HBS Prof. Named Dean in Shanghai

Harvard Business School professor John A. Quelch has been selected as the next dean of the China Europe International Business School, a major privately operated business school in Shanghai.

Quelch’s area of expertise is global marketing, and he has devoted much of his research to examining how business practices relate to a variety of societal issues, including well-functioning democracies. He will assume his new position in February of 2011.

Quelch declined to comment for this story, but his colleagues at the Business School enthusiastically commended his work and his contributions to Harvard.

Veteran Business school professor Stephen A. Greyser ’56, one of Quelch’s former teachers, praised his former student for his writing expertise and described him as a pioneer in business pedagogy.

Quelch has written extensively about marketing and branding, and his case studies have sold over 3.4 million copies, according to his web-site. That number is the third highest in Business School history, according to the Financial Times.

“He was somebody who was a high productivity guy and someone who had an excellent sense of pedagogy on how a case is going to work in the classroom,” Greyser said.

“He encouraged us to use our academic disciplines to understand real business problems because he believes that better businesses can produce better outcomes for society”, Business School Professor Jason Riis added.

Greyser said he believes that Quelch’s international experience will prove a valuable asset to CEIBS and that he anticipates even more institutional collaboration between the Business School and the CEIBS.

CEIBS has grown rapidly in recent years and has campuses in three locations in China—Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzen.

“John is a prolific scholar and a leader with global vision,” said Sunil Gupta, a marketing professor at the Business School. “CEIBS is lucky to tap such a person to lead its institute at a time when China is becoming the focus of attention for the whole world.”

Quelch was born in London and holds degrees from Oxford University, the University of Pennsylvania, the Harvard School of Public Health, and Harvard Business School. He is also the former dean of the London Business School.

Members of the marketing unit widely praised Quelch’s foresight and pleasant personality.

“He has an uncanny sense for what the trends are and has an impatience to make a contribution at the frontier,” said marketing unit colleague Professor V. Kasturi Rangan. “His research on the business implications of the formation of the European Union appeared before the Union was formalized. His work on globalization preceded the actual wave.”

“He will be missed,” said Professor Rajiv Lal, “Lunches used to be a delight!”