Dear Members of the Santa Clara University Community,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ed Grier as the next dean of the Leavey School of Business (LSB). Dean Grier currently serves as dean of the School of Business at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and will begin his appointment at SCU on July 1, 2021.

Dean Grier brings a wealth of knowledge and a perspective from both academia and industry that will serve LSB well as we emerge from this pandemic year. As dean at VCU since 2010, he oversaw the expansion and development of new innovative programs, including VCU Brandcenter and Center for Sport Leadership, an International Consulting Program, an online MBA program, and entrepreneurship training programs around the world. Prior to his appointment at VCU, he spent a successful 29-year career at Walt Disney Company where he held executive roles including president of Disneyland Resorts. We are excited to welcome Dean Grier, who is well-positioned to lead LSB in further leveraging partnerships across Silicon Valley while building on its momentum in graduate programs and tradition of academic excellence. For more about Dean Grier, please see the press release here. 

Thanks go to the members of the search committee for bringing the search to a successful conclusion: Ed Ryan (search committee chair), Wendy Barnes, George Chacko, Issabelle Hayden '20, Brigit Helms, John Ifcher, Haidan Li, Nydia MacGregor, Tammy Madsen, Kumar Sarangee, Drew Starbird, Jack Treacy, S.J., Emily Wilcox, Teresa Kopriva (staff support), and Soniya Patel (staff support). I am grateful for their flexibility and creativity in their service to the University. 

Finally, I want to thank Naren Agrawal for serving as interim dean of the Leavey School of Business, who ensured a seamless transition with great care during a challenging year. 

Please join me in welcoming Ed to the Santa Clara community and thanking Naren for a job well done as interim dean.

Sincerely,

Lisa A. Kloppenberg
Acting President