Wharton names Geoffrey Garrett as its next dean

The Wharton school at the University of Pennsylvania has chosen an external candidate as its next dean for the second consecutive time. Geoffrey Garrett, who will join Wharton on July 1, has been dean of the Australian School of Business at the University of New South Wales for just a year.

A specialist in politics and international management, Prof Garrett’s biography reads like a guide to the world’s top universities. As well as previously teaching at the University of Pennsylvania, he has worked at Oxford, Stanford, UCLA and Yale.

Prof Garrett will replace Tom Robertson, who has been dean of Wharton since 2007, and, like Prof Garrett, had previously taught at the school before going on to be dean elsewhere. As with Prof Robertson’s appointment, Prof Garrett was pitted against internal candidates in the selection process.

University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann described Prof Garrett as an “eminent interdisciplinary scholar” with a deep knowledge of Wharton’s mission. “Geoff has unique experience in international business and business education and is absolutely the right person to partner with Wharton faculty, students, staff and alumni to take the school to even greater heights.”

Prof Garrett lists his favourite artist as Matisse and his favourite musician as Jimi Hendrix.

This article has been edited since original publication.