Poets&Quants, the independent media platform covering graduate business education, announced today that founder John A. Byrne will retire from his leadership role, marking the end of a career that significantly influenced the global conversation around MBA and graduate business programs. The company also introduced a new leadership team to guide its next phase of growth and innovation: Sat Sharma as Managing Director, Marc Ethier as Editor-in-Chief, and Pola Lem as Executive Editor.
Since founding Poets&Quants in 2010, Byrne built the publication into a trusted and influential voice in business education, serving millions of readers worldwide with authoritative coverage, data-driven insights, and in-depth analysis. "Launching Poets&Quants was a bet that graduate management education deserved an independent, authoritative voice," said Byrne. "What began as a scrappy startup has become the world's leading platform on business education because readers trusted us and an exceptional team delivered every day."
Marc Ethier, who has served as managing editor for the past ten years, becomes Editor-in-Chief. He will oversee all editorial operations, ensuring continued excellence and integrity. "Poets&Quants has earned the trust of the global business education community by delivering rigorous, insightful journalism," said Ethier. "We will continue to uphold that standard while expanding how we tell stories and engage our audience." Ethier is also working on a book about the impact of artificial intelligence on elite business school classrooms.
Sat Sharma, a higher-education veteran with over 15 years at Poets&Quants, has been appointed Managing Director. He will lead strategic growth, partnerships, revenue generation, and global market expansion. "Poets&Quants sits at the center of the business education ecosystem," said Sharma. "Our focus is to deepen partnerships, expand our global reach, and create innovative ways for schools to connect with highly qualified candidates."
Pola Lem joins as Executive Editor to lead market-facing editorial initiatives, multimedia storytelling, and audience engagement. Previously, she served as trends editor at The Grocer and worked at Times Higher Education. "I'm delighted to be joining Poets & Quants. It's a privilege to follow in the footsteps of John Byrne, a legend in the business school world," said Lem.
The new leadership team will guide Poets&Quants into its next chapter, focusing on expanding multimedia and video storytelling, enhancing global coverage, developing innovative data and AI-driven insights, and strengthening partnerships with business schools. Poets&Quants, part of Times Higher Education, will continue its mission to provide independent, authoritative coverage that helps prospective students make informed decisions.
