| New
Business School Dean Named Richard
Durand, dean of Lehigh University’s College of Business and Economics,
has been named the new dean of AU’s Kogod School of Business. Durand
comes to Kogod after six years at Lehigh, where he also taught a management
and marketing course. His first day on the job will be July 1.
 “We are fortunate to have attracted a person of such widespread
experience and proven leadership, and we are confident that he will take
the Kogod School of Business to the next level of achievement,”
said AU President Benjamin Ladner.
Durand, 57, was born in New York City. From 1955 to 1960, he lived in
Havana, Cuba, where he learned to speak Spanish. At the University of
Florida, he earned a BA in political science, an MBA, and a PhD in business
administration.
“Kogod has a fine reputation, but I was also attracted to the management
style of the provost and president,” Durand said. “They believe
in a decentralized management style, and I believe that business schools
need to take a very strategic approach to what they do. One must look
at the entire picture. Business schools are a bit unique because we deal
with the business community on a regular basis, and we believe that all
these corporate partnerships need to be a part of the process.”
Durand’s fields of expertise are marketing research and buyer research
for strategic decision making.
At Lehigh, in Bethlehem, Pa., Durand served on the Lehigh Valley Economic
Development Corporation and Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern
Pennsylvania.
Durand has much practical experience working with the business community.
Throughout his career, he’s worked with companies such as Marriott,
Safeway, the National Association of Federal Credit Unions, and the Maryland
State Government Association. He has also done consulting work for the
Alabama Supreme Court, the Maryland State Lottery, and Frito Lay, among
others.
“I’m delighted that Richard Durand has accepted our offer
of appointment as dean,” said Provost Neil Kerwin. “Dr. Durand
has the values, experience, and talent to lead the Kogod School of Business
and its outstanding faculty. Dr. Durand is dedicated to serious scholarship,
committed to outstanding teaching, and is a proven fundraiser who relishes
work with our alumni and with our business community. He has extensive
international experience and his work with professional associations will
add to the stature of our institution. I want to commend the search committee
for their management of the entire process and Ed Wasil for his extraordinary
leadership as chair of the committee.”
-by Mike Unger, originally published in American Weekly
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