New Assistant Dean for Executive Education brings a wealth of academic and industry experience to our program
 

Ask Mark Kizilos about his interest in talent management or experience-based learning, and you’ll get a long answer. He’s developed a passion for executive development and leadership education during a 15+-year career that has spanned the academic and business sectors. Executive Education clients and attendees will reap benefits in the months to come as Kizilos turns his energy and enthusiasm to providing educational programs and creating development solutions that meet corporate and individual needs.

“I was attracted to this position because of the Carlson School’s great reputation and the opportunity to work with the Twin Cities business community,” Kizilos says. “I’m excited to be working with executives and managers from some of the top companies in the area and our world-class faculty members.” Kizilos is no stranger to the Carlson School's executive education activities since he served on the Executive Education Board of Advisors and taught in the Talent Management Strategies program.
 
Most recently, Kizilos worked at Thomson Corporation where he served in varied leadership positions in executive development and talent management. While at Thomson, he led Thomson University and co-authored an internal book profiling the developmental experiences of top company leaders. During his career, he also worked as an assistant professor at the University of Alberta and served in a variety of leadership development roles at Hay Management Consultants, the Center for Leadership Solutions, and CVS/Pharmacy. He received his PhD in management and organization from the University of Southern California.
 
Not surprisingly, Kizilos has also had a range of interesting experiences outside his professional career. He composes orchestral, chamber and choral music; holds a U.S. patent for a device he invented for storing and dispensing disposable cup lids; served on the board of a small company that produced an award-winning feature film with Fuji television of Japan and U.S. actor Peter Falk; and worked on a Greek cargo ship during summer break from college.

This summer, Kizilos will provide his leadership to the executive education program and a regional learning leadership summit. During the “Driving Learning in a Challenging Economy” program, he will participate in a panel discussion on what learning and training organizations must do in order to succeed in challenging economic times.