Executive Doctorate in Business Administration Council

What Executive Doctorate in Business Administration Council does

The Executive Doctorate in Business Administration Council (EDBAC) is a non-profit membership organization founded in 2011 that serves as the global hub for executive doctoral degree programs (DBA, EDBA, executive PhD). It connects program directors, faculty, students, alumni, and prospective students across business schools worldwide, with member institutions including Penn State Smeal College of Business, Babson College, Temple University Fox School of Business, University of Miami Herbert Business School, and Audencia. The core platform combines a website-based membership portal (with member dashboard, Stripe payment processing, and LinkedIn OAuth), an interactive DBA Program Comparison Tool for prospective students, and the open-access Engaged Management ReView (EMR) journal hosted at Case Western Reserve University (ISSN 2375-8643). The organization also runs the annual Engaged Management Scholarship (EMS) Conference, now in its 16th year, rotating among host institutions globally (2025 at Pepperdine Graziadio, 2026 at Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid), as well as the EMR Writing Workshop Series and the Management Education and Development (MED) Webinar series co-organized with the Academy of Management.

Revenue is generated through annual membership dues (paid July 1 to June 30), conference registrations and sponsorships, advertising placements on the EDBAC website, and fees for writing workshops and publication-related services. Pricing is non-public and set by the EDBAC Board. The organization employs approximately 11 staff and operational team members, including President Dr. Jeanette K. Miller (Penn State) and Executive Director Dr. Ole Petter Anfinsen, supported by a board of academics from member universities.

Name

Executive Doctorate in Business Administration Council

Legal name

Executive DBA Council

Website

https://edbac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Executive Doctorate in Business Administration Council (EDBAC) is a non-profit membership organization founded in 2011 that serves as the global hub for executive DBA programs, connecting business schools, faculty, students, and alumni through membership, the annual EMS Conference, and the EMR journal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association & Academic Conference Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAHAO

Management Research Institutes & Doctoral (PhD/DBA) Programs

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Business Schools & Management Institutes

Keywords

• Executive doctoral programs
• Membership association
• Academic conference
• Management scholarship journal
• DBA program comparison

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from business schools and institutions with executive DBA programs. Membership runs from July 1 to June 30 annually. Dues levels determined by the EDBAC Board and may vary by membership category.
2. Advertising and Commercial Opportunities: Member organizations can purchase advertising placements on the EDBAC website. Ad slots are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Payment is due at time of order unless invoice terms are agreed in writing.
3. Conference Registrations and Sponsorships: Revenue from the annual EMS Conference including registration fees and sponsorship packages. Conference hosted at rotating partner institutions.
4. Event and Publication Fees: Fees for EMR Writing Workshop participation, publication-related services, and other event-related charges. Terms typically Net 30 days from invoice date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EDBAC operates a global membership organization for executive doctoral degree programs (DBA, EDBA, Executive PhD), delivering institutional membership services, the annual Engaged Management Scholarship (EMS) Conference, the open-access Engaged Management ReView (EMR) journal, a DBA Program Comparison Tool, and practitioner-scholar workshops. Its products serve business schools, program directors, faculty, administrators, students, alumni, and prospective students engaged in executive doctoral education worldwide.

Product overview

The Executive DBA Council operates as a membership-based organization serving as the primary hub for executive doctoral degree programs worldwide. The core portfolio consists of the membership platform providing networking and educational resources, the annual Engaged Management Scholarship (EMS) Conference series (running since 2011), the open-access Engaged Management ReView journal published in partnership with Case Western Reserve University, an interactive DBA Program Comparison Tool for prospective students, the EMR Writing Workshop Series for researcher development, and research publications including the Global DBA Market Survey Report in partnership with EFMD.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Engaged Management ReView (EMR): Official journal of EDBAC, an open-access publication of problem-driven management scholarship that bridges research and practice. Published in partnership with Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management. ISSN 2375-8643.
• Engaged Management Scholarship (EMS) Conference

Products and services

• Executive DBA Council Membership Annual membership platform for business schools and institutions with executive doctoral degree programs, providing networking, educational resources, collaboration tools, conference hosting opportunities, and access to the EMR journal. Membership runs July 1 to June 30 annually.
• Engaged Management Scholarship (EMS) Conference Annual international conference bringing together the global community of management scholar-practitioners and DBA/Executive PhD programs to share practice-oriented research findings and engage in debates around management education. The 16th annual EMS Conference is scheduled for July 2026 at Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid, Spain.
• Engaged Management ReView (EMR) Journal Open-access journal publishing problem-driven management scholarship that bridges academic rigor and organizational practice. Features three publication genres: Research Papers, Topic Papers, and Essay Papers. Published in partnership with Case Western Reserve University.
• DBA Program Comparison Tool Interactive online tool enabling prospective DBA students to search, filter, and compare member school programs based on criteria including region, fees, program age, accreditation, and other factors to make informed enrollment decisions.
• Global DBA Market Survey Report Survey-based research report on the future of the global DBA market, published in partnership with EFMD, providing insights and perceptions from business schools worldwide.

