Dean Noam Wasserman to Leave Sy Syms; Join Ramaz as Head of School
Dean Noam Wasserman of the Sy Syms School of Business (SSSB) will be leaving YU following the spring semester. Wasserman will be taking on the role of head of school at the Ramaz School, effective Aug. 1, 2025.
Wasserman, who has served as dean of SSSB since 2019, was previously a professor of entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School and a chaired professor and founder of a center at the University of Southern California (USC). During his time at YU, Wasserman oversaw reform of the school’s curriculum, the development of new graduate programs and increased enrollment.
“I am deeply grateful to the president, Rabbi Dr. Berman, for the privilege of serving as dean of the Sy Syms School of Business,” Wasserman told The Commentator. “YU’s unwavering commitment to Torah values, and Sy Syms’ unique mission to develop Torah-grounded professionals who excel in the workplace and in the community, have been an inspiration every step of the way. It has been an honor to work with the school’s world-class faculty and leadership and with the university’s stellar deans to contribute to this extraordinary institution. I am excited to start working with Ramaz’s faculty, staff, and students during an even more formative stage of the students’ development, but will always look back fondly on my six years at Yeshiva University.”
According to an email sent to members of the Ramaz community by Chair of the Board Jimmy Haber, Wasserman was appointed unanimously by the school’s trustees and search committee following a search process during which dozens of candidates were interviewed.
“We all saw something special in Dr. Wasserman right away,” Haber said in the email. “His commitment to inspiring Jewish students to share their Torah values with the world resonated with what we know is central to the mission of Ramaz. His impressive references spoke glowingly of his leadership style, as someone with strategic vision, great attention to detail, a superhuman work ethic, a love of Judaism and Torah scholarship, and real ‘cheyn,’ or goodness, manifested by his genuine support for his faculty and excitement to spend time with students.”
Wasserman will replace current Ramaz Head of School Jonathan Cannon. It is unclear who will replace Wasserman at YU.
“Noam Wasserman has been an excellent leader for the Sy Syms School of Business, strengthening its academic foundation, and instilling the business school with the values-driven education that define Yeshiva University,” President Ari Berman told YU News. “He is a stellar role model for our students and represents the best of our community. We are very excited for him as he embarks on his next chapter of leading one of the key day school systems in our community.”
Wasserman received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and his MBA from Harvard Business School. As an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, he received bachelor’s in both engineering and finance. He is the author of “The Founder’s Dilemma” and “Life is a Startup.” Wasserman’s research has been published in journals such as “Management Science,” “Strategic Management Journal,” “Academy of Management Journal” and “Organization Science,” and he has written columns and articles for publications including the Wall Street Journal, the Harvard Business Review, Barron’s and Forbes.
Wasserman is also a Torah scholar, having finished Shas three times, according to the email sent by Haber. He has also given several shiurim available on YUTorah Online.
Students wished Wasserman well in his new position and expressed gratitude for his time at YU.
“Dean Wasserman was an incredible leader for the business school,” Eytan Jacoby (SSSB ‘27) told The Commentator. “He is a tremendous role model for both Torah and Business in the Jewish World, and he should have much more success and influence in his next chapter with Ramaz. Thank You Dean Wasserman.”
“Dean Wasserman has guided many of my friends in how to keep Judaism the main part of one’s life while also being engaged in the business world,” Yona Weinstock (SSSB ‘27) shared with The Commentator. “I wish him much success in spreading Torah and core values in his new position at Ramaz and in becoming a role model for its students as he has been for so many here at YU.”
———
Photo Caption: Dean Noam Wasserman
Photo Credit: Yeshiva University
