UF MBA elevates interim director to lead state’s top program

GAINESVILLE, Fla.  – The Hough Graduate School of Business at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business has appointed John Gresley as Assistant Dean and Director of UF MBA Programs.

Gresley, 37, had served in those roles on an interim basis since April when Dr. Alex Sevilla, who directed UF MBA for the past 12 years, was named Associate Dean and Director of the College’s Heavener School of Business.

“I am confident John will do an excellent job leading our MBA programs,” said Dr. S. Selcuk Erenguc, Senior Associate Dean and Director of the Hough Graduate School of Business. “We conducted an exhaustive national search, and John certainly distinguished himself with his experience, creativity and passion.”

Gresley takes over a full-time program that has been consistently ranked among the nation’s top 20 public programs. UF MBA’s Full-Time Program ranked 16th in U.S. News & World Report’s and Bloomberg Businessweek’s most recent rankings, and was the state’s top-ranked program in both rankings.

UF MBA’s part-time programs—MBA for Professionals—have also been recognized repeatedly for their quality. The Online Program has been ranked No. 3 in the world by the Financial Times and No. 4 in the nation by U.S. News. UF MBA’s Executive Program was ranked No. 8 among U.S. publics by The Economist.

Gresley most recently served as Director of Student Affairs for the MBA for Professionals programs. In that role, Gresley provided strategic vision for the student affairs operations of the Executive and Professional programs, managed the South Florida program based in Sunrise, and collaborated with admissions personnel to ensure an efficient student engagement process from application to enrollment among other duties.

Gresley has been with UF MBA since 2008 when he was appointed Associate Director of Student Services for its working professional programs.

“It’s a rare opportunity to take over a program with such positive momentum,” Gresley said. “I look forward to working with the talented and dedicated UF MBA staff, as well as the College’s faculty, to continue providing an outstanding experience to our students. These students, as well as our UF MBA alumni, form the strong foundation that we will build upon as we advance UF MBA into an exciting and promising future.”

Gresley’s entire 14-year professional career has been devoted to student affairs at some of the largest and most prestigious universities in the U.S. He led and supported large-scale student engagement initiatives as an Activities Advisor at Arizona State University (2006-08) and a Major Activities Coordinator at the University of Chicago (2004-06). Gresley also served as a Graduate Assistant in the University of Florida’s Office of Student Activities (2002-04).

Gresley earned a Master of Business Administration (2013) and a Master of Education (2004) from the University of Florida, and a Bachelor of Arts from Valparaiso University, Ind. (2001).