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Universidad Pontificia ComillasflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2026Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid, Spain serves as the host institution for the 16th annual Engaged Management Scholarship Conference (EMS 2026). The university enrolls around 10,000 students and is known for its Jesuit heritage emphasizing ethical education and social responsibility. Comillas maintains numerous partnerships with global institutions and excels in social sciences and business research.
• Pepperdine Graziadio Business SchoolflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2025Pepperdine Graziadio Business School in Malibu, California serves as the host institution for the 15th annual Engaged Management Scholarship Conference (EMS 2025). Pepperdine is a Christian university committed to academic excellence and Christian values, consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful places to study.
• Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCase Western Reserve University hosts the Engaged Management ReView (EMR) journal, the official publication of EDBAC. The journal focuses on problem-driven management scholarship that bridges academic rigor and organizational practice. EMR is an open-access journal with ISSN 2375-8643.
• Phyllis Court ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhyllis Court Club in Henley-on-Thames, United Kingdom hosted the 2024 Engaged Management Scholarship Conference.
• Haskayne School of Business, University of CalgaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaskayne School of Business at University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada hosted the 2023 Engaged Management Scholarship Conference.
• Universidad Panamericana GuadalajaraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversidad Panamericana in Guadalajara, Mexico hosted the 2022 Engaged Management Scholarship Conference.
• Florida International UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida International University in Miami, Florida hosted the 2021 Engaged Management Scholarship Conference.
• Antwerp Management SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAntwerp Management School in Antwerp, Belgium hosted the 2019 Engaged Management Scholarship Conference.
• University of South FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of South Florida in Tampa, Florida hosted the 2017 Engaged Management Scholarship Conference.
• University of Paris-DauphineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Paris-Dauphine in Paris, France hosted the 2016 Engaged Management Scholarship Conference.
• Oklahoma State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOklahoma State University in Tulsa, Oklahoma hosted the 2014 Engaged Management Scholarship Conference.
• Georgia State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia hosted the 2013 Engaged Management Scholarship Conference.
• Cranfield UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCranfield University in Bedfordshire, England hosted the 2012 Engaged Management Scholarship Conference.
• Academy of ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Academy of Management partners with EDBAC on the Management Education and Development (MED) Webinar series, which is currently in its fifth year. The webinar series attracts 100-300 participants globally and features speakers including Henry Mintzberg and Richard Boyatzis. Currently sponsored through Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AACSB International: AACSB is the leading global accreditor of business schools and a membership association. It is comparable to EDBAC as a business-school membership body that defines quality standards, although AACSB operates at a much broader scope covering all business degree programs rather than just executive doctorates.
• AMBA (Association of MBAs): AMBA accredits MBA, DBA, and master's programs and is a membership organization for business schools. It directly parallels EDBAC's accreditation-adjacent membership role and overlaps on the DBA program segment that EDBAC serves.
• PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education): PRME is a UN Global Compact initiative serving as a membership and engagement platform for business schools committed to responsible management education. It is comparable to EDBAC as an association that mobilizes business schools around shared standards and learning communities.
• GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council): GMAC owns the GMAT and serves as a membership association for graduate management education programs, including those offering executive MBAs and doctorates. It is comparable as an association supporting graduate management programs with similar audience of program directors and prospective students.
• EFMD: European Foundation for Management Development is a global management-education association that, like EDBAC, serves business schools and executive education providers, accredits programs, and runs conferences. EFMD is a natural peer because it operates in the same membership-association model focused on management education quality and program development.

Broad incumbents

• Academy of Management: The Academy of Management is the leading scholarly society for management researchers and educators. EDBAC already partners with AOM on the MED Webinar series, but AOM is a comparable peer as a much larger management-education professional association that publishes journals and hosts the Annual Meeting.
• UPCEA (University Professional and Continuing Education Association): UPCEA is the leading association for professional, continuing, and online education in higher education. It is comparable to EDBAC as a membership organization serving non-traditional graduate program formats, which overlaps with the executive-education delivery model used by member schools' DBA programs.
• CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education): CASE is a global membership association serving educational institutions across advancement, alumni relations, communications, and fundraising. While broader in scope than EDBAC, it is a relevant peer as a long-standing higher-education professional association serving institutional members with conferences and publications.
• EDUCAUSE: EDUCAUSE is a large higher-education technology association serving institutions with research, conferences, and community programs. It is comparable as a higher-ed membership organization whose digital-platform and community-building model EDBAC would need to mature toward as it scales its technology offering.

Others

• Beta Gamma Sigma: Beta Gamma Sigma is the international honor society for AACSB-accredited business schools. It is adjacent to EDBAC as a business-school member organization that recognizes academic excellence among students in AACSB-affiliated programs, including executive doctorate cohorts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/executivedba
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edbac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Executive Doctorate in Business Administration Council