A celebrated professor who helped lead the school’s executive education program to its best performance in a decade will be the next dean of the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, effective July 1st, the school announced today.
The school’s Board of Regents today approved a five-year appointment for D. Scott DeRue, who is currently the Gilbert and Ruth Whitaker Professor of Business Administration, associate dean for executive education and professor of management and organizations at the Ross School. He succeeds Dean Alison Davis-Blake, who will complete her five-year term at the end of June.
“Scott’s deep knowledge of leadership and the value of continuous learning are evident in his research and teaching and will contribute to his effectiveness as dean of the Ross School,” U-M Provost Martha Pollack said in a statement. “Under his leadership, the school will build on its already impressive contributions to business education at every level and achieve even greater distinction.”
DeRue joined the Ross faculty in 2007 as an assistant professor and was promoted to professor with tenure in 2013. Since joining Ross, he has held multiple appointments, including the Bank One Corporation Assistant Professor of Business Administration, faculty director of the Emerging Leaders Program, Stein Research Scholar, faculty director of the Sanger Leadership Center and the Gilbert and Ruth Whitaker Professor of Business Administration. He was appointed associate dean for executive education in 2014 and helped lead that program to its best performance in more than a decade. He also later assumed responsibility for the part-time MBA and executive MBA programs.
In addition to his teaching, research and administrative responsibilities, DeRue also designed and delivered custom leadership development programs for executive clients throughout the world. These programs, which focus on vision, power and influence, interpersonal and relational skills, team development, change management, and personal growth and development, cater to clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies and global professional service firms to international governments and technology startups.
“I am excited about the future and look forward to working with our community to build on our success and propel Michigan Ross into the future,” DeRue said in a statement. “Go Blue!”
He holds a bachelor of business administration with high honors from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. in business administration from Michigan State University. Before pursuing his doctorate in 2003, he had a successful career that spanned the private equity investment, management consulting and luxury yacht industries.
