Northumbria University honours global business and management scholar

Professor Howard Thomas joined students who had studied his texts to receive a degree of his own at Northumbria University.

Professor Thomas, who has a formidable record as a scholar and educator in business and management, was awarded an honorary doctorate from Northumbria University.

In a career in business and management education spanning over 48 years, Professor Thomas has held posts in universities in the UK, Europe, USA, Australia and Asia.

He began his academic career at the London School of Economics rising to Dean of the College of Commerce and Business Administration at the University of Illinois, and latterly spent nine years as Dean of Warwick Business School.

Still eager for new challenges in 2010, he was appointed Distinguished Professor of Strategic Management and Dean of the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at Singapore Management University, an institution he described as a very significant and fast growing business school in Asia.

Professor Thomas has a particular link to Northumbria University, where he is an active member of Newcastle Business School’s External Advisory Board.

Throughout his career he has written over 30 books and 200 articles on strategic management to become one of the most highly cited scholars in his field and no doubt quoted by the current generation of students graduating today.

Professor Thomas is a former President of the Strategic Management Society, a Fellow of both the American and British Academies of Management and a former Chair of the Graduate Management Admissions Council.

He is also a Fellow and former President of the American Strategic Management Society, Dean of Fellows, Honorary Life Member and former Vice-President of the European Foundation for Management Development, former Chair of The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, a major international accreditation body, and former Chair and Board Member of the Global Foundation for Management Education. He was Vice President of the European Foundation for Management Development where he is now an Honorary Life Member. He is a Companion of the UK’s Association of Business Schools, where he was Chair from 2008-2010.

Professor Thomas said “I am humbled, and honoured, by the award of the degree of Honorary Doctorate of Civil Law from Northumbria University. In my interactions with Northumbria University, I have been truly impressed by the quality of the graduates and the practically engaged teaching and research scholarship that has emerged from the Newcastle Business School.”

Date posted: July 10, 2013