School of Business Dean Annette L. Ranft transitions to role as Special Advisor to the Interim Provost

Dr. Annette L. Ranft, Dean of Business and FM Kirby Foundation Professor of Strategic Management, will begin a six-month appointment as a special advisor to the Interim Provost on January 1.

During this time, Dr. Ranft will serve in an advisory role to the Provost and provide support to the Acting Dean of the Business School. After completing the six-month advisory assignment, she will begin a year-long academic sabbatical.

Dr. Stacie Petter, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Peter C. Brockway Chair of Strategic Management and Professor of Management Information Systems in the School of Business, will serve as Acting Dean for the School of Business through the 2026–27 academic year.

“My family has faced a series of extraordinary hardships over the past year,” Ranft shared. “I am grateful to President Wente and Provost Newton for their support, both for me and for the School of Business. My role as a special advisor ensures leadership continuity and a smooth transition while I attend to some pressing needs of my family.”

Wake Forest President Susan R. Wente expressed appreciation for Dr. Ranft’s leadership and commitment to the continued success of the School of Business. “The School of Business has tremendous momentum thanks to Dr. Ranft’s leadership,” Wente said. “During a challenging period for her family, Dr. Ranft’s commitment to our students, faculty, and staff has never wavered. Her courage and commitment exemplify the spirit of Wake Forest. She has my full support and enduring gratitude.”

Ranft’s advisory role makes her available for consultation to Interim Provost Newton and to Dr. Petter in her role as Acting Dean. Petter joined Wake Forest University in 2022 as Professor of Management Information Systems in the School of Business. She served as the Area Chair for Analytics, Information Systems, Marketing, and Operations Management in 2022-2023. In 2024, she was named the Peter C. Brockway Chair of Strategic Management. As Wake Forest’s inaugural Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, Petter was responsible for faculty development initiatives and resources, recruiting and evaluation policies, faculty funding programs, faculty recognition programs, and other areas impacting the faculty experience.

Interim Provost Nell Newton expressed confidence in Dr. Petter’s leadership, saying, “Dr. Petter is an exceptional scholar and a trusted University leader. The School of Business will thrive under her guidance.”

Petter came to Wake Forest from Baylor University, where she served as the Ben H. Williams Professor of Information Systems and Business Analytics. She has also served as a faculty member at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Before her academic career, Petter honed her skills as a creative problem-solver, improving business processes, creating technology solutions, and developing means to support knowledge transfer within organizations through a variety of roles in information technology.

“I am grateful for Dean Ranft’s leadership and stewardship of the School’s mission, and I am honored to build upon her efforts during this period of transition,” said Petter.

Newton added, “With Annette’s counsel and Stacie’s capable leadership, the School of Business will continue to advance its strategic initiatives and pursue emerging opportunities.”