Mannheim Business School Sets Course for Continued Success with New Leadership Team
“This structure will further strengthen the ‘Mannheim brand’ in business and executive education,” says Lutz, who has served as Dean of the University of Mannheim Business School since 2020. “The school’s strong growth and success call for a broader leadership approach. Each member of the new board will bring expertise and energy to MBS’s continued development.”
Alongside Dean Lutz, the members of the new executive board are key figures who already hold leadership roles at the University of Mannheim Business School:
- Dr. Ingo Bayer, Managing Director
- Professor Dr. Jannis Bischof, Vice Dean
- Professor Dr. Hartmut Höhle, Vice Dean for Research
- Professor Dr. Florian Stahl, Dean for Student Affairs
The new team will take over a thriving institution. Under Wüstemann – Chaired Professor of Business Administration, Accounting and Auditing at the University of Mannheim – MBS has secured a place among Europe’s leading providers of management education. Having been closely involved with the school since 2003, he played a key role as Academic Director in the design and launch of flagship programs such as the ESSEC & Mannheim Executive MBA and the Mannheim Master of Accounting & Taxation, both of which remain central to the school’s portfolio today.
During Wüstemann’s 15-year presidency, annual student enrollment doubled (from around 400 to 800), as did the number of programs (from 4 to 8) and non-academic staff (from 26 to 56). Most recently, MBS significantly expanded its offerings of open-enrollment courses, closing the last remaining gap in its portfolio. Its programs are regularly ranked among the top 10 in Europe and the top 30 worldwide by leading international rankings such as the Financial Times and Bloomberg Businessweek.
“That MBS is now competing in the ‘Champions League’ of business schools – on par with major international players – is just one sign of the outstanding progress achieved under Professor Wüstemann’s leadership,” underlines Dean Lutz. Wüstemann adds: “From the very beginning, I was convinced of MBS’s potential. Taking on the presidency was truly a matter of the heart for me.” Wüstemann will remain connected to MBS in several roles, including as Academic Director of the Accounting Track of the Mannheim Master of Accounting & Taxation.
Looking ahead, Lutz emphasizes that the new leadership team is committed to continuing the school’s dynamic growth. “We will focus on transferring knowledge from research to practice and fostering even closer links between academia and business to ensure long-term competitiveness in a challenging environment,” he says.