About

Jason E. Lane, PhD, is an award-winning author, innovator, and higher education executive whose work bridges governance, strategy, and leadership. A trusted advisor to boards, presidents, and system leaders worldwide, he brings more than two decades of experience guiding institutions through transformation, system redesign, and leadership transitions.

Lane co-founded and directs the AGB Institute for Leadership & Governance in Higher Education, a national program preparing aspiring presidents and executive leaders for the complex realities of today’s governance environment. His work emphasizes strengthening board-president relationships, advancing shared governance, and aligning leadership capacity with institutional mission and strategic priorities.

Currently serving as special advisor to the president of the University of Illinois System, Lane leads initiatives that advance systemwide strategy, leadership development, corporate and government engagement, and national thought leadership. As an experienced board chair and member, he understands the dynamics of high-performing boards and the importance of aligning governance, leadership, and strategy to achieve institutional impact.

A recognized architect of the modern practice of ‘systemness’—the intentional alignment of institutions within a system to achieve collective impact—Lane has helped numerous governing boards refine decision-making, build student success strategies, strengthen leadership pipelines, and integrate system-level strategy into institutional action. As president of the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH), he advanced the national conversation on systemness, guiding multi-campus systems across the country in leveraging collaboration to improve student outcomes and public impact. His consulting draws on his deep experience in both system coordination and campus execution, having designed initiatives that reshaped presidential search and onboarding processes, advanced data-informed decision-making, and diversified leadership ranks across one of the nation’s largest and most complex public systems.

Lane’s expertise extends beyond the United States. He has advised governments and universities in more than 30 countries and consulted for global organizations including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United Nations, and UNESCO. His international work has helped shape frameworks for quality assurance, international cooperation, and higher education policy reform, offering boards a global perspective on system design and institutional strategy.

An author of more than a dozen books including Academic Leadership and Governance of Higher Education and Higher Education Systems Redesigned, Lane is a frequent contributor to Trusteeship magazine, Change, and Inside Higher Ed. His research has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.

Professional Credentials

Lane received a BS from Southeast Missouri State University and an MA and PhD from Pennsylvania State University.