Widing appointed new Dean of MGSM

6 November 2009

Acting Vice-Chancellor of Macquarie University, Professor Judyth Sachs, today announced that Dr Robert Widing of the prestigious Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona has been appointed the new Dean of the Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM) following a worldwide recruitment search.

Widing is currently Provost and Senior Vice President at Thunderbird, where he is responsible for its portfolio of degree programs, school accreditations, learning outcomes, and all faculty and research-related matters.

Professor Sachs said Widing's appointment, which begins March 31, 2010, heralded a new era for the MGSM.

"The MGSM is an extremely successful, profitable and popular business school that is consistently ranked one of the best providers of management education in the Asia-Pacific region," she said.

"There nevertheless exists an opportunity for the MGSM to improve its teaching and research further and to become a hallmark for excellence in executive education. The first recommendation of the expert panel who recently reviewed the School's operations was to appoint a new Dean, and we are very happy that the successful candidate is someone as accomplished as Robert Widing," said Professor Sachs.

In his current role, Widing works closely with all degree leaders, including the full-time, distance learning, and executive MBA programs, the deans of faculty and research, and the leaders of student services. He helps ensure that each of Thunderbird's programs delivers on three key dimensions, including learning outcomes, student satisfaction, and financial soundness, and that Thunderbird's entire portfolio of programs continues to position the school as the world leader in global business education.

Prior to joining Thunderbird in March 2005, Widing - a dual citizen of Australia and the USA - spent more than 10 years at the University of Melbourne, which included terms as chair of marketing and associate dean of graduate studies. His earlier academic appointments included Bond University in Australia and Case Western Reserve University in the US. He received BA (History), MBA, and Ph.D. (Marketing and International Business) degrees from Ohio State University.

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