Idalene “Idie” Kesner to possibly take on new role

Idalene “Idie” Kesner’s new position as interim dean of the Kelley School of Business, pending Board of Trustees approval, is appropriate considering her area of research: leadership succession and, most recently, interim succession.

“I know a lot of interim processes can, in and of themselves, be disruptive,” Kesner said. “Many institutions bypass the interim because they understand those processes can be disruptive. Our aim is to make it as least disruptive as possible.”

Kesner could take over as dean, effective Oct. 1, after current Dean Dan Smith assumes his role as president of the IU Foundation. Her appointment is subject to approval by the IU Board of Trustees.

“To my knowledge, in most instances, the Trustees support what the provost and president decide to be best,” Kesner said.

Provost and Executive Vice President Lauren Robel has already voiced her support for Kesner’s nomination.

“Idie brings deep experience, national recognition and the trust and respect of the Kelley faculty to the role of interim dean,” she said in a press release. “Her administrative experience will ensure that Kelley does not lose a beat as it searches for its permanent new leader.”

Kesner will bring with her experience gained while serving as associate dean of faculty and research, as well as the Frank P. Popoff chair of strategic management.

Smith also said Kesner’s experience will help her succeed in the interim position.

“As an associate dean, she has played an important role in all major decisions related to the school’s strategic direction,” he said.

Kesner said she plans to “keep the foot on the pedal” in regards to the directions Smith led the school during his tenure. She named three main priorities: building global partnership, recruiting and retaining top faculty and attracting the best students.

“Higher education is really becoming a global market place, not a regional or local one,” she said. “In order to be a significant player, the Kelley School has to build these global partnerships. Those will absolutely be the highest priority during this transition period, and hopefully after.”

Smith said Kesner has been instrumental in implementing partnerships with schools in South Korea and India.

Although the global partnerships are important for the future of Kelley, Kesner said she is most proud of other accomplishments.

“I worked on a task force that devised a new curriculum for the MBA program, and I am very proud of that,” she said. “Many features remain in the program now, and it really helped us improve dramatically in the rankings.”

As associate dean, Kesner worked to incentivize faculty research, which would in turn attract grant money. She said she is also proud of the faculty the school has hired, all of whom she interviewed while in the role.

“I fully anticipate the school will continue to thrive under her leadership,” Smith said.

Kesner graduated from the Kelley School with an MBA and Ph.D. in business
administration in 1983. She said her loyalty as a graduate will serve as motivation.

“You’ll never see a more loyal person than me,” she said. “Kelley did everything for me, everything. I have a singing appreciation of what our students are going through and the leveragability of having a degree from the school. That’s just an indication of my loyalty and my appreciation for Kelley.”