Professor Soumitra Dutta has today started in his role as the new Dean of Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
Addressing the School community for first time as Dean this morning, he said:
‘I am excited for the opportunities ahead of us all and honoured to be leading this extraordinary and diverse community.
‘I look forward to leading the School as part of the broader Oxford community and building stronger links with the rest of the University.’
Dean Dutta has joined the school from Cornell SC Johnson College of Business in New York, where he was also the founding Dean and most recently held the position of Professor of Management.
Since the announcement of his appointment, back in January, Dean Dutta has visited the School on a number of occasions, including in February and May for an alumni event.
He will take over from Sue Dopson, who has held the position of interim Dean after Dean Peter Tufano stepped down from the role in June 2021.
Thanking Professor Dopson and the interim leadership team, Dean Dutta said:
‘I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Sue Dopson and the interim leadership team for their impressive leadership over the past year. They have ably navigated the School through the considerable challenges of the pandemic, and so much more. I would also like to pay tribute to my predecessor and friend, Dean Peter Tufano. It is a privilege to follow in his footsteps and drive the School to even greater success.’
Dean Dutta’s highly distinguished three-decade academic career includes being current Chair of the Global Business School Network and 13 years in leadership roles at INSEAD in France. He also serves on the boards of listed international corporations, has founded several successful start-ups, is President and Co-Founder of Portulans Institute, co-chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Innovation Ecosystems and created major global technology and innovation indices. He has also acted as a senior advisor to governments on technology and innovation policies.