The nonprofit association of graduate business schools is evolving with changing learner and educator demands
RESTON, Va. (July 17, 2025) – The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a global association of leading graduate business schools, today announced the results of its most recent board elections. Catherine Duggan, a GMAC board member since 2022 and director (dean) of the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, has been elected board chair.
David Bach, president of International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland; Jake Cohen, senior associate dean of Sloan School of Management at MIT; and Ian Fenwick, director of Sasin School of Management at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, have been elected to join the board. Ana María Zermeño Padilla, director of academic experience and operations at Tecnológico de Monterrey’s EGADE Business School in Mexico and board member since 2023, has been reelected for her first full term. The board's latest term of service began July 1, 2025.
In addition, the University of California, Riverside School of Business, home of the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management, has joined GMAC as its 228th member school. The school recently opened a new facility and offers a wide range of master’s programs, demonstrating a commitment to high-quality and ethical graduate management education. By joining GMAC, the school gains access to global resources and a powerful industry network.
“This is one of the most dynamic and fast-changing times we’ve seen,” says Joy Jones, CEO of GMAC. “With shifts in talent mobility, tech advancement, and skill development, I’m thrilled to welcome these industry leaders from across continents—along with UC Riverside—to help us fulfill our vision of a world where every talented person can benefit from the best business education. Their fresh perspectives will strengthen GMAC’s mission and support the growth of globally aware business leaders.”
The new board members and member school join as GMAC continues evolving with the graduate management education landscape. Earlier this year, GMAC launched Advancery, an AI-powered platform that delivers personalized guidance to future learners. The tool connects skill identification, program recommendations, and application strategy in one unified experience—helping students pursue career goals while building a stronger global pipeline for schools.
“GMAC’s mission to connect talent with business education is more important than ever,” says Catherine Duggan, newly elected board chair. “In uncertain times, graduate management education gives students the insight and agility to lead and innovate. I look forward to working with our new board members, each of whom brings global experience and critical perspective to our work.”
As GMAC welcomes the new leadership and addition to its board, the Council also recognizes the exceptional contributions of previous board members and thanks its outgoing board chair, Themin Suwardy, associate provost for postgraduate professional education at Singapore Management University, who has been elected by board members to continue to serve on the board for a year in an ex officio capacity, and outgoing board members Martin Boehm, executive vice president and global dean of undergraduate programs at Hult International Business School, and Giuseppe (Beppe) Soda, full professor at Bocconi University, who each completed their terms.
To learn more about GMAC’s mission, board, and member schools, visit GMAC.com.
About GMAC
GMAC is a global nonprofit association of leading graduate business schools connecting future leaders with educational opportunities. GMAC provides tools, research, conferences, and assessments tailored for graduate management education. With offices in China, India, the UK, and the US, GMAC draws over 17 million yearly visitors to gmac.com, mba.com, and BusinessBecause.
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