Wharton's Worldly New Dean

Emory's Thomas Robertson, an expert on developing a global brand, will take over for Patrick Harker as head of Penn's business school

by Alison Damast

Tom Robertson Jon Rhou

Story Tools

• post a comment
• e-mail this story
• print this story
• order a reprint
• digg this
• save to del.icio.us

When the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania launched its search last year for a dean to replace Patrick Harker, observers speculated that the B-school would look outside Penn for a replacement. With the June 21 announcement of its choice—Thomas Robertson, a former dean of the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University and a former Wharton faculty member—it appears to be getting it both ways.

Robertson, who will take over Aug. 1, served as dean at Goizueta from 1998 to 2004 and is currently a professor of marketing at the school. He also is the executive faculty director of the Institute for Developing Nations at Emory, giving him experience in international education, a key area for Wharton's future.

Wharton officials called him a "statesman-like, soft-spoken, accessible, and visible leader" in an announcement to students by university President Amy Gutmann and Provost Ron Daniels. Robertson was selected on the strengths of his academic accomplishments, fundraising skills, and experience as an administrator, they said. They also noted his experience in developing Emory into an internationally known business school.

Deep Roots at Wharton

Robertson is credited with boosting the reputation of the Goizueta School, increasing the size of the school's faculty by 73%, and doubling the school's endowment and revenues during his tenure as dean.

In addition, Robertson had "deep roots" in the Wharton School, according to the announcement. He was Wharton's associate dean for executive education from 1984 to 1988 and also served as a professor and chair of the school's marketing department. Prior to Wharton, he taught at UCLA's Anderson School and Harvard Business School. He also served as deputy dean of the London Business School from 1995 to 1998.

Robertson, a native of Scotland, is an expert on marketing strategy and competitive behavior and has written a dozen books.

In a phone interview June 21 while traveling from Atlanta, Emory's home, to Philadelphia, Robertson said he was aware that he was heading to a bigger school with a wider array of issues. "I've been at Wharton before. I've been a dean. I'm sure there will be problems that will arise that I've never seen. But going into it, I'm fairly comfortable with much of what I'm expected to do."

John Fernandes, president of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), said he is not surprised that Wharton chose a candidate who already had significant experience at the school. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," he said. "Wharton has plenty of top business school leaders that go through the different elements of administration and elsewhere and then come back."

Large Applicant Pool

His appointment comes after a semester-long global search for a replacement for Harker, Wharton's current dean. The school hired executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles (HSII) to help conduct the search and considered a pool of 143 applicants. "We were looking for someone who would have to fill a very tall order," said Provost Daniels.

The school's search committee whittled down the original pool of candidates to 20, ultimately settling on Robertson because of his experience as a veteran dean and his vision as a business school leader, Daniels said. Still, it is a "low-risk" appointment for the business school, said Gabriel Hawawini, the former dean of INSEAD, a school with which Wharton formed an alliance under Harker. "The big question is whether he will adopt a conservative leadership style or will he make bold moves," said Hawawini in an e-mail.