SMU hires global expert as new business school dean

[deucetz]

Will he be a game changer? Is this the best SMU could do? I would have liked someone with experience from a real top 10 MBA program. I hope he does a lot of fundraising.

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/busi ... chool-dean

Here is his background when he first went to Farmer School of Business at Miami University

http://miamioh.edu/news/campus-news/2013/11/myers.html

It is interesting to note that the business school fundraiser had already totaled $111 million before he even received his position at Farmer. The Farmer family is the lead $40 million donor. They had already promised $30 million dollars in 2013, so I am unsure if they just upped their total to $40 million. I can't find anywhere that says $70+ million, so I will assume they just raised the price by 10 million. I highly doubt his fundraising credentials when the lead donor was already solidified before he stepped into office. http://miamioh.edu/news/article/view/18843.html

Farmer is currently unranked for graduate business schools--and we all know MBA programs help drive the prestige of the Business School.

https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-sc ... rmer-01173

[friarwolf]

Underwhelming hire..........

[tristatecoog]

http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/p ... KIP829wqO/
2015 salary -- #4 highest at Miami U. Matthew Myers, Dean and Professor of the Farmer School of Business: $364,500

Any sense for how the Farmer School improved over the last couple years?
Did he start some new programs like Niemi had been doing over the last 5-10 years?
I wonder why he left after three years, although it's obvious that SMU is a big step up.

How would you compare Myers with UT's internal promotion 1 1/2 years ago?
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/201 ... mbs-school
As chair, he created the one-year Master of Science in Finance degree and started the Undergraduate Real Estate Certificate Program. Internal guy but created a couple programs which presidents love. Creates more sustainable funding vs. just external fundraising.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Sounds like a lesser person

[CoxMustangFan]

Wow. Was TCU in charge of the hire?!

[2018Mustang]

As a student who went to meet all of the candidates I must say that all except for one of the candidates were underwhelming... and the one that was impressive chose to withdraw his name from consideration.

Would have liked to see someone who was making more of a lateral move or someone who was taking a step down as far as quality of institution goes and up with regards to position.

However, at the end of the day I obviously wish the new guy all the best

[CoxMustangFan]

Anyone know why SMU couldn't come up with better candidates (assuming the comments above are true)?

[NavyCrimson]

Obviously there was not enough money offered to a Dean to move from a top 20 Business School.

And if that Dean is already in his fifties or sixties, it's got to take a mucho lot of money to get them to move at that age.

So this person probably makes sense.

[gostangs]

I met him and thought he was terrific. I think it is an excellent hire. Not sure how people can say otherwise unless they know the guy. Love Niemi but there are many things we could have been doing differently (better) - this will be very good for COX.

Does someone expect SMU to hire the Stanford business dean? I prefer a rising actual dean to some bigger name school third bencher.

The focus here will be fundraising, with lots of new ideas on how to get that done. Our issues are all about getting MBA scholarship dollars in the door.

[CoxMustangFan]

I met him and thought he was terrific. I think it is an excellent hire. Not sure how people can say otherwise unless they know the guy. Love Niemi but there are many things we could have been doing differently (better) - this will be very good for COX.

Does someone expect SMU to hire the Stanford business dean? I prefer a rising actual dean to some bigger name school third bencher.

The focus here will be fundraising, with lots of new ideas on how to get that done. Our issues are all about getting MBA scholarship dollars in the door.

Very fair post, gostangs. I have not met him and hope to do so, soon. While you'd be a fool to not recognize the accomplishments of Dean N, we needed fresh eyes in the worst possible way.

I would have either hoped for a real up-an-coming type from a top 15 school, or at least a Dean from a school in the same zip code. This just seems to be neither, but like you say, we should all meet him to determine.

[dr. rick]

To be honest, this tread bothers me (LOL, part of the internet, i guess). Most posters on this thread fail to realize the job of the B-School dean: 1) raise money, 2) set culture/standards, 3) be public face of the school (corporations, new students, ...). Yes, I am on the faculty at the B-School, and met most of the candidates. One thing to consider is that the new dean had the support of the trustees (e.g., Sewell). Think of the dean as the CEO... He/she then has people to implement programs and make the school work (COO, VP's in corporate terms). Meyers was my favorite, as he had an appropriate vision, fundraising, culture, ... Don't get hung up on credentials... Even Kellogg hires relatively 'unknowns' as their Dean. Let's see how he does.

[dr. rick]

Two other 'facts' about Nemi's legacy (besides fundraising). 1) the B-school has 26% of students, and only 10% of the faculty... 2) more than 40% of undergraduate applications are to the B-school. Pretty outstanding!

[2018Mustang]

Two other 'facts' about Nemi's legacy (besides fundraising). 1) the B-school has 26% of students, and only 10% of the faculty... 2) more than 40% of undergraduate applications are to the B-school. Pretty outstanding!

What do you know about Cox not retaining all of its revenue? I have heard that is something that could have made the school less attractive for a other possible candidates

[smustatesman]

To be honest, this tread bothers me (LOL, part of the internet, i guess). Most posters on this thread fail to realize the job of the B-School dean: 1) raise money, 2) set culture/standards, 3) be public face of the school (corporations, new students, ...). Yes, I am on the faculty at the B-School, and met most of the candidates. One thing to consider is that the new dean had the support of the trustees (e.g., Sewell). Think of the dean as the CEO... He/she then has people to implement programs and make the school work (COO, VP's in corporate terms). Meyers was my favorite, as he had an appropriate vision, fundraising, culture, ... Don't get hung up on credentials... Even Kellogg hires relatively 'unknowns' as their Dean. Let's see how he does.

If Sewell supported him.........what was his make, model, and trade - in value ?

[dr. rick]

Two other 'facts' about Nemi's legacy (besides fundraising). 1) the B-school has 26% of students, and only 10% of the faculty... 2) more than 40% of undergraduate applications are to the B-school. Pretty outstanding!

What do you know about Cox not retaining all of its revenue? I have heard that is something that could have made the school less attractive for a other possible candidates

Cox doesn't get any money for undergraduate students... This is one reason that the admission criteria continues to increase. Now, to get in, students need a 3.5 gpa to get in.