GMAC Welcomes New Board Members Amid Continued Evolution of Graduate Management Education

Board appointments come as the nonprofit organization advances initiatives to expand education access and support a robust pool of business talent.

RESTON, Va., July 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council), a nonprofit association of leading graduate business schools around the world, today announced the newest additions to its board of directors:

• Vishal Gaur, Anne and Elmer Lindseth dean and professor of operations, technology, and information management at Cornell University's Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management;
• Shelly Heinrich, senior assistant dean of graduate admissions and career management center at Southern Methodist University's Edwin L. Cox School of Business (SMU Cox); and
• Clare Norton, vice dean for enrollment and student success at Columbia University's Columbia Business School.

In addition, Jay Nibbe, a GMAC board member since 2020 and a former partner at leading consulting firm EY, has been elected to serve as co-chair of the Board, alongside Catherine Duggan, director (dean) of the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, who has been a member of the Board since 2022 and the Board chair since 2025. The board's latest term of service began July 1, 2026.

"We are pleased to welcome these accomplished individuals to the Board at a defining moment for graduate management education. As candidate expectations and workforce demands continue to evolve, GMAC is committed to ensuring excellence in recruiting and enrolling tomorrow's business leaders," says Joy Jones, CEO of GMAC. "Our new board members bring deep leadership experience and a strong understanding of the evolving education and talent landscape, and their guidance will help shape GMAC's next chapter as we strive to broaden the pipeline of business talent for schools and employers around the world."

The new board members joined GMAC as the organization continues to innovate and evolve alongside the rapidly changing graduate management education landscape. Recognizing the growing importance of affordability in candidate decision-making, GMAC collaborated with leading private loan provider Ascent Funding to help students with clearer pathways to financing amid changing higher education funding dynamics. Most recently, GMAC announced the upcoming launch of GMAT Superscore, a new feature that enables candidates to put their best foot forward by presenting their highest section scores across multiple GMAT attempts to target programs. These initiatives reflect GMAC's unwavering commitment to expanding access, enhancing candidate confidence and flexibility, and equipping schools with the means to support holistic admissions decisions.

As GMAC welcomes the new addition to its board, it also recognizes the exceptional contributions of outgoing board members:

• Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, dean and Richard P. Simmons professor of finance at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business;
• Ian Fenwick, director of Chulalongkorn University's Sasin School of Management;
• Sanjiv Kapur, an independent consultant; and
• Themin Suwardy, associate provost of postgraduate professional education at Singapore Management University.

To learn more about our mission, board, and member school community, visit GMAC.com. 

About GMAC

GMAC is a global nonprofit association of leading graduate business schools committed to connecting future business leaders with educational opportunities and advancing graduate management education worldwide. Through assessments, research, events, and recruitment solutions, we provide the tools and information necessary for schools and candidates to discover and evaluate each other. Based in the United States with teams in China, India, and the United Kingdom, GMAC serves more than 17 million visitors each year across its digital platforms.

SOURCE Graduate Management Admission Council