New Dean of Cambridge Judge Business School recruited from within

Professor  Dissanaike  is a financial economist and holds the Adam Smith Professorship of Corporate Governance at the University. He became the Interim Dean of Cambridge Judge in July 2023.

He gained his BA from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, before coming up to Cambridge to the Faculty of Economics and Trinity College, where he completed an MPhil and a PhD in Economics.

Professor Dissanaike has also held a visiting faculty appointment at Cornell University and has been consulted by several international corporations, investment banks, and regulatory agencies.

Prior to joining academia, he worked for Banque Indosuez (now Credit Agricole Group, currently the third largest bank in Europe). He has previously served on the Finance Committee of the University of Cambridge and was Acting Chair of Cambridge Judge’s Faculty Board.

As a faculty member at Cambridge Judge for 30 years, he has a deep understanding of the school’s culture, values and operations. Gishan has taught generations of students on the MBA, Master of Finance and MPhil in Finance programmes and has developed strong connections with the alumni community of both the Business School and the wider University.

He was awarded the Pilkington Prize by the University in 2002 and was named by Poets & Quants as one of the favourite MBA professors of the Class of 2023, worldwide.

Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge and Chair of the Appointments Committee said: “I am delighted by the appointment of Professor Gishan Dissanaike as the new Dean of Cambridge Judge Business School.

“During his tenure as Interim Dean, Gishan has been an effective leader, earning the support of the faculty, professional staff and alumni communities.

“His experience over three decades at the Business School makes him an ideal choice to lead it into its next phase of development and growth. I am confident that under his deanship, Cambridge Judge will continue to thrive. I look forward to working closely with him as he builds upon the strong foundations laid by his predecessors.”

Professor Dissanaike added: “It will be a privilege to serve as the first home-grown dean of Cambridge Judge Business School and to serve the institution that has been such an inspiration, as well as my academic home for several decades.

“I look forward to nurturing the relationships, ambitions and conversations that keep the Business School – and indeed Cambridge – at the top of its game, in terms of impact, research, global economic benefit and philanthropic endeavour.

“Cambridge Judge Business School will focus on responsible business, innovation, and leadership in a turbulent world, and continue to solve real-world problems that have a lasting impact on society.”