Queen’s University has appointed a new dean to lead the Smith School of Business, marking a critically important transition for one of Canada’s most prominent business schools.Announced in the Queen’s Gazette,the appointment comes at a time of rapid change in global business education,heightened expectations around innovation and inclusion,and intensifying competition for top students and faculty. The incoming dean will be tasked with advancing Smith’s reputation for research excellence and industry engagement while steering the school through ongoing economic, technological, and societal shifts that are reshaping how business is taught and practiced.
Leadership transition at Smith School of Business focuses on strategic continuity and innovation
The appointment of the new dean underscores the university’s determination to safeguard the school’s academic strengths while accelerating its evolution in a rapidly changing business landscape. Building on Smith’s established reputation in analytics, responsible leadership, and experiential learning, the incoming leader is tasked with maintaining stability in core programs while pursuing bold opportunities in digital transformation and global partnerships. Strategic priorities will centre on aligning curriculum with emerging industry demands,expanding interdisciplinary research,and strengthening ties with alumni and industry to ensure graduates remain at the forefront of business leadership.
Key areas of focus for the transition include:
- Program renewal that integrates sustainability, AI, and data literacy across all degrees
- Inclusive leadership development that reflects diverse perspectives and global realities
- Research impact that informs policy, corporate strategy, and entrepreneurial ecosystems
- Digital innovation in teaching, including hybrid delivery and immersive learning technologies
| Priority | Goal |
|---|---|
| Academic Excellence | Enhance program quality and global recognition |
| Innovation | Launch new initiatives in tech-enabled learning |
| Community | Deepen engagement with alumni and partners |
| Equity & Inclusion | Broaden access and representation across the school |
New dean’s academic vision emphasizes interdisciplinary learning and global business readiness
In outlining her academic blueprint for the coming years, the incoming dean underscored a commitment to breaking down silos between traditional disciplines and the rapidly evolving world of commerce. Faculty will be encouraged to co-design courses that bridge business with fields such as engineering, health sciences, public policy, and the arts, giving students a broader toolkit to solve complex problems. This approach will be reflected in new program pathways, a refreshed core curriculum, and expanded experiential learning opportunities that connect classrooms with real organizations and community partners. Key elements include:
- Cross-faculty project studios where teams tackle live industry challenges
- Co-taught courses integrating perspectives from business, data science, and social impact
- Curriculum-embedded consulting mandates with public, private, and non-profit clients
- Research clusters focused on themes such as sustainable finance and digital transformation
At the same time, the dean is positioning Smith graduates to thrive in an increasingly interconnected global marketplace. New initiatives will expand access to international experiences while embedding a global lens in every program, from undergraduate commerce to executive education. Partnerships with leading institutions and employers on every continent will create a network of opportunities that blend academic rigor with cultural fluency. Planned priorities include:
| Priority | Focus |
|---|---|
| Global immersion terms | Short,intensive study in key business hubs |
| Virtual exchange labs | Joint projects with peers in partner schools |
| Global skills modules | Geopolitics,ESG,and cross-cultural negotiation |
| Executive residencies | On-site learning with multinational firms |
Governance and community engagement plans aim to strengthen faculty collaboration and student voice
The incoming dean is introducing a refreshed governance model designed to bring faculty,staff,students,and alumni into earlier and more meaningful stages of academic decision-making. New advisory groups will connect classroom innovation with institutional priorities,while annual town halls and open data dashboards will make key decisions on curriculum,hiring,and research priorities more transparent. These changes are intended to reduce silos across departments, encourage cross-disciplinary teaching, and ensure that the school’s strategic plan reflects the realities of faculty workloads and the aspirations of students preparing to enter rapidly evolving industries.
Student voice will be integrated through formal roles on key committees,co-designed learning initiatives,and structured feedback loops that directly inform program review. To support this, the dean’s office will launch a suite of engagement mechanisms, including:
- Faculty-student councils aligned with each program area
- Quarterly listening sessions with the dean and senior leadership
- Digital suggestion forums with public status updates on ideas
- Co-created pilot courses that pair faculty expertise with student-led projects
| Initiative | Lead Group | Launch |
|---|---|---|
| Dean’s Student Advisory Council | Undergraduate & MBA reps | Fall 2025 |
| Cross-School Teaching Forum | Faculty Senate | Winter 2026 |
| Equity & Inclusion Roundtable | Student-faculty co-chairs | Ongoing |
Recommendations for aligning Smith’s future priorities with emerging market and societal needs
As global markets are reshaped by digital disruption, climate risk, and demographic shifts, the incoming dean has an chance to recalibrate Smith’s strategic focus toward agility and impact. Embedding data literacy, ethical AI, and climate finance across all programs will ensure graduates can navigate complex, tech-enabled decision-making environments while responding to urgent sustainability and equity challenges. This agenda can be advanced through closer partnerships with industry, government, and Indigenous communities to co-design curricula, expand experiential learning, and pilot innovative models of responsible entrepreneurship. In tandem, Smith can position itself as a laboratory for new ideas on inclusive growth, using Kingston and the broader region as test beds for scalable solutions.
Aligning academic excellence with societal relevance will also require new incentives, governance structures, and transparent metrics. By elevating interdisciplinary research, rewarding community-engaged scholarship, and expanding access for learners from underrepresented groups, Smith can better reflect the realities of a rapidly changing economy. Priority actions might include:
- Future-ready programs that integrate sustainability, digital strategy, and human-centered leadership.
- Lifelong learning pathways tailored to mid-career professionals navigating automation and transition.
- Global-local alliances linking emerging markets with Canadian innovation and policy labs.
- Impact tracking that measures societal, not just financial, outcomes of Smith initiatives.
| Priority Area | Market Need | Smith Opportunity |
|---|---|---|
| Climate & ESG | Low-carbon transition skills | Climate finance and ESG labs |
| Digital & AI | Ethical data leadership | Cross-campus AI business hub |
| Inclusive Growth | Diverse leadership pipelines | Targeted scholarships and micro-credentials |
Concluding Remarks
As Smith prepares for this next chapter, the appointment of a new dean signals both continuity and renewal for one of Canada’s leading business schools. With a mandate to advance academic excellence, strengthen industry and community partnerships, and foster an inclusive learning habitat, the incoming dean will play a central role in shaping the school’s strategic direction in the years ahead.
Further details on the leadership transition, including opportunities for faculty, staff, students, and alumni to engage with the new dean, will be shared by the university as the appointment takes effect.
