Erika H. James will begin her tenure as the newest dean of The Wharton School on July 1, 2020. She is the first woman and person of color to lead the school in its 139-year history. James, former dean of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, succeeds Geoff Garrett, who plans to head to USC Marshall School of Business this summer.
Penn President Amy Gutmann remarked in the official announcement, “A passionate and visible champion of the power of business and business education to positively transform communities locally, nationally, and globally, [James] is exceptionally well prepared to lead Wharton into the next exciting chapter of its storied history.”
After becoming dean of the Goizueta Business School in 2014, James established a glowing track record of positive growth and development. She increased school faculty by 25 percent, which expanded the school’s resources in research, business analytics, and health care innovation. The creation of a corporate think tank under her tenure also strengthened business relationships for the school.
James, who also previously served as a senior associate dean of executive education at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, is a current board member at SurveyMonkey and the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), in addition to previously serving on the board of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The Consortium awarded her the Earl Hill Jr. Faculty Achievement and Diversity Award in the Spring of 2019.
Regarding her upcoming move to Wharton, James commented, “This is an exciting time to be in business education. The scope and platform of the Wharton School provides an opportunity to create far reaching impact for students, scholars, and the business community.”
For the full announcement, click here.
