The Sanger Leadership Center at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business has appointed Michelle Austin as its new managing director following a national search that drew more than 70 candidates.
Austin, who has served as the Center’s key strategic leader and second-in-command for several years, was selected by unanimous choice of the search committee.
She succeeds Jeff Domagala, who recently assumed the role of senior director at the University of Michigan’s Organizational Learning department.
“Michelle stood out among an impressive pool of candidates for her strategic leadership and vision,” said Sanger’s Faculty Director, Lindy Greer. “She has a proven ability to craft direction, execute with discipline, scale high-performance teams, build meaningful external partnerships, and push innovation in leadership development at a global level. We are thrilled to have her step into this role.”
During her tenure at Sanger, Austin has directed programming, external relations, and marketing. Under her leadership, the Center significantly scaled its reach and impact:
- Increased students served by 162%
- Raised average program evaluations from 4.2 to 4.7
- Led the launch of the Sanger Advisory Board
- Expanded fundraising efforts and external partnerships
Austin has been instrumental in elevating the quality and rigor of Sanger’s leadership development programming, positioning the Center as a leader in action-based, evidence-informed leadership education.
“It is an honor to lead Sanger into its next chapter,” Austin said. “Our team has built something truly special — a culture rooted in trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to student growth. I’m excited to continue expanding our impact, deepening partnerships, and innovating in how we prepare leaders to navigate complexity.”
As Managing Director, Austin will guide the Center into its next strategic planning cycle, building on its strong foundation while exploring new opportunities for scale, innovation, and cross-campus collaboration.
The Sanger Leadership Center equips University of Michigan students with practical, research-backed leadership skills through experiential programs, partnerships, and faculty-driven thought leadership.
For more information, visit sanger.umich.edu.
Michelle Austin, Managing Director