Insider Chosen as Duke Business School Dean

Durham, N.C. — Duke University is turning to a familiar face in picking a new dean for its Fuqua School of Business.

Blair Sheppard, who is the chief executive officer of Duke Corporate Education and a longtime professor at Fuqua, is expected to assume the position on July 1. His selection must still be approved by the Duke Board of Trustees.

Sheppard will remain as chairman of Duke Corporate Education, which has grown under his direction to a $50 million-a-year business. Provost Peter Lange announced Sheppard’s selection Wednesday morning following an international search.

Douglas Breeden, the Fuqua dean since 2001, plans to return to teaching. He announced plans last year to step down from the dean’s post.

“Blair possesses an intimate familiarity with Duke’s Fuqua School and its mission, and he’s a globally renowned figure for his academic and clinical leadership in the fields of organizational behavior, personnel management and corporate strategy,” Lange said in a statement. “President (Richard H.) Brodhead and I are confident that we found a proven leader who will build on the excellent work of Dean Breeden over the past several years.”

Sheppard, who is 54, first joined Fuqua’s faculty in 1981. He went on leave in 2000 to serve as CEO of Duke Corporate Education, which is a separate company owned by Duke. It employs 136 people. While at Fuqua, he helped establish Duke’s Global Executive MBA program.

In addition to his CEO duties, Sheppard has acted as a consultant to more than 100 companies. He also is a widely published author on business, corporate strategy, leadership and other issues.

Sheppard received undergraduate and master’s degrees at the University of Western Ontario and a doctorate from the University of Illinois.

No successor was named for his CEO post at Duke Corporate Education.