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James W. Bradford, a distinguished corporate executive turned educator,
has been named dean of the ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ Owen Graduate School of
Management and Ralph Owen Professor for the Practice of Management,
announced Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Nicholas
Zeppos today. Bradford had served as acting dean of the Owen School
since last June.
“I am pleased and excited about the appointment as dean,” Bradford
said. “I look forward to the opportunity and the challenge of
continuing to move the school forward and to working with alumni,
students, faculty, staff and the business community to produce results.”
Bradford, who has a decade of experience in the corporate arena as
president and chief executive officer of two international glass
companies, brings to the position a results-oriented style of
management and determination to incorporate practical business
experience — as well as academic rigor — in the education of today‘s
MBA students.
“We are already well underway with the process of examining the
curriculum to ensure that it remains relevant and continues to meet the
demands of the dynamic corporate world,” Bradford said.
“Jim Bradford has a unique and exciting perspective on management
education which he has put into practice over the past nine months,”
Zeppos said. “After an extensive and rigorous search, it became clear
to the search committee, and to me, that the best leader for the Owen
School was already in place.
“This is a challenging time for business schools, but Jim understands
better than anyone ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ‘s strengths, including a reputation for
excellence and a willingness to invest in programs that attract the
best students, nurture the finest faculty and reach out to other parts
of the university through initiatives like the Law and Business
Program.”
Added Chancellor Gordon Gee: “The Owen School is one of ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ‘s
gems — a small, powerful engine for education, research and service.
Jim Bradford has done an exemplary job leading the school through an
important transition. He has earned the trust and respect of faculty,
students, staff and alumni, and I am confident he will set the Owen
School on a trajectory for global prominence.”
Bradford was appointed acting dean last year when William Christie, who
had served as dean since 2000, stepped down to return to the faculty as
the Frances Hampton Currey Professor of Management. Bradford holds an
endowed chair named in honor of the late businessman Ralph Owen, for
whom, along with his wife Lulu Hampton Owen, the school is named.
An international search for the fifth dean of the Owen School since its
founding in 1969 was conducted by a committee headed by Joseph D.
Blackburn, James A. Speyer Professor of Production Management. “The
selection committee and I enthusiastically endorse Jim as the best
possible choice to continue to lead the Owen School. He already has
provided outstanding leadership for the school and established momentum
on which we can build. Over the last nine months, he has demonstrated
his ability to move the school forward as we work toward our goal of
remaining one of the pre-eminent schools of management,” Blackburn said.
“Jim is not the sort of person who would view the role of acting dean
as a caretaker. Instead, he undertook initiatives to revise the
curriculum and develop new programs and partnerships for the school. By
moving the school forward, he has earned the trust and support of the
students, faculty, staff and alumni of the Owen School,” Blackburn
added.
Under his tenure as acting dean, the school has launched a new master‘s
of finance degree and a summer business institute for undergraduate
students, and it has announced the development of a new health care MBA
that will draw on complementary resources at the university and in the
Nashville business community. Bradford‘s term also has produced an
integrated marketing program and has strengthened the school‘s career
placement team.
Owen graduate David B. Ingram, chairman and president of Ingram
Entertainment Inc. and a member of the search committee, described
Bradford as someone who “understands business from the inside out.”
“He has already demonstrated a sharp ability to connect the mission of
the Owen School with the realities of the business world in a way that
adds value for students and graduates,” said Ingram. “I believe Jim
will be one of a handful of truly great business school deans in this
country.”
Zeppos praised the search committee for its work. “This search process
was a true team effort with many contributions from the faculty,
students, staff, alumni and the Nashville business community. I am
grateful to Joe Blackburn, whose energy and good judgment made this
appointment possible, and to the many people who participated in the
process and recognized and recommended Jim for his aggressive and
creative leadership during the interim.”
An experienced corporate executive, Bradford previously served as
president and CEO of AFG Industries Inc., North America‘s largest
vertically integrated glass manufacturing and fabrication company. He
also served as president and CEO of United Glass Corporation and
practiced law for 11 years with Hunter, Smith and Davis in Kingsport,
Tenn.
Bradford, 57, said he wanted to return to ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ after retiring
from the glass industry “to give back to my alma mater by teaching and
mentoring the next generation of leaders.” His easy rapport with
students and his engaging teaching style put his counsel and his
strategy classes in high demand within the Owen community. In addition,
his business experience and leadership skills were quickly recognized
by both Owen and ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ senior administrators.
Bradford earned his bachelor‘s degree in political science from the
University of Florida and his law degree from ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ. He completed
the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School in 1997.
He returned to ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ in 2002 as clinical assistant professor of
management and was named associate dean later that year.
He is active in community and conservancy organizations and has
served on the boards of AFG Industries, Gemtron Corporation, Redman
Industries, National Manufacturers Association, Barter Theatre,
Tennessee Nature Conservancy and the Southern Appalachian Highland
Conservancy. He also was chairman of the Kingsport Board of Education.
The Owen Graduate School of Management at ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ University is
ranked as a top institution by Business Week, The Wall Street Journal,
U.S. News & World Report, Financial Times and Forbes. For more news
about Owen, visit .
Media contact: Susanne Hicks, (615) 322-NEWS
susanne.hicks@vanderbilt.edu