Meet the Dean

Raj Agnihotri

Raj Agnihotri has been named the sixth Raisbeck Endowed Dean of Iowa State University’s Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business, effective on July 1, 2025.

He was recruited in 2018 to build the Ivy Sales Program that would help prepare students to be job-ready by graduation. Through expanding curricula, programs, and hands-on learning opportunities, he helped connect the college to area businesses and Iowa’s economy. He did all of this with the goal of training students who would be capable of building relationships, of handling pressure, and of doing so with excellent communication skills.

In 2019, its first year, the Ivy Sales Program was named a top university sales program.

The Ivy professional sales certificate was launched under Agnihotri’s leadership. It is the first in Iowa and one of the best in the world.

Agnihotri most recently served in the college as Mary Warner Professor and Morrill Professor of marketing and assistant dean for Industry Engagement. He is an accomplished researcher and student-centric leader. He has the experience and vision to advance business education and strengthen our entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem to benefit Iowa’s economy.

Agnihotri earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Pune in India, an MBA in management from Oklahoma City University, and a PhD in marketing from Kent State University. Prior positions include appointments at the University of Texas-Arlington and Ohio University.

Agnihotri has been actively involved in executive education and has guided industry professionals from North America, Brazil, Europe, and India. He has helped dozens of organizations in improving their sales process effectiveness and revenue growth. He has received numerous awards for his teaching and research, and is also co-author of ABCs of Relationship Selling, a textbook used in sales classes around the world.

He is committed to serving our students, providing an excellent education that prepares them for professional success, and to upholding the college’s tradition of excellence in research.

Contact Raisbeck Endowed Dean, Raj Agnihotri.