R. Marc Johnson

Education: B.A., The College of William & Mary; M.B.A., M.Ed., University of Virginia; Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania

Marc Johnson (EMBA ’13) is a lecturer at the Darden School of Business, teaching courses in global business and strategy and leading courses for MBA and EMBA students all around the world.

Johnson serves as Senior Associate Dean for Student Engagement and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer. In this role, Johnson leads strategic planning, strategy execution and innovation initiatives for the Darden School. Johnson works to ensure exceptional student engagement through the complete experience for the globally diverse student body across all degree programs at Darden. Johnson works alongside faculty leadership to create a social, educational, and organizational environment that advances Darden's transformational learning mission. He also convenes and leads the Darden Student Services Group, made up of leaders in the areas of enrollment management (admissions, financial aid and registration), student engagement (student affairs, global advising, program operations and global/experiential learning), career development, instructional design, and global diversity, equity, and inclusion. He partners with student leadership to promote student self-governance, impact and collaboration.

Johnson leads advancement of the Darden school strategy and drives innovation initiatives across the organization, continually developing, anchoring and architecting implementation of the strategy of Darden in pursuit of the mission and vision. In this work Johnson serves as a catalyst for continuous improvement and partners with other leaders to advance area strategies. Johnson ensures a data-driven approach to problem solving in the organization including through leadership to Strategic IT. Johnson collaborates with the leadership of the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology, the Institute for Business in Society, and the Mayo Center for Asset Management to advance the mission of the school.

Johnson teaches international business in UVA’s undergraduate interdisciplinary studies program and previously taught courses in leadership for the Sorensen Institute. He has also taught courses in entrepreneurship and nonprofit management. He is the co-author of several entrepreneurship case studies through Darden Business Publishing.

Johnson holds a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in the executive doctorate in higher education management program, where he studied access to graduate and professional degrees, publishing his dissertation on advanced degrees and social mobility in the United States. Johnson holds an MBA from the UVA Darden School, where he received the C. Stewart Sheppard Award for service and the Faculty Award for Academic Excellence, and a master’s in education from the UVA School of Education and Human Development. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the College of William & Mary with a bachelor’s degree in government, receiving the James Frederic Carr memorial cup for character, scholarship, and leadership at graduation.