International Management Institute (IMI), the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group-backed business school, has appointed Suresh Ramanathan as Chief Executive Officer with leadership responsibilities across its Delhi, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar campuses. Ramanathan previously served as Dean and Principal at Great Lakes Institute of Management and has taught at leading global institutions including the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and ISB.
The institute said Ramanathan brings extensive academic and industry experience, having taught at globally recognised institutions including University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Texas A&M University Mays Business School, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, HEC Paris, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Indian School of Business.
Prior to joining IMI, Ramanathan served as Dean and Principal at Great Lakes Institute of Management, where he focused on strengthening research output and academic standards. According to the institute, he restructured the research rewards system to prioritise journal quality over publication volume, resulting in increased scholarly output in ABDC A-level and higher-ranked journals.
During his tenure, he also introduced faculty research seminars, brown-bag sessions and enhanced support for conference participation, research databases and analytical tools. He additionally launched a PhD programme aligned with international academic benchmarks.
Before transitioning into academia, Ramanathan spent nearly a decade in corporate leadership roles across sales and strategy functions. He worked with companies including Unilever, JWT, Lintas, MTV India and McCann Erickson. His client portfolio included brands such as Citibank, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, ITC Limited and Britannia Industries.
Ramanathan has also designed and delivered executive education programmes globally, focusing on business challenges in emerging markets.
Commenting on his appointment, Ramanathan said, “IMI has a distinguished legacy in management education in India. I look forward to working with faculty, students and industry partners across the IMI campuses to further strengthen the institute’s research ecosystem, deepen industry engagement and build programmes that prepare leaders for a rapidly evolving global business environment.”
