Poets&Quants, the independent media platform covering graduate business education, announced today that founder John A. Byrne will retire from his leadership role, ending a career that helped shape global discourse on MBA programs. The company also unveiled a new leadership team to guide its next phase of growth and innovation. Sat Sharma has been appointed Managing Director, Marc Ethier has been named Editor-in-Chief, and newly hired Pola Lem will serve as Executive Editor, leading market-facing editorial and multimedia initiatives.
Since founding Poets&Quants in 2010, Byrne built the publication into one of the most trusted voices in business education, serving millions of readers with authoritative coverage and data-driven insights. "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 served as managing editor for the past ten years, becomes Editor-in-Chief. He will oversee 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 currently working on a book examining the impact of artificial intelligence on elite business school classrooms.
Sat Sharma, a higher-education veteran with over 15 years at Poets&Quants, takes on the role of Managing Director. He will lead strategic growth, partnerships, and global expansion. "Our focus is to deepen partnerships, expand our global reach, and create innovative ways for schools to connect with highly qualified candidates," said Sharma. He holds a B.S. in Marketing from Northeastern University and a Master's in Technology Management from Pepperdine University.
Pola Lem joins as Executive Editor from The Grocer, where she served as trends editor, and previously worked at Times Higher Education. She will lead multimedia storytelling and audience engagement. "It's a privilege to follow in the footsteps of John Byrne, a legend in the business school world," said Lem. A native New Yorker, she earned a B.A. from Haverford College and an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University.
The new leadership team will guide Poets&Quants into its next chapter, focusing on expanding multimedia and video storytelling, enhancing global coverage, developing AI-driven insights, and strengthening partnerships with business schools. Poets&Quants, a part of Times Higher Education, continues its mission to provide independent coverage that helps prospective students make informed decisions and enables business schools to showcase innovation.
