Oxford Dean Resigns In Wake Of Probe That Found He Harassed A Female Colleague: Report

Oxford University has named Mette Morsing interim dean of its Saïd Business School after Soumitra Dutta, the school’s leader since 2022, resigned in the wake of a harassment probe that upheld multiple allegations against him, Bloomberg reported. Their source: “multiple people familiar with the review who asked not to be named discussing an investigation.”

The university concluded a five-month investigation last month that substantiated three complaints of harassment made by a female academic, according to Bloomberg. Dutta, who took medical leave in May that was later extended into September, reportedly announced his departure this week. In a message to staff, he described leading Saïd as “the greatest privilege” of his professional life, the outlet reported, but added that he did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Bloomberg‘s report states that there is no indication Dutta’s resignation is tied to the probe’s findings. Oxford told the outlet that it “does not tolerate harassment or sexual misconduct” and emphasized that staff concerns were handled through established procedures, while declining to comment on individual cases.

MORNING AFTER: METTE MORSING TAKES THE HELM

Morsing, director of Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment and a professor of business sustainability, will assume the interim deanship on September 22, Bloomberg reported. In an email to colleagues, she reportedly said she looked forward to “working with colleagues and students on the School’s mission of impact from within.”

Morsing has previously held senior roles at the United Nations and Copenhagen Business School, making her one of Europe’s leading voices on corporate responsibility and sustainable enterprise.

Emails from Poets&Quants to Oxford seeking a statement on Dutta’s resignation was not answered by the time this story was published; nor did Dutta respond to a LinkedIn message seeking comment.

DUTTA’S RISE — AND ABRUPT FALL

Dutta’s resignation closes a short but high-profile tenure at one of the world’s top business schools. When Oxford announced his appointment in early 2022, Poets&Quants noted that he was the first dean of Indian origin to lead Saïd. He officially began June 1 of that year, succeeding interim dean Sue Dopson.

Dutta built his reputation as a global leader in business education at INSEAD, where he served as deputy dean, and later at Cornell University. In 2012 he became dean of Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, then oversaw the 2016 creation of the SC Johnson College of Business, serving as its founding dean. He stepped down from that role in 2018 but remained at Cornell as a professor until Oxford recruited him in 2022.

Beyond academia, Dutta co-founded the Portulans Institute, a Washington-based think tank focused on innovation and technology, and sits on the board of French software giant Dassault Systèmes.

IMPACT ON SAÏD

At Oxford, Dutta championed female leadership and highlighted women’s participation in Saïd’s MBA program. In May of this year, upon the launch of the This Is What Happens When Women Read scholarship for women in the Oxford Saïd MBA, Dutta praised the vision of Julianna Glasse, founder of a nonprofit of the same name and the scholarship’s benefactor.

“We are incredibly grateful to Julianna for her generous gift. Like all of us at Oxford Saïd, she recognizes the importance of supporting the next generation of female leaders from across the world in their education and personal development,” he says.

“Her work with This is What Happens When Women Read sets out her stall as a world-leading advocate for women and girls and we are incredibly proud to have partnered with her to propel one student’s ambitions to enroll on our prestigious MBA program.”

Dutta’s departure now leaves the school — founded in 1996 with a £30 million gift from billionaire Wafic Saïd — at a sensitive juncture.

Saïd has risen rapidly in global rankings (see P&Q‘s most recent international ranking here and our story on the 2024 QS Executive MBA ranking here) over the past two decades. With Morsing’s interim appointment, the university is seeking stability while charting the school’s next chapter under permanent leadership.

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