Henley Business School chooses Financial Markets Expert as new Dean

Henley Business School at the University of Reading is delighted to announce that Professor John Board will become its new Dean from 1 October 2010.

Professor Board is currently Director of the ICMA Centre - the business school for financial markets at Henley Business School. An outstanding academic in his own right with a strong track record in research, Professor Board has, over the past five years, built the ICMA Centre into one of the largest specialist education finance departments in Europe, with an international reputation for undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education.

He will be leading a world-class global business school. With its unique profile, including most notably the Henley MBA and its renowned Schools of Finance and Real Estate & Planning, it is one of the few global business schools to maintain triple accredited status and is highly ranked in the world's major league tables and rankings.

Professor Board said: "I am delighted to be offered the opportunity to lead a Business School with the heritage and potential of Henley. With its ethos and particular strength of its constituent Schools, Henley is in an excellent position to make a significant contribution to policy debate, leadership development and business education worldwide. I have no doubt that the School's excellent reputation will continue to grow to the benefit of our students, graduates and alumni."

John's leadership and experience will play a crucial role in ensuring the continued success of Henley Business School's global brand and the further development of a full-service business school providing programmes from undergraduate level through to senior executive level. He takes the helm at an exciting time following the successful creation of the new Business School two years ago and the delivery of the new £35 million business school centre on the Reading campus.

Professor Gordon Marshall, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said: "In these uncertain economic times, business schools have a crucial role to play. John Board will lead Henley Business School as it continues to develop the leadership skills, based on strong personal values, responsibility, strategic thinking and ethics, which help organisations plot a course towards future growth.

"I would also like to pay tribute to Professor Chris Bones, who steps down as Dean this October. He has been instrumental in the smooth creation of Henley Business School from the merger of Henley Management College and the University of Reading and leaves behind the legacy of having created one of the largest, and most successful, business schools in the world."

Professor Ginny Gibson has also been appointed Deputy Dean. Professor Gibson is currently Director of Research for Henley Business School and is another key member of the current Faculty Management Board. She is Head of the School of Real Estate and Planning at Henley Business School. Her work is embedded in both the real estate industry and beyond, where she works with major organisations to examine how they can use their occupational real estate to run their businesses more effectively. Ginny also brings a new dimension of expertise and professional contacts from the property industry to Henley.

Click here for Professor John Board's Profile

Click here Professor Ginny Gibson's Profile