AACSB International Taps Proven Leader, Innovator, and Global Thinker as New Chief Officer, Asia Pacific

TAMPA, Florida, July 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AACSB International (AACSB) today announced the selection of Geoff Perry as executive vice president and chief officer of Asia Pacific. A former business school dean with extensive AACSB accreditation volunteer experience, Perry currently serves as the deputy vice chancellor at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), New Zealand. He will assume his new role on January 15, 2020, leading the global organization's efforts across the Asia Pacific region and directing its Singapore office.  

"AACSB is delighted to welcome Geoff Perry to our leadership team," said Thomas R. Robinson, president and CEO of AACSB. "His contributions and experience as a professor, business school and university administrator, and AACSB volunteer make him an excellent choice to guide our Asia Pacific efforts through the next phase of development, innovation, and growth."

"Geoff Perry believes, as AACSB does, that business schools are well positioned to tackle the world's most challenging issues," said John A. Elliott, chair of the AACSB Board of Directors and interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Connecticut. "The economies in the Asia Pacific region are among the fastest growing in the world, and with Geoff's leadership AACSB will facilitate an atmosphere of collegiality and continuous improvement among the region's business schools, ensuring they are preparing graduates ready to make positive, lasting impact."

AACSB is the world's largest business education association and celebrates more than 100 years of excellence in higher education. AACSB provides quality assurance, business education intelligence, and learning and development services to more than 1,700 organizations and 840 accredited business schools in over 100 countries and territories. Its office in Singapore is one of three in the world, with the others located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Tampa, Florida, USA.

"It has been my privilege to spend my career in higher education in the Asia Pacific region," said Perry. "I hold sincere appreciation for the diversity, complexity, people, and geopolitics of the region, and I embrace this opportunity to join AACSB as we elevate the quality of business education and foster the important links between industry and academe."

Perry joined Auckland University of Technology as head of economics in the AUT Business School in the mid-1990s, rising through various leadership roles to the deanship in 2010. While dean, he simultaneously served as the university's pro vice chancellor, driving growth and strategy development efforts. A well-published academic, Perry's experience also includes roles as a visiting professor at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (Thailand) and as lecturer and senior research fellow at the University of Auckland. Perry's extensive volunteer commitments to AACSB include serving as an accreditation mentor, peer review team and committee member, event facilitator and presenter, and current co-chair of the Business Accreditation Task Force.

Perry holds a PhD and MPhil in economics from University of Auckland, and undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in economics, geography, and history. He is a founding member of the Champions for Change initiative in New Zealand, which aims to accelerate inclusive and diverse leadership in the workplace.

About AACSB International

As the world's largest business education alliance, AACSB International (AACSB) connects educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders. Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence since 1916, AACSB's mission is to foster engagement, accelerate innovation, and amplify impact in business education. For more information, visit aacsb.edu.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/492010/AACSB_International_Logo.jpg