Ethan Hanabury, ’85, will leave his position as Columbia Business School’s Senior Associate Dean for Degree Programs on February 1.
Hanabury has made major contributions during his 20 years at the School, first as an MBA student, then returning as an administrator in 1990. He has served as a member of the School’s senior leadership team since 1992.
Hanabury guided the School’s Executive Education and Executive MBA programs to consistently high rankings and built a foundation from which a number of new initiatives were launched. Most recently, he spearheaded the merger of MBA and EMBA admissions, a milestone in the School’s history that helped to better direct prospective students to the appropriate MBA program. In honor of his commitment to the School, an award recognizing the service of elected EMBA student representatives will now be named the Ethan R. Hanabury Student Representative Award.
“Ethan’s contributions to the School have been remarkable,” Dean Glenn Hubbard said. “He has left an indelible mark, and he will, undoubtedly, be missed. His direction and leadership have produced impressive results.”
Under Hanabury’s direction, the Executive Education programs saw doubled profits and a 50 percent increase in revenue. He also increased the competitiveness of the School’s MBA program and oversaw the development of the designs for Warren Hall. Through a joint venture with Hong Kong University, Hanabury, with other members of the School’s leadership, expanded EMBA-Global to Asia. His accomplishments and strong relationships within the community, have led graduating students to twice recognize him with the EMBA Commitment to Excellence Award.
In his success at the School, Hanabury undoubtedly drew on his practical experience from the field. After earning his MBA, Hanabury spent two years as an auditor with Arthur Andersen. Following graduation, he worked for five years as a product manager with Unilever, managing the Hellmann’s and Skippy food brands, before returning to the School.
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