The Instinct To Act, the Discipline to Empower
Deputy Dean Eitan Zemel embodies the forward-looking entrepreneurial spirit that thrives at NYU Stern.
After almost 30 years at Stern, Eitan Zemel built a reputation as both a process-driven strategist—someone who not only spots opportunity, but knows how to turn it into something tangible, durable, and scalable. His contributions have helped shape Stern’s evolution into a globally integrated business school with several academic areas of excellence.
Zemel arrived at Stern at a time when the School was more singularly known for its finance reputation. That strength was clearly both an asset and an opportunity. While the finance department was widely regarded as best-in-class, other departments operated more independently, without the same visibility or impact. Zemel, along with others, recognized that in order for Stern’s reputation to grow as a top-tier business school, the way academic departments were organized needed to be reconsidered.
“What is now known as the TOPS department was in fact three smaller groups—statistics, operations, and technology—operating independently,” said Zemel. “They were all doing great work, but their impact, both within the school and in the broader academic landscape was limited.”
With the support of the faculty at the three groups, and the endorsement of School leadership, the three separate groups were united into a single, robust department: Information, Operations, and Management Sciences (IOMS), today known as TOPS.
By consolidating talent and aligning priorities, the new department could amplify its collective strengths and raise its profile within the School and beyond. It was a pivotal step in broadening Stern’s reputation, signaling to the world that excellence extended well beyond finance.
Spotting opportunity and driving organizational change
That ability to see opportunity—and act on it—would become a hallmark of Zemel’s career. Again and again, he gravitated toward what he calls “white space”: moments of ambiguity where something new could be imagined—and built. “I was lucky to find myself in the right place at the right time," Zemel reflected.
Zemel, with his colleagues, reimagined the possibilities of global programs at Stern by creating a brand new infrastructure called Global Executive Programs that enabled the creation of pioneering programs such as MS in Business Analytics and Ai (MSBAi) and the TRIUM Global Executive MBA Program. “By having this in place, we had, in essence, created an incubator to build, launch, and run programs,” explained Zemel.
TRIUM is the global Executive MBA created in partnership with the London School of Economics and HEC Paris. Now in its 25th year, TRIUM was one of the first programs of its kind to bring together institutions across continents to deliver a truly global business education experience. Similar success has been seen with the MSBAi, which was the first program at the intersection of business and analytics among top B-schools. Since launching over a decade ago, it evolved to incorporate artificial intelligence as it relates to decision-making, which is now reflected in the name.
Expanding the global footprint: NYU Shanghai
Soon after, Zemel turned to another ambitious opportunity: NYU Shanghai. As NYU expanded its global network, he spotted an opportunity to help shape programs at a new international campus from the ground up. But the challenge was significant. Building a new University in a new country, required not just vision, but a carefully designed approach to ensure long-term success.
Zemel joined the leadership team as the Founding Dean of Business and Engineering. Applying the same principles he had taught executives, he focused on systems and processes rather than isolated decisions. Recruiting faculty, for example, became not just a task but a strategic priority—one that would shape the culture and quality of the program from the beginning.
“From the outset we needed to recruit the best faculty we could,” explained Zemel. “Because we didn’t yet have a strong academic record to attract the best academics, we focused on finding those who were interested in visiting Shanghai for a semester or a year. We put in place systems to make sure they enjoyed their time and would become enthusiastic 'ambassadors' who would encourage others to visit. Over time, this approach worked and we were able to attract top full-time faculty.”
A culture of collaboration
While Zemel is often associated with initiating these efforts, he consistently emphasizes that their ultimate success depended on others. His role, as he sees it, was to set direction, clarify priorities, and then enable teams to execute—an approach he calls ‘invisible leadership,’ which fits with Stern’s collaborative culture where ideas gain momentum through shared ownership.
“One of my favorite things to do is build scalable structures then pass it to others,” said Zemel. “Success is when a new generation of leaders can take over and continue to grow.”
Many of the school’s latest expansion chapters (from London to DC and Abu Dhabi and beyond) are based on the story that Zemel originally helped write—one defined by a willingness to embrace uncertainty, act decisively, and build with purpose. In many ways, this is the embodiment of Stern itself: a place where ideas don’t wait for perfect conditions—they move forward.
