IIM Ahmedabad, IESE and HEC Montréal chiefs join global EQUIS Accreditation Board

The heads of three prominent business schools have joined the EFMD EQUIS Accreditation Board, marking a significant professional milestone for Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) Director Professor Bharat Bhasker, IESE Business School Dean Professor Franz Heukamp and HEC Montréal Director General Professor Federico Pasin.

Announcing the appointments, the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) welcomed the three academic leaders to the board responsible for evaluating peer-review reports and making final accreditation decisions for business schools seeking recognition under the EQUIS framework.

The appointments bring together expertise spanning institutional transformation, academic innovation, technology, international engagement and operational management. Their collective experience is expected to contribute diverse institutional perspectives to a process focused on strengthening quality and excellence in management education.

Bhasker brings extensive academic, industry and institutional leadership

For Professor Bharat Bhasker, joining the EQUIS Accreditation Board adds an international dimension to a career spanning technology, management education, industry and institutional leadership.

As Director of IIM Ahmedabad, Bhasker leads one of India's most prominent management institutions. His academic credentials include a PhD and a master's degree in computer science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the United States, along with a Bachelor of Engineering degree from IIT Roorkee.

Before taking charge of IIM Ahmedabad, Bhasker served as Professor of Information Technology and Systems at IIM Lucknow. His leadership journey includes a five-year tenure as Director of IIM Raipur from March 2017 to March 2022, a stint as Acting Director of IIM Lucknow in 2015, and a role as Mentor Director and Convener at IIM Sirmaur.

His tenure at IIM Raipur was recognised with the 'Best Director of Business Schools' award, attributed to efforts to transform the institution into a better workplace and support its significant growth.

Bhasker's international academic engagement includes visiting and research appointments at institutions in France, South Korea and the United States. These include ESSEC Business School in Paris, Chung-Ang University in Seoul, the University of California, the University of Texas and the University of Maryland, College Park. He has also served as an international expert adviser at Universiti Tenaga Nasional in Malaysia and as an expert in research grants for Canada's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

Beyond academia, Bhasker has held senior positions at technology and industrial organisations, including Connectix Corporation, SYBASE, MDL Information Systems, Hughes STX and Tata Steel. His professional associations have also included leadership roles at the Services Sector Development Council under the Bureau of Indian Standards, the Indian Sub-continent Decision Science Institute and the Computer Society of India, Lucknow.

His appointment to the EQUIS board brings experience in institutional administration, technology-led management and industry engagement to an international forum that evaluates business schools against global standards.

Heukamp advances academic innovation and humanistic leadership

Professor Franz Heukamp's appointment reflects his leadership at IESE Business School, where he has served as Dean and holder of the Antonio Valero Chair of Business Administration since 2016.

A tenured professor at IESE, Heukamp previously served as associate dean for MBA programmes and secretary general. He holds a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and teaches decision analysis and forecasting methods. His research focuses on behavioural decision-making, particularly neuroeconomics.

Under his leadership, IESE has pursued initiatives aimed at expanding research, strengthening international engagement and adapting management education to changing professional and technological demands.

These efforts include the Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Management Initiative and the Institute for Sustainability Leadership. The school has also introduced degree programmes such as the Master in Management, Master in Finance and Munich Executive MBA, alongside executive education offerings including the General Management Program and Flexible PDD.

Heukamp has placed emphasis on lifelong learning and preparing executives to navigate the implications of artificial intelligence, evolving leadership expectations and a changing global business environment. His approach centres on human dignity and the development of the attitudes, capabilities and skills required for responsible leadership.

His entry to the EQUIS Accreditation Board brings experience in programme development, research strategy, pedagogical innovation and international business education to the evaluation of institutions seeking accreditation.

Pasin’s expertise in logistics and institutional leadership

Professor Federico Pasin, Director General of HEC Montréal, brings a career spanning academic research, university administration, international engagement and operational management.

He holds a PhD from École Centrale Paris and a master's degree in industrial engineering from Polytechnique Montréal. A full professor in HEC Montréal's Department of Logistics and Operations Management, Pasin assumed the institution's top leadership position in June 2019 as its 11th head. He was re-elected for a second term in 2022.

Pasin has been associated with HEC Montréal since 1994, holding several academic and administrative positions. These include director of the Bachelor of Business Administration programme, director of the Department of Logistics and Operations Management, secretary general and director of international activities.

His administrative responsibilities have extended across legal affairs, student services, career management, document management and archives, and international activities and student mobility.

His governance experience includes participation on the boards of HEC Montréal, the HEC Montréal Foundation and the institution's International Advisory Board. He has also been associated with organisations including the Business Schools Association of Canada, the QTEM university alliance, Université de Montréal and Universities Canada's International Committee, alongside international accreditation and management education bodies.

Pasin's academic work focuses on logistics, quality management and operational systems improvement. His research has appeared in journals including the International Journal of Operations and Production Management, the European Journal of Operational Research and the International Journal of Production Economics. His publications have received more than 2,000 citations, according to his professional profile.

He has also spent more than two decades advising and training Canadian and international organisations. His work at the intersection of research, operational performance and institutional governance adds another dimension to the board's collective expertise.

A shared responsibility for global management education standards

The EFMD EQUIS Accreditation Board comprises representatives of prominent organisations with a stake in improving management education. It reviews peer-assessment reports for institutions seeking accreditation and makes the final decision on whether they meet the framework's requirements.

The board normally meets three times a year at the request of the EQUIS Director.

The appointments of Bhasker, Heukamp and Pasin bring together leadership experience from India, Spain and Canada, with professional backgrounds spanning institutional transformation, academic programme development, research, technology, industry and operational management.

Their new roles place them within an international decision-making body that helps assess business schools' performance against EQUIS standards and supports continuous improvement in management education.

For the three leaders, the appointments represent recognition of their standing in the management education community and an opportunity to contribute their experience to the wider international academic landscape.