A view from the top: Dean Robertson's legacy of growth

by Allison Shirreffs

From his office on the fifth floor of Goizueta Business School, Dean Tom Robertson has a bird’s eye view of the construction of The Goizueta Foundation Center for Research and Doctoral Education. Witnessing the hard work of the last six years take shape in the form of a $33.4 million addition is, as it turns out, a nice parting gift for Robertson. In January, Robertson will leave his job as dean of Goizueta Business School to lead Emory University President James W. Wagner’s quest to further internationalize Emory University.

Robertson became dean in 1998, soon after the current Goizueta building opened its doors, and it wasn’t long before the school outgrew the space. “The new building reflects the progress of the school and its ambitions for the future,” says Robertson. Plans to build up to two more buildings are already under way--due, in part, to the school’s many accomplishments since Robertson’s arrival.

As part of a five year plan, Robertson pushed to improve the school’s quality indicators (from GMAT scores to the number of endowed professorships) and to build scale; in effect, to add critical mass across the school and to always strive for world-class excellence. “You’re only going to be as good as your faculty, your students, and your staff,” Robertson notes.

To that end, Goizueta added two new programs: the PhD Program and the W. Cliff Oxford Modular Executive MBA. “The PhD Program is very, very important in attracting faculty and in creating a value system that places tremendous emphasis on research,” observes Robertson. Goizueta added the Modular Executive MBA in 2003. The program has been well-received and attracts students from around the world, augmenting the school’s international reputation.

Obtaining the resources necessary to attract world-class students and faculty, establish new programs, create endowed chairs, and fund construction of a major building was no small feat. Robertson ventured into the business community and asked for resources as corporate America’s allure—and that of the business schools that educated many of its executives—took a hit in the media. It is no surprise that Robertson considers fund-raising the most challenging aspect of his deanship.

“Raising money,” notes Robertson, “means giving potential donors visionary reasons to invest in Goizueta. Donors have many alternatives but our story is compelling.”

Lea Soupata, senior vice president of human resources at UPS and a member of the Goizueta advisory board, appreciates Robertson’s interest in the business sector. “He really made a point of reaching out to the business community and finding out what the business community thought about the product Goizueta turned out,” Soupata says. “He also asked our opinions about the curriculum and trends in business.”

Another key part of a dean’s job is to answer to many constituencies—Emory’s president and provost, faculty, alumni, students, the board, university trustees, and the community at large. “He worked well with all parties—faculty, advisory board, students—to unify the vision of the school,” says advisory board member and Russell Corporation CEO Jack Ward.

Lisa Allen ’01MBA recalls that in order to get the students’ perspective, Robertson often attended the students’ twice-weekly morning coffees. “He flattened the organization without being a micromanager or taking away anyone’s autonomy,” notes Allen, a member of the student advisory board while in school and currently a Goizueta alumni advisory board member. “He was out there improving the school while we were busy with our books.”

In fact, the Executive MBA Program is considered “top 10” by BusinessWeek and U.S. News & World Report, and the GMAT scores of incoming full-time MBA students have improved nearly fifty points in the last six years. “He had a plan to take the school into the 21st century and put it on the map,” explains Albert D. Maslia ’52BBA, an alumni advisory board member and member of the alumni group that served on the search committee that hired Robertson. “He knew what he wanted to do and he’s done it,” Maslia adds.

Robertson’s firsthand experience as a faculty member (he held academic positions at Harvard Business School, UCLA, The Wharton School, and London Business School before coming to Goizueta) enabled him to relate to the faculty. “He has the very rare ability to work effectively and cooperatively with faculty and staff and earn their respect,” says Professor of Accounting Al Hartgraves, who has held several administrative posts at Goizueta, including acting dean, senior associate dean, and assistant dean and director of MBA programs. “I’m disappointed he’s leaving the deanship, but I’m glad he’s staying at Emory.”

In his new role, Robertson will lead the charge to create “Emory International.” “[The new job] requires much more political savvy. We’ll have to see whether I have enough of that or not,” Robertson says with a smile. The interpersonal skills Robertson honed during his years as dean—from public speaking to communicating the school’s mission and goals—will no doubt be needed in his new post.

Internationalization is not new to Robertson, thanks in part to Goizueta’s mission of providing “principled leaders for global enterprise.” More than 35 percent of Goizueta’s entering full-time MBA class are citizens of a country other than the United States. The faculty has a sizable international contingent, and there is a conscious effort to provide an international curriculum. “It’s essential to have an international perspective,” says Robertson. “It’s not possible to be only a great domestic university.”

Robertson’s advice for the next dean is that he or she challenge existing assumptions and create his or her own direction. “We’re not looking for someone who wants to continue the status quo,” stresses Robertson. “We want someone who is totally committed to making the school all that it can possibly be. This means an infusion of new ideas, new perspectives, and new directions.”

—Allison Shirreffs

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