President Julio Frenk announced Monday the selection of the interim dean for the University of Miami Patti and Allan Herbert Business School. Ann M. Olazábal, professor and vice dean of Lifelong Learning and Executive Education, will serve in the post beginning in January.
Olazábal, a 1997 M.B.A. alumna of the school who earned her J.D. from Notre Dame Law School, “has demonstrated a commitment to innovation and won numerous teaching and leadership awards since becoming a member of the faculty at the University of Miami in 1997,” Frenk shared in his message to trustees and faculty and staff members.
As vice dean of Lifelong Learning and Executive Education, Olazábal has led the Miami Herbert Business School’s efforts to build on its success in customized executive education and to expand online and non-degree offerings to reach new adult learners. She has served in leadership positions at the Miami Herbert Business School for more than 10 years, including as vice dean of Undergraduate Business Education from 2011 to 2021, and chair of the Business Law Department from 2017 to 2021.
As professor, Olazábal teaches courses on business law and ethics, including the legal implications of international business transactions and the intersection of business and society. Her areas of research and scholarship include regulation of business and professionals, focusing on disclosures to consumers and markets. During her tenure as vice dean for Undergraduate Business Education, she was responsible for innovation in the curriculum and academic advising services, growth of career advancement initiatives, and enhancement of the student experience.
Olazábal is also former editor-in-chief of the American Business Law Journal. Prior to her career in academia, she worked as an attorney in private practice in Arizona and later as vice president and general counsel of an international exporting firm in Miami.
The University will formally launch the search for the Miami Herbert Business School’s next dean in January.
