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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville welcomes incoming Dean of the School of Business, Mario Hayek, PhD. Hayek, an entrepreneur, accomplished professor, and administrator, assumed his responsibilities on July 1. 
 
“I am deeply honored to join Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as the Dean of the School of Business,” said Hayek, who holds a PhD in management from the University of Mississippi, with a minor in marketing. He earned an MBA in finance and entrepreneurship from American University in Washington, D.C. and a BBA in marketing from Marymount University, Arlington, VA. 
 
“SIUE's commitment to excellence, innovation, and inclusive growth resonates with my professional values and aspirations. I look forward to collaborating with faculty, staff, students, administration and the broader SIUE community to achieving new heights of academic distinction, community engagement, and global impact, building upon its rich tradition of empowering students to thrive in a dynamic, interconnected world.” 
 
Hayek accepts his new role after more than a decade at Texas A&M University-Commerce where he worked as a management professor, founding director of Venture College, head of the management and economics department and ultimately Dean of the of the College of Business. 
 
While at the University, Hayek led several initiatives. As Dean, he created the finance lab with Bloomberg terminals to modernize the school's Finance-Analytics Lab, funded with $750,000 in alumni donor support. He launched Venture College, an entrepreneurship center at Texas A&M Commerce, and served two years as Director. There, student entrepreneurs engaged with the business community on more than a dozen active and funded projects. The College hosted the inaugural Lion's Den where students pitched their projects to obtain donations toward research and prototypes. This initiative was sponsored by Atmos Energy.

While at his previous institution, Hayek customized graduate degree offerings and facilitated the development and implementation of new educational programs and certificates, including an MBA exclusively designed for Military Veterans. 

Hayek also contributed to the University’s initiative to qualify as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).  He played an active role in recruiting Hispanic students by visiting Dallas high schools with underrepresented populations and coordinating events with Univision, one of the media partners. 

Students under Hayek’s leadership had an exceptional employment record, with a rate of 90% becoming employed within 60 days of graduation. To achieve this, Hayek worked closely with career services to establish strategic partnerships, internships and funding initiatives with Fortune 500 organizations such as Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, Campbell Soup, and Infosys.

“Dr. Hayek is an incredibly enthusiastic leader, and I am excited to welcome him to SIUE. I look forward to his bold leadership,” said Denise Cobb, PhD, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “His dedication to working with the business community while supporting innovation and entrepreneurship among our students will be a tremendous asset."

Hayek began his entrepreneurial career at the age of 26, pursuing a number of international businesses including a recycling factory, restaurants, bars, travel agencies, a boutique hotel and commercial real estate. The son of immigrants, Hayek is a first-generation college graduate with business experience in Latin America and in the United States, and teaching experience in Ecuador, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Morocco, and China.

After spending almost two years as a stockbroker in U.S. securities, Hayek worked as a consultant and venture capitalist in Ecuador. His teaching career began as a full-time professor in management at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, in Ecuador, where he also created an entrepreneurial center.

The multilingual academic has authored and co-authored numerous publications including “Nepotism and ethical reasoning in family business” for the Journal of Ethics and Entrepreneurship (author), and “The influence of political skill on career success in an Ecuadorian family firm: The mediating role of affective commitment” for the International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management (co-author). 

The SIUE School of Business provides a high-quality, accessible business education that empowers learners to make a difference in a dynamic, diverse, and connected world. 
 
PHOTO:  Mario Hayek, PhD, incoming Dean of the SIUE School of Business