PODCAST · business
Deans Counsel
by David Ikenberry / James Ellis / Ken Kring
Being a Dean in today’s modern university is without a doubt one of the most challenging jobs in higher education. With ever changing tensions and pressures from conflicting constituencies, the job can be both overwhelming yet intensely invigorating at the same time. However, by design, it’s also one of the most lonely jobs in the Academy. Where can one turn for confidential advice? In this podcast we interview Business School Deans peer-to-peer to hear their perspective on a wide variety of pressing issues. Please join your panelists Ken Kring, Senior Client Partner in the Philadelphia office for the search firm Korn Ferry and Co- Managing Director of their Global Education Practice, Jim Ellis, former dean of the Marshal School at the University of Southern California and Dave Ikenberry, former dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder for this latest edition of ….. “Deans Counsel.”
Episodes
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97: Andy Policano (Dean Emeritus, Madison/Irvine) on Financial Strategy
Andy Policano, is one of those truly rare, gifted, academic leaders: a master of the craft. Andy is a three-time dean having served as dean of social sciences at Stonybrook in the late 1980s and later as a business school dean at the University of Wisconsin-Madison starting in 1991. In 2004, Andy...
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96: Jeff Brown (Dean Emeritus, Illinois) on Key Issues Facing Higher Education
It was about three and a half years ago (May 2023, Episode 12) when we first interviewed Jeff Brown from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. At the time, we discussed leading a college through remarkable transformation, something Jeff is well-versed in,...
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95: Jim Ellis (USC) on His Journey of Insights
Our guest today is Jim Ellis, Dean Emeritus at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business. You may know him better as one third of our triumvirate of Deans Counsel hosts. Jim took a somewhat unusual path into higher education. Before joining USC, he spent nearly three...
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94: Rajiv Ranjan (Chandigarh University) on Starting a Business School in India
Our guest today is Dr. Rajiv Ranjan, Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs at Chandigarh University in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, a position he took on in March 2026. Prior to that, he served as Dean of Integral Business School, also in Lucknow, where his impactful leadership resulted in...
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51 [DC REWIND]: Bob Bruner (Virginia) on The Key Attributes of a Dean's Temperament
On this previously-published episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Bob Bruner, University Emeritus Professor, Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Business Administration and Dean Emeritus of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Bob is…
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93: Anne-Marie Croteau (Concordia) on Succession Planning
Our guest today is Anne-Marie Croteau, Dean of the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal. She is the first woman to serve in this position. She has more than 30 years of experience in teaching and research, as a full professor and researcher specializing in strategic...
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92: Vickie Antolini (Korn Ferry) on The Dean's Job Market
Our guest today is Vickie Antolini, Senior Client Partner, Global Education Practice at Korn Ferry, a major consultancy specializing in Academic Leadership Search. Vickie specializes in the recruitment of Presidents, Provosts, Deans of professional schools, with an emphasis in business education,...
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91: Lily Bi (AACSB) on The Past, Present and Future of AACSB
Our guest today is Lily Bi, the President and CEO of AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) International, the world’s largest business school association and global accreditor; she's been in the role for nearly three years. With more than 30 years of experience in…
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90: Bill Hardgrave (Memphis) on Building Relationships and Teams
Our guest today, Bill Hardgrave, has had a remarkable career. After graduating with his PhD from Oklahoma State in Information Systems, he moved to the University of Arkansas where he developed a passion for Radio Frequency Identification, perhaps better known as RFID. After spending 17 years…
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89: Joyce Russell (Villanova / AACSB) on Negotiating Compensation
In today’s episode, we hear from Joyce Russell, the Helen and William O'Toole Dean of the Villanova School of Business (VSB) from 2016 to 2023. Under her leadership, her college strengthened faculty research output, enhanced student programs, upgraded facilities, and established programs aligned...
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88: Stanley Ikenberry (Illinois / ACE) Reflects on a Lifetime of Academic Leadership
In this rare and truly special edition of Deans Counsel, we are joined by the legendary Dr. Stanley Ikenberry. This posthumous publication was recorded earlier last season, just one week before his passing following a long and remarkable life. During the interview, as Jim Ellis and Ken Kring sit...
