Maya Ranchod Kirkhope

Vice President for Consulting Services and Senior Consultant

Maya Ranchod Kirkhope has worked in higher education for the past twenty years and specifically with presidents and governing boards for the past ten years. She has extensive knowledge of the culture of public and private higher education, academic governance, and good board management and practices at colleges and universities. Since joining Academic Search, Ms. Kirkhope has conducted dozens of searches for public, private, and international institutions, from dean to president.

Ms. Kirkhope previously worked at the Association of Governing Boards, where she was responsible for the leadership, management, and marketing of its Board Education and Consulting Service. The portfolio of services offered included presidential search, transition, and assessment, as well as strategic planning and development. Ms. Kirkhope also provided a workshop service for presidents and governing boards, sponsored by the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, which dealt with issues related to institutional governance, mission and identity. She conducted in-depth interviews with presidents and board chairs to develop specialized workshops that addressed specific institutional needs, recruited and trained facilitators, and evaluated the effectiveness of this service for Catholic institutions. As well, Ms. Kirkhope worked for the Center for Higher Education Transformation in South Africa, where she was responsible for developing the first governance project in the country.

She earned her bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in education from Columbia University.