The University announced Thursday the appointment of Scott Beardsley, a senior director at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, as the ninth Dean of the Darden School of Business. His term will begin Aug. 1, when he will succeed current dean Robert Bruner.
“I am honored by the opportunity,” Beardsley said in a University press release. “I believe deeply in Darden’s values and its clear and focused mission to improve the world by developing responsible leaders and advancing knowledge. I am very excited to be part of the University of Virginia family, and its Jeffersonian commitment to excellence.”
Beardsley has 26 years of business experience, starting at McKinsey in 1989 and advancing to partner in 1995 and senior partner four-and-a-half years after that. As senior partner, he led the learning and leadership development for the company and served as a top advisor to many of the world’s leading companies. In 2011 he was elected to the global board of directors and has led the company’s global initiatives on technology and climate change, among many others.
“Scott rose to the top of a highly competitive and global pool of candidates,” Provost John Simon said in the press release. “He brings to Darden a deep and global understanding of business, a successful track record of developing business leaders at all levels and experience in and passion for education, teaching and research.”
Kenneth Eades, Darden Prof. of Business Administration and chair of the search committee, said Beardsley brings a new perspective and a strong proven record of leadership known for his capability to motivate many people.
“In that regard, we see him as the catalyst to address the known challenges as well as the unexpected ones that always arise,” Eades said. “Scott brings a global mindset, as evidenced by the many corporate clients he has served around the world. The consultant’s mindset is one of solving problems, which is a critical skill to bring to the dean’s office.”
Beardsley also worked as a faculty member for many of the company’s educational programs and spent time as a lecturer in the MBA program of the Belgian business school Institut d’Administration et de Gestion. Beardsley received a B.S. in electrical engineering and graduated magna cum laude from Tufts and an MBA in Corporate Strategy and Marketing from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he graduated with highest honors.
Beardsley’s transition into academia is not unusual, and many of the alumni of his company tend to move on to prominent roles leading corporations and government departments.
“Scott sought the position because of his interest and experience in business education plus his admiration for a value-based institution like the University of Virginia,” Eades said.
McKinsey is a highly prestigious management consulting firm — it advises about 80 percent of the world’s leading corporations. Its annual revenue was listed at $7.8 billion in 2013. It was also the first firm to hire recent college graduates instead of experienced managers from the industry. Those hired directly from college tend to have advanced degrees in law, engineering, medicine or science while less than half of the recruits are business majors, according to various reports on the company in recent years.
Korn Ferry, a global executive search firm, was used in assisting the University search committee in finding qualified candidates. The search committee included various members of Darden and the various graduate schools, Darden alumni and MBA candidates.
“The committee was designed to ensure that voices from all of the Darden community would be heard,” Eades said. “I was impressed with the high level of interaction among the committee members and the respectful debate we had about the candidates.”
Beardsley succeeds Bruner, who has served 10 years as dean and will be returning to the faculty when his term ends. To prepare for the new role, Beardsley has been in frequent contact with Bruner and he will attend various meetings at Darden throughout the year prior to his start date in August.
Darden is consistently recognized as having some of the best faculty among the top business schools so Beardsley is a “natural fit” for the institution, Eades said.
The University and Darden community will hold a special welcome event, the traditional First Coffee, for Beardsley and his family Jan. 20. The search committee was unwilling to release Beardsley’s contact information at this time.
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