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87: Francois Ortalo-Magne (London Business School) on Business Research
On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry welcome back to the podcast François Ortalo-Magné, Executive Dean (External Relations) and Professor of Management Practice in Economics and Strategy & Entrepreneurship at London Business School. He served as the School's ninth...
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86: Brooke Elliott (Illinois) on Expanding Access
On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Brooke Elliott, the Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor in Business and Dean of Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She leads the College in developing a compelling, strategic...
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85: David Thomas (Georgetown/Morehouse) on Transformational Vision
On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with David Thomas, President of Morehouse College and Dean and William Berkeley Chair (retired) at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. Since his installment in January 2018, he has led dynamic,...
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84: Stowe Shoemaker (UNLV) on Hospitality Programs
On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Stowe Shoemaker, a current Special Assistant to the President at UNLV, and until 2025 the Dean of UNLV's Dean Harah College of Hospitality. Since becoming Dean in 2013, Stowe has been active in advancing the William…
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83: Steve Currall (Harvard) on Building Corporate Relations
On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Steve Currall, Executive Director and Associate Vice Provost for Academic-Corporate Initiatives at Harvard University, where he leads that school’s efforts to build multi-dimensional collaborations with major...
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82: Chandra Subramaniam (CSUN) on Being a Student-centric Dean
On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Chandra Subramaniam, Dean of David Nazarian College of Business and Economics at California State University Northridge. He has also served as the Interim Dean, Associate Dean for Students and Programs, Chair of the...
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81: Robert Shepard (GG+A) on Philanthropy
On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Bob Shepard, a true veteran in philanthropic circles with a storied career spanning roughly 40 years, much of that running Duke University's philanthropic efforts. Today, Bob is a consultant with Grenzebach Glier &...
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80: Vallabh Sambamurthy (Wisconsin) Does A Deep Dive Into External Relations
On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Jim Ellis, Dave Ikenberry and Ken Kring speak with Vallabh "Samba" Sambamurthy, the Albert O. Nicholas Dean of the Wisconsin School of Business. Recognized as an impactful administrator, attentive leader, and preeminent scholar in the areas of innovation…
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79: (DC REWIND) Blair Sheppard (Duke) on What's Next in Higher Academia
[This recording of Deans Counsel originally published on July 25, 2025 as episode #67.] On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis and Ken Kring speak with Blair Sheppard, Special Advisor to Duke Kunshan University, and previously Dean of Duke's Fuqua School of Business. Blair is responsible for...
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78: (DC REWIND): Bernie Banks (Rice) on Leadership Development at Large Scale
[This recording of Deans Counsel originally published on August 22, 2025 as episode #69.] On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Bernard "Bernie" Banks, Director of Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders (and a Clinical Professor of Management within...
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77: Nate Sharp (Texas A&M) on Launching Flex On-Line Masters Programs
On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Dave Ikenberry and Ken Kring speak with Nate Sharp, the Dean of Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, where he is leading the school through a period of historic growth and innovation. His tenure has been marked by record-setting fundraising, the...
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76: Bridget Madrian (BYU): The "Insider" Comes Home
On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Dave Ikenberry and Jim Ellis speak with Bridget Madrian, the Dean and Marriott Distinguished Professor in the Brigham Young University Marriott School of Business where she has a joint appointment in the Department of Finance and the George W. Romney...
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75: Ian Williamson (UC-Irvine) on Preparing for the Future of Work
This episode of Deans Counsel is the last of three featuring special guest host, Alex Triantis, Dean of the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University, and a previous guest (on Episode 16) of the podcast. Alex and co-host Dave Ikenberry speak with Ian Williamson, Dean of the Paul Merage...
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74: Francisco Veloso (INSEAD) on The Truly Multinational Business School
This episode of Deans Counsel is the second of three featuring special guest host, Alex Triantis, Dean of the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University, and a previous guest (on Episode 16) of the podcast. Alex and co-host Jim Ellis speak with Francisco Veloso, Dean of INSEAD, The…
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73: Lee Newman (Instituto de Empresa - IE) on Driving Innovation
This episode of Deans Counsel is the first of three featuring special guest host, Alex Triantis, Dean of the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University, and a previous guest (on Episode 16) of the podcast. Alex and co-host Ken Kring speak with Lee Newman, Dean of Instituto de Impresa (IE)...
