Business School appoint new Dean

Professor G. ‘Anand’ Anandalingam has been named the new Dean of Imperial College Business School and Professor of Management Science. He replaces Professor Dorothy Griffiths OBE who has been Head since February 2012.

He currently holds the position as the Dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland in USA, which is ranked in the top 25 globally for the quality of its programs. Professor Anandalingam founded the Smith’s School Centre for Electronic Markets and Enterprises and was its director from 2001-2004.

He starts his new position at Imperial on 1st August 2013.

A known expert in electronic markets and telecommunications networks, he has introduced several specialised Masters courses that aim to expand the School’s global reach with degrees and educational programmes that will provide the students with global experience. These courses have raised over $40 million from philanthropic donors and corporate supporters.

In an interview with Imperial College, Professor G. Anandalingam said ‘Academics in top institutions are self-motivated to create knowledge and disseminate it to their peers. I also want to inspire and motivate them to really take education and teaching seriously.’

He also added, ‘I think that we should work on problems that have an impact in the world rather than simply publish marginal papers for a small group of peers, however reputed. We all have the responsibility to make a difference in the world and to do things that will help those who cannot help themselves whether in medicine, science, engineering or business. I believe that one should not compromise on ethics and social responsibility’.

He took his undergraduate degree at Cambridge University and completed his PhD at Harvard. Professor Anandalingam has published more than 75 research papers and served as editor of a number of academic journals. He is also the co-author of the book ‘Beware of the Winner’s Curse’, a book which critically evaluates the technology and dot.com boom of the 1990s. In his spare time, he likes to play tennis and describes himself as a ‘jazz nut’. He also says he loves cooking and throwing dinner parties and that he is a big supporter of Tottenham Hotspur and follows cricket. He is also a fan of American football and baseball.

Sir Keith O’Nions, President and Rector of Imperial said: “Anand’s passion to see Business students taught really well and for them to do great things in the world, his commitment to research excellence, and his vision for engaging strongly outside the School and the College made him the outstanding choice to lead Imperial College Business School.

“He brings a global perspective, a talent for developing strong relationships with donors and industrial partners, and has the experience of working across disciplines that will support the Business School’s focus on academic excellence and help it to flourish within Imperial’s science, technology and medicine-focussed environment.

“At the same time as welcoming Anand, I would like to thank Professor Dot Griffiths for serving as Dean of the Business School for the last year, which comes on top of outstanding service to the School over many years.”

Professor Anandalingam said: “I’m looking forward intensely to working at Imperial College Business School, an environment where the academics conduct fantastic research, the students are devoted to academic excellence and the university’s reputation is second-to-none.

“As the newest Faculty of this great institution and thanks to my excellent predecessors, the Business School has done incredibly well in a short space of time. I’m now very excited by the chance to apply my connectivity and experience towards making Imperial even more proud of its Business School.

“We have one of the best managed, most nimble and entrepreneurial institutions in the world. It is simply a matter of time before Imperial is considered to be the best global university.”