Nov. 12, 2025

This piece is sponsored by the University of South Dakota.

Klaus Beckmann is months into his latest role at the University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business, and they’ve been filled with activity — from new MBA options in Sioux Falls to taking students on trade missions and earning reaccreditation.

Beckmann was named interim dean of the USD Beacom School of Business in June, following two years as associate dean and a year as chair of the accounting and finance department.

He began his USD career as an assistant professor of finance in 2016 and received tenure in 2022.

Beckmann grew up in Germany and came to the U.S. in 2006 as an exchange student while in college. He met his wife at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and stayed to earn his MBA and Ph.D.

We sat down with him to learn more about his path in higher education and his vision for the business school.

What brought you to USD originally – and what has kept you here?

I was attracted to a tenure-track position and the chance to teach courses I wanted to teach: commercial bank management and financial institutions. Those are my favorite courses, plus I teach a lot in international finance, corporate finance, managerial finance courses and accounting-related topics and financial analysis. I came for the position and stayed because it’s a great place to work. I love my colleagues – we are the Beacom family here – and I really enjoy it. I love the students here. It reminds me of Minnesota, where I worked previously, and my hometown in Germany. There are a lot of similarities that make it feel like home.

What are some of the first steps you’ve taken as interim dean?

The first big step was to finalize our reaccreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which we’ve worked on the last two years. It ensures we’re in line with all the highest standards for business education, and we received word in August that we are fully reaccredited through 2030. They were really impressed with the impact we’re having in our communities, the support we provide to our students and the different programs we offer, including real-world learning and problem-solving. We were commended for how we assess students, making sure they’re learning what they need to in order to be successful in the workplace. The Beacom School of Business is one of the longest-standing AACSB-accredited institutions in the region, for over 75 years, and is among the elite globally. Our programs have trusted quality and meet rigorous standards, producing top talent that is recognized far beyond South Dakota.

In addition to that, I began with a retreat for leadership in the business school, which was very helpful, and we created a leadership team contract to ensure everyone is on the same page and to cultivate good collaboration. It’s already bearing fruit, and I foresee the faculty developing something similar for themselves.

I have challenged the faculty to embrace AI tools in our curriculum. As the premier business school in the state, we are at the forefront of business education. AI is becoming the next tool that will shape our industry and learning to navigate and apply these tools will be an essential skill that industry will demand.

What are some newer programs or initiatives at the Beacom School of Business?

We’re excited to share that planning is actively underway to reestablish USD’s Sales Academy, with the goal of launching a dedicated Professional Sales Certificate program by next summer. While formal approval from the South Dakota Board of Regents is still pending, early development is progressing well. I’m identifying a space within the business school to house this, as well as finalizing the certificate and faculty, but it all looks very promising.

In addition to learning advanced sales skills, students will travel to national conferences and compete in sales competitions. We’ve already had interest from companies in sponsoring, as they recognize the value of these skills. The idea is they will come to campus to help train students and give input on our curriculum and outside activities. It will be a comprehensive approach, and I think these skills are really needed in the workplace.

We’ve also grown enrollment in our agribusiness leadership program significantly in the last several months. That’s a relatively new program, and I think there’s a great market for it as it will help equip students to become data-savvy and navigate the increasing complexities of the agriculture industry. This program is designed to prepare students for leadership roles in one of South Dakota’s most vital industries. Agriculture is a cornerstone of our state’s economy, and it’s a dynamic, data-driven sector facing increasing complexity. Our curriculum equips students to meet that challenge head-on, blending business acumen with agricultural insight and analytical skills.

And finally, we’ve just expanded our full-time MBA to our Sioux Falls campus, so all the courses will be there for students to take in person. We just started our first executive MBA class in Sioux Falls as well, which is made up of individuals planning to be in the C-suite in the near future and that have been identified by their employers as rising stars. We’ve tailored the program in collaboration with business leaders in Sioux Falls, so it’s a blend of online and in person, one night per week. Because we just started, we still have space for additional students in the first cohort.

How are you beginning to connect with the state’s business community, especially in Sioux Falls, and tell the story of what the Beacom School of Business has to offer?

I’ve spoken at several events in the last few months, including the Midwest Agricultural Export Summit and the WIN in Workforce program. I’ve also met one-on-one with many businesses and business leaders and am always happy to connect, to see what the needs are in business and how we can support them. We do a lot of outreach through our Coyote Business Consulting, Prairie Family Business Association and Small Business Development Center, and try to reach every county in the state to help organizations be successful and solve business problems.

We’ve partnered with South Dakota Trade to bring students to one of their trade missions in Ireland, which was a great experience. We’ve also worked with them to do trade seminars in executive education, as well as a professional development seminar with South Dakota Manufacturing, and we’re prioritizing building on those seminars in the coming year.

We also recently created a new Beacom School of Business magazine to showcase all the great things our students and faculty are doing. We plan to start a newsletter for students, businesses and alumni to stay up to date on what’s happening at the business school and the university.

What’s the best way for businesses to connect with you?

Reach out to the dean’s office at the Beacom School of Business through our website. Our director of industry engagement, Chelsea Limoges, also runs our Coyote Business Consulting and is a great contact for anyone interested in connecting with the university. For those interested in volunteering time, we have several advisory boards – one for every major in the business school – and they help make sure the curriculum is up to date to meet industry needs and connect with students.