & Molding and acquired the company’s manufacturing facility  in North Carolina.

“We grew it from $15 million in (annual) revenues with one plant to $70 million with international facilities,” said Tauber, who served as CEO. He sold the company in 2021 and is pursuing his passion as he gives back.

“I’m going into my third year as the girls varsity basketball coach of Aspen High School (Colorado) and will be  teaching a constitutional law class at the high school,” he said.

His parents also obtained degrees from U-M. His dad, Joel Tauber, received his law degree and MBA and has supported the Tauber Institute for Global Operations, which started in 1993 and is a joint program of Ross and U-M’s Engineering school.

I, too, am an alum, having obtained my MBA at U-M. I’ve seen the Ross school’s impact in some interesting places. None more so than in Xian, China, as I taped a television special on Michigan and China and visited the town where the Terracotta Warriors were discovered in 1974. It’s a tourist attraction as thousands of warriors and horses made of clay were buried around 209 B.C. to protect the first emperor of China in the afterlife, as the story goes.

Imagine my surprise when I saw in the middle of the stadium-like structure covering the warriors a ledge with a group photo of folks holding a “GO BLUE” banner and wearing Ross T-shirts. Obviously, some photographer thought it would help attract  business.

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Finding ways to keep the Ross school at the top

Matusik’s background and expertise have revolved around strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship as she is using those skills in her role.

To give you an idea, in October 2023,  Ross signed a partnership with Financial Times to survey people each month asking how business and the economic climates are impacting the 2024 election. Ross leaders then comment on poll results.

Ross hosted 500 MBA students and business leaders in February for its ClimateCAP summit. Students learned about business implications and risks of climate change and what promising innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities are emerging.

Ross also  is getting more involved in the Motor City as is the whole U-M. In 2023, Ross took over the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneur Project that has helped nearly 700 small businesses since 2016. Through the program, Ross students offer free consulting services to Detroit business owners, 90% of whom are minority-owned, to help them grow their businesses.

“The DNEP program is great for the business and for the city of Detroit because it helps to create more economic opportunities,” Matusik said.

Contact Carol Cain: 248-355-7126 or [email protected]. She is senior producer/host of “Michigan Matters,” which airs 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and noon Sundays on Detroit 50 WKBD. See U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on this  Sunday’s show. “Michigan Matters” can also be found on those stations’ listings on FUBO, Pluto TV, Youtube.com.