Professor Peter Todd has been confirmed as the new dean of Imperial College Business School, taking up the position from 1 September for a period of five years. He will succeed Professor Franklin Allen who has served as interim dean at the school since September last year
Reporting to Imperial’s provost, Professor Todd will be responsible for all aspects of the school’s strategy, operations and finances. As dean, he will also be a member of Imperial’s Council and University Management Board (UMB).
Todd’s academic expertise lies in information technology and innovation management, spanning computer science, psychology and management. His research brings these different disciplines together to examine how people interact with technology.
He has a wealth of experience in senior academic roles across Europe and North America. Most recently, he served as the director general and dean of HEC Paris, the first non-French holder of the post.
Prior to his role at HEC Paris, Todd was dean of the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University in Canada. He has extensive experience in university fundraising, having been instrumental in obtaining faculty-naming gifts at both the University of Houston and McGill. While at HEC Paris, he oversaw the launch of a major €200 million fundraising campaign for the business school.
He was a member of the board of directors of the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) between 2018 and 2020. He has also served on the Coursera Global Advisory Board.
Commenting on his appointment, Todd said: “I am thrilled to be joining Imperial College Business School. Imperial is an exceptional global institution with an unsurpassed reputation for research excellence and a unique entrepreneurial spirit.
“I am particularly drawn to the determination of the university and its business school to tackle big questions to foster a healthy, smart, sustainable and resilient society through innovative and entrepreneurial approaches that bridge business with science, engineering and medicine.”
Imperial College provost Professor Ian Walmsley added: “Peter brings a wealth of experience of leading globally oriented, internationally prominent business schools in Europe and North America. He is the ideal person to lead the business school into its next era.
“His international outlook, academic reputation and understanding of high-profile business schools will greatly enhance the school’s ambitions to capitalise on its position within the university.”
