Release date: Dec. 23, 2004
Contact: Deb Hammacher, Associate Director, University Media Relations,
at 404-727-0644 or deb.hammacher@emory.edu

Economics Scholar Lawrence Benveniste Named Goizueta Business School Dean

Lawrence Benveniste

Lawrence Benveniste, the current dean of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, has been named dean of Emory University's Goizueta Business School.

"Larry combines 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 Tom Robertson," says Emory University Provost Earl Lewis.

Goizueta's current dean, Robertson, is embarking on a new position assisting Emory President James Wagner in further internationalizing the university.

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

Maryam Alavi, the John M. and Lucy Cook Chair in Information Strategy and chairwoman of the Goizueta dean search committee, will serve as the school's interim dean during the spring semester. She will work with Benveniste to ensure a smooth leadership transition when he begins his tenure on July 1, 2005.

"In some ways it is too soon to say with absolute specificity what will be Dean Benveniste's top priorities," says Lewis. "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 chairman of the finance department. He also holds the endowed chair as the US Bancorp Professor in Finance. 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, D.C. There he participated in the development of 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 of equity. His studies on the methods underwriters use to place IPOs has been particularly important as the markets move past the experiences of the bubble and new methods such as the recent auction of the Google issue are explored.

"Goizueta Business School is a rising star, and I look forward to being a part of its continued growth," says Benveniste. "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."

Benveniste is author or co-author of 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 Rimage and Alliance Data Systems boards.

Emory University's Goizueta Business School teaches students to become leaders who not only create value for their organizations, but also improve society. Founded in 1919, the school is home to an undergraduate degree program, a full-time MBA, a one-year MBA, an evening MBA, the W. Cliff Oxford Executive MBA (weekend and modular formats), and a doctoral program together with a set of innovative non-degree executive education programs. The school’s mission is to educate principled leaders for global enterprise.

Emory University is known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate college of arts and sciences, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities. For more than a decade Emory has been named one of the country's top 25 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to its nine schools, the university encompasses The Carter Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, a comprehensive metropolitan health care system.

Media Contact: Victor Rogers, Goizueta Business School: 404-606-1831

Back