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72: Oliver Yao (Delaware) on Leading at a Fast Pace
On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Ken Kring and Jim Ellis speak with Oliver Yao, Dean of the University of Delaware's Lerner College of Business and Economics, a role he took on in August 2023. Oliver Yao’s research interests are in the inter-disciplinary fields of information systems and...
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71: Todd Milbourn (SMU) on Approaching a First Deanship
On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Todd Milbourn, the newly-installed 10th Dean of the Edwin L. Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. He holds the Tolleson Chair in Business Leadership and the Andrew W. Chen Endowed Chair in…
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70: Avijit Ghosh (Illinois Urbana-Champaign) with Strategic Insight into Higher Education Today
On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Avijit Ghosh, Dean Emeritus at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Gies College of Business. He also served as vice president/chief financial officer and comptroller for the University of Illinois System since…
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69: Bernie Banks (Rice) on Leadership Development at Large Scale
On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Bernard "Bernie" Banks, Director of Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders (and a Clinical Professor of Management within the University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business). The mission of the Doerr...
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68: John Evans (VinUniversity) on Leading a Startup Business School
On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis, Dave Ikenberry and Ken Kring speak with John Evans, Dean of the VinUniversity College of Business and Management in Hanoi, Vietnam. Prior to joining VinUni, Professor Evans was the Pro Vice Chancellor and President of Curtin University Dubai campus.…
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67: Blair Sheppard (Duke) on What's Next in Higher Academia
On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis and Ken Kring speak with Blair Sheppard, Special Advisor to Duke Kunshan University, and previously Dean of Duke's Fuqua School of Business. Blair is responsible for directing all of Duke Kunshan's fundraising, corporate development, non-degree program...
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66: Gerry Sanders (UNLV) on Crisis Communications in an Active Shooter Situation
On this episode of Deans Counsel, Jim Ellis and Ken Kring speak with Gerry Sanders, Dean of UNLV's Lee Business School. In perhaps our most riveting discussion to date, Gerry walks us through his experience during an active shooter incident targeting Lee, and the confusing aftermath. In addition…
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65: Umaimah Mendhro (One League) on Disrupting MBA Education
On this episode of Deans Counsel, we've got all three of our moderators -- Jim Ellis, Dave Ikenberry, and Ken Kring -- onboard to speak with Umaimah Mendhro, Founder and President of One League, an organization empowering highly promising, underserved changemakers to realize global impact....
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64: Adam Goodman (Northwestern) with Leadership Advice
On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Jim Ellis and Ken Kring speak with Adam Goodman, Director of the Center for Leadership at Northwestern University, where he's also a Clinical Professor in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. With a career journey that began as a...
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63: Paul Pavlou (Miami) on Realizing Moonshot Goals
On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Jim Ellis and Ken Kring welcome Paul Pavlou, Dean of the University of Miami's Herbert Business School and Leonard M. Miller University Chair Professor. Recognized as one of the "World's Most Influential Scientific Minds," Paul earned a Ph.D. in...
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62: Marianne Lewis (Cincinatti) on Maximizing Societal Impact
On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry welcome Marianne Lewis, Dean of the Carl H. Lindner College of Business and Professor of Management at the University of Cincinnati. She knows the College extremely well, having started there as an assistant professor in...
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61: Jason Wingard (The Education Board) on Soft Skills & Society’s Shifting Expectations
On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Jim Ellis and Ken Kring speak with Jason Wingard, Executive Chairman of The Education Board, Inc. and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Harvard. Dr. Wingard is a globally renowned executive, with deep experience in both the corporate and non-profit...
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60: Tim Westerbeck (Eduvantis) on The Demanding Times We Live In
On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Tim Westerbeck, President of Eduvantis, a leading agency offering strategic advisor to higher education institutions around the world. Tim's work focuses on helping institutions grow amidst significant…
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59: Bruce Weber (Baruch) on Knowing Thy Customer
On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Bruce Weber, Willem Kooyker Dean of the Zicklin School of Business and a professor in the Paul H. Chook Department of Information Systems & Statistics at New York's Baruch College. Previously, he was the dean of...
