NEWS

CHAPEL HILL -- Dr. James W. Dean Jr. has been named the associate dean of executive education at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School effective July 1 2002.

He will lead Kenan-Flagler’s non-degree programs for executives, which were ranked eighth among the world’s best in a survey published by The Financial Times of London earlier this month.

"Lifelong executive learning is central to our school's mission," said Dr. Robert S. Sullivan, school dean. "To his new role, Jim Dean brings strong leadership skills, strategic vision and a deep commitment to excellence that will continue to build Kenan-Flagler’s reputation for executive programs that are relevant and responsive to the needs of client organizations."

Dean just completed a four-year term as associate dean of the master of business administration program at Kenan-Flagler, where he is professor of management and a Sarah Graham Kenan Distinguished Scholar. He often teaches leadership and organizational change in executive education programs.

"I feel fortunate to lead what is already recognized as a world-class executive education program," Dean said. "Providing extraordinary learning experiences for executives is a specialty at Kenan-Flagler, where we design innovative programs that are customer-centered and taught by stellar faculty."

He said he planned to forge broader and deeper relationships with corporations through partnerships that help them address specific business challenges. "Companies look to Kenan-Flagler for the latest strategic thinking and analytical tools to improve their organizations," Dean said. "A focus on lifelong learning is evident in our programs, which help individuals advance professionally and help companies grow their executive talent and financial performance with learning content tailored to their dynamic needs."

During his four-year tenure as associate dean of the MBA Program, Dean led an innovative re-design of the MBA curriculum, created corporate advisory boards and developed a strong team of

professionals to guide admissions, student services and career services. As a result, the quality of the MBA class, the curriculum and the quality and number of companies recruiting all rose significantly. This momentum was reflected in Business Week magazine’s rankings by graduates that rose in 2000 from 17th to 11th and by corporate rankings that rose dramatically from 23rd to 16th, with an overall ranking moving up fours spots to 15th. 

"Jim has positioned the MBA Program for continued success in the future," said Sullivan. 

Dean said he doesn’t expect to lose contact with MBA students. "Because business people must embrace learning as a lifelong endeavor, I expect I will see many of our MBA graduates again when they return to UNC for their continuing education needs."

Dean is a former senior examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the former director of the National Science Foundation’s Transformations to Quality Organizations Program, which was jointly sponsored by the government and the private sector. His research focuses on such areas as strategic decision-making, leadership, organizational change, international management and quality. His research has been published in the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, California Management Review, Decision Sciences, Harvard Business Review, Organization Science and Strategic Management Journal.

Dean has conducted research and consulting projects with such companies as ALCOA, Boeing, Corning, DuPont, General Electric, Honeywell, Makino, Rockwell and St. Laurie Ltd. A graduate of The Catholic University, he earned a doctoral degree in 1983 from Carnegie Mellon University, where he also earned a master’s of science degree in industrial management.

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Contact: James W. Dean, Jr., (919)962-0798, james_dean@unc.edu

Media contact:  Allison Adams, (919)962-7235, aadams@unc.edu