Endicott College today announced the appointment of Dr. Deirdre Sartorelli as Dean of the Curtis L. Gerrish School of Business. A longtime member of the Endicott community and accomplished business leader, Dr. Sartorelli brings decades of experience spanning higher education, entrepreneurship, executive leadership, and governance to one of New England’s most distinctive business programs. Dr. Sartorelli will assume the role on July 1, 2026.
The appointment follows a comprehensive search process that engaged faculty, staff, and stakeholders from across the College after the retirement of Dr. Thomas Kushner.
“Dr. Sartorelli brings exactly the kind of vision and energy that will deepen and expand what the Gerrish School of Business has built,” said Provost Sara Quay. “Business education is in a period of profound transformation, driven by artificial intelligence, shifting workforce demands, and the growing premium employers place on graduates who can do the work from day one. Dr. Sartorelli shares our conviction that experiential, entrepreneurial minded education is the defining advantage for students entering a rapidly changing workforce, and we are confident our graduates will be extraordinarily well prepared for the careers and the world that await them.”
Dr. Sartorelli is well known to the Endicott community through her previous service as Assistant Dean of the School of Business, Director of the Angle Center for Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, and faculty member. Throughout her tenure, she has helped expand entrepreneurship education, strengthen partnerships with regional business leaders, secure significant external support for student programs, and create opportunities that connect classroom learning with real-world application.
She assumes leadership of the School at a time of continued growth and innovation, including the development of the B.S. in AI + Analytics Management, approved by the College’s Board of Trustees and slated to welcome its first cohort in Fall 2027. The program is designed to prepare graduates to evaluate, deploy, and manage artificial intelligence technologies within organizations, addressing an emerging workforce need identified by employers across industries.
“The Gerrish School of Business is uniquely positioned to prepare students for success in a world being reshaped by technology, entrepreneurship, and constant change,” said Dr. Sartorelli. “What has always distinguished Endicott is our commitment to experiential learning and our ability to connect classroom knowledge with real-world application. I am excited to work alongside our outstanding faculty, staff, students, alumni, and industry partners to build on that foundation, expand opportunities for our students, and ensure the School continues to evolve alongside the needs of employers and the global marketplace.”
Prior to her leadership roles in higher education, Dr. Sartorelli built a distinguished career in the technology and telecommunications sectors, serving in executive positions with Verizon, Cisco Systems, and Avaya. At Verizon Business, she led a $250 million business portfolio and a team of more than 200 employees. She has also been recognized as a leader in entrepreneurship education and the practical application of artificial intelligence in business learning environments. Beyond Endicott, she brings extensive higher education governance experience, having served as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Salem State University, where she worked closely with university leadership on institutional strategy, financial stewardship, fundraising, and long-term planning.
The Curtis L. Gerrish School of Business has long distinguished itself through a model that integrates real-world practice into every dimension of the student experience. Endicott’s signature internship program ensures that business students graduate with not only a degree but meaningful professional experience. The School’s FactSet Lab places students alongside the same market analytics tools used by industry professionals, while the MINT initiative (Marketing Insights from Neuroscience and Technology) enables students to conduct faculty-supported research using advanced technologies to better understand consumer behavior and decision-making. Through a partnership with Munster Technological University in Cork, Ireland, students also engage with an international innovation ecosystem that broadens their understanding of global business.
This commitment to applied, entrepreneurially grounded education reflects the broader Endicott philosophy: that the distance between the classroom and the career should be as short as possible.