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58: Transitions Roundtable - Ken Kring hosts a Panel discussion with Dave Ikenberry, Jim Ellis and special guest Allison Davis-Blake
On this special episode of Deans Counsel, we flip the script a bit by putting two of our hosts -- former business school deans Jim Ellis (USC) and Dave Ikenberry (Colorado), along with returning guest Allison Davis-Blake (Minnesota) -- in the guest chair to speak specifically to an important area...
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57: Mary Ann Scully (Loyola Maryland) on A Banker's Journey Into the Academy
On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Mary Ann Scully, Dean of the Sellinger School of Business and Management at Loyola University of Maryland. Mary Ann enjoyed a successful career in banking, including co-founding Howard Bank, for which she served…
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56: Ajay Menon (STRATA/Colorado State) on A Second Career After a Successful Deanship
On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Ajay Menon, President and CEO of CSU STRATA, and former Dean of CSU's Agricultural Sciences and Business Schools. In this captivating discussion, Ajay walks us through his path from Marketing Faculty Member to…
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EPISODE 55: Sherif Kamel (AACSB) with Observations from the Chair
On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Sherif Kamel, professor of management and dean of the School of Business at The American University in Cairo. Sherif is also the current Board Chair of AACSB International. The Association to Advance Collegiate...
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54 (DC REWIND): Sanjay Gupta (Michigan State) on Strategically Leveraging Alumni and Philanthropic Relations
On this episode of Deans Counsel (originally published on 29 March 2024), moderators Jim Ellis and Dave Ikenberry speak with Sanjay Gupta, currently a Professor of Accounting and Information Systems. Most recently, he served as the Eli and Edythe L. Broad Dean, the 11th Dean of the Eli Broad...
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53 (DC REWIND): Francois Ortalo-Magne (London Business School) on Comparing US and European Deanships
On this episode of Deans Counsel (originally published on 6 January 2023), moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Francois Ortalo-Magne, the ninth Dean of the London Business School, a position he has held since 2017. They discuss the unique challenges and financial responsibility of...
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52: Anuj Mehrotra (Georgia Tech) with Observations from a Three-Time Dean
On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Anuj Mehrotra, Dean and Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. Chair, and Professor of Operations Management, at Georgia Tech University. Prior to his time at the Scheller College of Business, Mehrotra served as the dean of the...
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51: Bob Bruner (Virginia) on The Key Attributes of a Dean's Temperament
On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Bob Bruner, University Emeritus Professor, Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Business Administration and Dean Emeritus of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Bob is a giant in the field...
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50: Gareth James (Emory) on Shifting Business Models
On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Gareth James, who became the John H. Harland Dean of Emory University's Goizueta Business School in July 2022. Renowned for his visionary leadership, statistical mastery, and commitment to the future of business...
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49: John Clarke (DePauw) on Being a Founding Dean
On this episode of Deans Counsel, moderators Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with John Clarke, the inaugural dean of the School of Business and Leadership and a professor of business at DePauw University. While DePauw is one of the older universities in the US, its School of Business was just...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Being a Dean in today’s modern university is without a doubt one of the most challenging jobs in higher education. With ever changing tensions and pressures from conflicting constituencies, the job can be both overwhelming yet intensely invigorating at the same time. However, by design, it’s also one of the most lonely jobs in the Academy. Where can one turn for confidential advice? In this podcast we interview Business School Deans peer-to-peer to hear their perspective on a wide variety of pressing issues. Please join your panelists Ken Kring, Senior Client Partner in the Philadelphia office for the search firm Korn Ferry and Co- Managing Director of their Global Education Practice, Jim Ellis, former dean of the Marshal School at the University of Southern California and Dave Ikenberry, former dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder for this latest edition of ….. “Deans Counsel.”
HOSTED BY
David Ikenberry / James Ellis / Ken Kring
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Deans Counsel have?
Deans Counsel currently has 98 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Deans Counsel about?
Being a Dean in today’s modern university is without a doubt one of the most challenging jobs in higher education. With ever changing tensions and pressures from conflicting constituencies, the job can be both overwhelming yet intensely invigorating at the same time. However, by design, it’s also...
How often does Deans Counsel release new episodes?
Deans Counsel has 98 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Deans Counsel?
You can listen to Deans Counsel on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Deans Counsel?
Deans Counsel is created and hosted by David Ikenberry / James Ellis / Ken Kring.
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