Oxford's Business School Names Interim Leader After Dean Soumitra Dutta Resigns

Oxford University has appointed an interim leader for its business school, after its dean, Soumitra Dutta, resigned this week.

Mette Morsing will take up the post of interim dean at Said Business School on Sept. 22, according to an email sent to business school staff Thursday and seen by Bloomberg. In it, Oxford thanked Dutta for his “contributions to the school over the last three years.”

Morsing, who is currently the director of Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment and a professor of business sustainability, said in a separate email that she looked forward to “working with colleagues and students on the School’s mission of impact from within.” She has previously held senior roles at the United Nations and at other management schools.

Last month, Oxford concluded a five-month investigation that upheld three allegations of breach of the university’s harassment policy by Dutta made by a female academic, according to multiple people familiar with the review who asked not to be named discussing an investigation.

Dutta went on leave to focus on his health at the end of May, according to messages to Said’s faculty seen by Bloomberg. His leave was subsequently extended until the beginning of September, according to further messages from the business school leadership group sent to colleagues.

There is no indication in the messages that his leave or the appointment of an interim leader are linked to the investigation.

Dutta didn’t respond to multiple outreaches for comment. He said in the message to staff that working at the business school was “the greatest privilege” of his professional life.

In a May letter to the university, some faculty members expressed “deep concern regarding the lack of communication and support” around Oxford’s investigation.

“We are aware that some staff members have shared concerns with leadership,” Oxford University said in an emailed statement. “These were addressed through the University’s established procedures.”

The university has a “strong framework of support in place for staff and students who feel they have been subject to harassment,” the statement said, adding that it does not tolerate sexual misconduct and that it is committed to promoting a safe, positive environment. The institution does not comment on “confidential HR or grievance matters,” the statement added.

Dutta has held several senior positions in the business school world. He joined Cornell University in 2012 and led a restructuring to create its SC Johnson College of Business, becoming the founding dean in 2016. He left that position in 2018 but stayed at Cornell as a professor until 2022, when he joined Oxford. Previously, he served as a deputy dean of Insead, one of Europe’s most prestigious business schools.

He is also a co-founder and president of the Portulans Institute, a Washington-based think tank, and sits on the board of Dassault Systemes, a French software company, according to the company’s website.

At Oxford’s Said Business School — whose business and management courses are ranked among the best in the world — Dutta has advocated for greater female representation in business leadership and highlighted female participation in the school’s MBA programme.

Oxford lays claim to being the oldest university in the English-speaking world, with roots going back almost 1,000 years. Its business school was founded in 1996 with a near-£30 million ($40.6 million) donation by billionaire businessman Wafic Saïd.