United States Top University UChicago Receives $100 Million Donation from Private Equity Group IJS Investments Founder Konstantin Sokolov (Age 49) to Support Chicago Booth’s Executive MBA Program with Program Renamed to Sokolov Executive MBA Program, Konstantin Sokolov Moved to United States in 1997 at Age 21 & $100 Million Donation Coinciding with His 20th Chicago Booth’s Executive MBA Reunion
18th April 2025 | Hong Kong
United States top university UChicago has received a $100 million donation from private equity group IJS Investments founder Konstantin Sokolov (Age 49) to support Chicago Booth’s Executive MBA Program with the program renamed to Sokolov Executive MBA Program. In 1997, Konstantin Sokolov moved to United States at age 21, with the $100 million donation coinciding with his 20th Chicago Booth’s Executive MBA reunion. Announcement (15/4/25): “Entrepreneur and investor Konstantin Sokolov, MBA’05, has made a $100 million gift to the University of Chicago, in support of the Executive MBA Program at the Booth School of Business. In honor of his commitment, the program will be renamed the Sokolov Executive MBA Program, and a new clinical professorship will be established for a scholar who teaches Executive MBA students. Booth’s Executive MBA Program was the first of its kind when it began with a group of 52 students from the Chicagoland area. Known as XP-1, the program was created in 1943 in response to wartime demand for skilled administrators. Today, the 21-month program brings the rigorous Booth approach to hundreds of Executive MBA students who travel from many countries to campuses in Chicago, Hong Kong and London. These students continue to grow their networks, tackle challenges together as a cohort, and prepare to launch the next phase of their careers with mentorship from top Booth faculty. The founder of IJS Investments, Sokolov is an experienced entrepreneur and private equity investor with a passion for driving economic growth and creating positive and meaningful change. He moved to the United States in 1997 at age 21, eager to pursue a career in telecommunications, working at the forefront of innovation and technology. Over the course of his career, Sokolov has become a global leader of national infrastructure projects across the telecommunications, energy, and financial services sectors. His new gift to Chicago Booth coincides with his 20th MBA reunion. Sokolov said his gift recognizes the impact his Booth education has had on his life. Sokolov’s gift will strengthen the school’s ability to attract the most talented Executive MBA students from around the globe. In addition to sustaining the quality of the program by ensuring the continued availability of scholarship and operating funds, the gift will also make it possible for Chicago Booth to continue to refine its curricular and programmatic offerings in response to developments in the modern business environment. It will also help the program enhance its approach to fostering alumni and corporate connections for the students. In 2024, Sokolov—who completed his Executive MBA in the program’s Chicago cohort, which is housed at Gleacher Center—made a generous commitment of unrestricted funds to advance the school’s mission. In a fitting tribute to the downtown campus where he formed bonds with his fellow Executive MBA students, the student lounge at Gleacher was named in recognition of this gift, which is in addition to the new $100 million investment. A distinctive feature of the Sokolov Executive MBA Program is the Global Career and Leadership Development team, which works across Booth’s three global campuses to support the unique professional development needs of executive MBA students. The team offers students personalized executive coaching, leadership workshops, industry insight circles, career clinics, and opportunities to meet Distinguished Executives in Residence, along with new dynamic activities introduced each year. All career and leadership programs are tailored to meet the needs of executive‐level professionals using a global approach that builds cultural competency, mindfulness, and an ability to adapt leadership skills to new challenges. Chicago Booth has long been the destination for people seeking the freedom to innovate on their own terms, for people who believe that making an impact starts with knowing how to ask the right questions. Continuing this legacy, the Sokolov Executive MBA Program will create significant impact in the lives, networks, and careers of leaders who pursue their Executive MBA degrees, giving them the education and inspiration they need to shape the future of global business for decades to come.”
“ United States University UChicago Receives $100 Million Donation from Private Equity Group IJS Investments Founder Konstantin Sokolov to Support Chicago Booth’s Executive MBA Program with Program Renamed to Sokolov Executive MBA Program, Konstantin Sokolov Moved to United States in 1997 at Age 21 & $100 Million Donation Coinciding with His 20th Chicago Booth’s Executive MBA Reunion “
Konstantin Sokolov – Konstantin is the founder of IJS Investments, a private equity investment company focused on the intersection of technology, finance, and infrastructure. He has also led restructuring projects for sovereign wealth funds and central banks, and has steered the listing of firms on all major stock exchanges. Konstantin has established the Northern Pillar Energy Consortium, an initiative to connect Europe and Africa, providing clean, affordable energy and high-speed digital communications to meet the needs of tomorrow’s world. An expert in the energy sector, he was previously Managing Director for Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions at Centrica PLC. As a major shareholder in Viva, the largest mobile and telecommunication company in Armenia, he has championed digital transformation, drawing on his previous expertise as Director of Enterprise Architecture at Qwest Communications (now Lumen Technologies). In that role, he helped to modernize United States Government telecommunications infrastructure and developed pioneering, next-generation solutions in telecommunications and financial services. He has also provided strategic counsel to governments and major companies. A married father-of-two, he has a master’s degree in mathematics and computer science and an Executive MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
IJS Investments – IJS Investments is a private equity company dedicated to seeking out and fostering private investment opportunities within critical industries. With a focus on technology, infrastructure and finance, IJS Investments strives to empower businesses to achieve their full potential and pave the way for sustainable and transformative advancements worldwide.
United States University UChicago Receives $100 Million Donation from Private Equity Group IJS Investments Founder Konstantin Sokolov to Support Chicago Booth’s Executive MBA Program with Program Renamed to Sokolov Executive MBA Program, Konstantin Sokolov Moved to United States in 1997 at Age 21 & $100 Million Donation Coinciding with His 20th Chicago Booth’s Executive MBA Reunion
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