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December 6 , 2004
Minnesota's Benveniste named Goizueta dean

BY victor Rogers

Lawrence Benveniste, dean of the Carlson School of Management and U.S. Bancorp Professor in Finance at the University of Minnesota, will be the next dean of Emory's Goizueta Business School (GBS), the school announced Dec. 23. The appointment is effective July 1, 2005.

"Larry has the ideal combination of experience, vision, drive and business acumen to lead the Goizueta Business School during the next phase of its history. He is an excellent successor to [current GBS Dean] Tom Robertson," said Provost Earl Lewis.

Robertson announced last spring his intention to take a new position assisting President Jim Wagner in further internationalizing the University through the ongoing strategic planning process and possibly beyond.

"As Dean Robertson steps into his new role, we are indeed most fortunate to have Larry Benveniste come to us," Wagner said. "He has a clear understanding of Goizueta's potential and core values, as well as an appreciation for the vital role the school plays in the larger University."

"Goizueta Business School is a rising star, and I look forward to being a part of its continued growth," Benveniste said. "I am particularly excited about working with the great team of faculty, staff, students and the leadership of Emory. And I look forward to building on Dean Robertson's success in recruiting world-class faculty and students and partnering with the great business community of Atlanta."

Maryam Alavi, John M. and Lucy Cook Chair in Information Strategy and chair of the Goizueta dean search committee, will serve as the school's interim dean during the spring 2005 semester. She will work with Benveniste to ensure a smooth leadership transition when he begins his tenure.

"It is too soon to say with absolute specificity what will be Dean Benveniste's top priorities," Lewis said. "We do know that he must work with the faculty to implement the school's strategic plans, continue to build areas of research and practice, and continue to forge a strong relationship with the local and national business community."

Before his 2001 appointment as dean for the Carlson School, Benveniste held the positions of interim dean, associate dean of faculty and research, and chair of the finance department. Benveniste came to the Carlson School from Boston College.

In addition to his academic positions, Benveniste has been a staff economist for the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, where he helped develop a number of significant regulatory initiatives, including risk-based capital, which monitors the equity value of commercial banks to protect the deposit insurance system. He also has consulted widely on subjects such as the valuation of commercial real estate and credit scoring.

Benveniste's research is focused on initial public offerings (IPOs) of equity. His studies on underwriters' methods in placing IPOs has been particularly important as the markets move past the experiences of the 1990s "dot-com bubble" and explore new methods, such as the recent auction of Google's IPO.

Benveniste has authored or co-authored 28 papers on topics as diverse as contract design for problem asset disposition, and the allocation and price of new issues. He received his doctorate in mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley and his bachelor's degree from University of California at Irvine. He serves on the boards of Rimage and Alliance Data Systems.

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