London Business School
scholar Thomas Robertson
named Goizueta School dean
Thomas Robertson, the current deputy principal of the London Business
School, has been named dean of the Goizueta Business School. During a recent
visit to the school, Robertson "ignited enthusiasm throughout the community
with his vision for preeminence and growth for the school over the next
five to 10 years," said Chancellor Billy Frye, chair of the search
committee. Business schools must prepare students to lead in the global
marketplace, and the new dean brings global experience with him.
Robertson's most recent experience has been at the London Business School,
a highly ranked, world class business school. Prior to coming to the London
Business School in 1994, Robertson was a faculty member at the Wharton School
of the University of Pennsylvania for 23 years, where he held the Pomerantz
Chair of Marketing, chaired the Marketing Department for 12 years and was
associate dean for executive education for three years.
Innovation has been a hallmark of Robertson's academic career. He launched
a major London Business School television initiative in partnership with
FTTV now broadcast via CNBC in Europe and the United States and championed
technology for both classroom and home software and Internet applications.
He created the Marketing Leadership Forum, an executive course that partners
the London Business School and Duke University.
A highly regarded marketing strategist, Robertson was named the first
Swainsbury Chair at the London Business School in 1994 after an international
search. A successful fund-raiser at both the London Business School and
Wharton, Robertson has raised money for new buildings, endowed chairs and
research grants.
"The Goizueta Business School is one of a very small number of schools
in the world that has a realistic chance of moving into the top ranks of
business schools over the next few years," Robertson said. "With
key resources now in place, including a new state-of-the-art building and
leading-edge technology, the Goizueta Business School can quickly move forward."
Robertson will move aggressively to build on the school's excellent foundation
to attract and develop a faculty and student body comparable to the best
business schools.
The challenge for the Goizueta Business School "is not only to take
its place among the preeminent business schools in America, but also to
take its rightful place in shaping the intellectual life at Emory University,"
President Bill Chace said. "Tom Robertson is the leader who can meet
that challenge."
Not only an academic leader, Robertson has ties to the corporate world
as a consultant and board member. In the area of marketing strategy, his
global clients have included AT&T, Procter & Gamble, IBM, Roche
Laboratories, T. Rowe Price, Nestle Findus, ScottishPower, Standard Life,
ICI and British Airways.
A distinguished scholar, teacher and researcher, he has published widely
in leading scholarly and professional journals and is the author of Innovative
Behavior and Communication and "In Praise of Revitalisation,"
an article that appears in the Financial Times, highly popular Mastering
Management series.
Robertson holds both an MBA and PhD in marketing from Northwestern University.
He will work with Dean Ron Frank to ensure a smooth leadership transition
when he begins his tenure on July 1.
-Jim Elliot
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