James Danko

James M. Danko The Helen and William O'Toole Dean at the Villanova School of Business

Innovation and collaboration are at the heart of Dean James Danko’s academic leadership approach. A highly successful entrepreneur for nearly two decades prior to his roles at some of the nation’s top business schools, Danko is known at Villanova and throughout the industry as a “transformative agent of change.”

Danko was appointed dean of the Villanova School of Business (VSB) in 2005. Under his leadership, VSB has moved from an unranked, regional college to a one of the best business schools in the United States. Under his leadership the VSB community has achieved unprecedented academic and reputational excellence. In just over four years, financial gifts to VSB have quadrupled. Applications to the school have more than doubled. Student quality has reached an all-time high at both undergraduate and graduate program levels. VSB is ranked #11 in the nation for its undergraduate program by BusinessWeek magazine and the Executive MBA programs have been recognized by the Financial Times and BusinessWeek as being among the best in the world. Media mentions of the school have moved from fewer than 20 citations to over 500 million brand impressions per year.

Danko is regularly featured in the media and invited to speak at conferences as an expert on business school strategy, business education, curricular innovation and executive development. He works closely with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International on initiatives including accreditation and leadership education. Danko currently serves on the board of the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) and served three consecutive terms as president and board member of MBA Roundtable (MBAR).

Prior to his work at Villanova, Danko brought his unique entrepreneurial style to roles at top business schools including the Tuck School at Dartmouth, the University of Michigan, and UNC-Chapel Hill.