UVA Darden School of Business Names Scott Snell Senior Associate Dean for Darden Executive Education Programs

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business and the Darden School Foundation announced the appointment of Darden Professor Scott Snell as the new senior associate dean for Darden Executive Education programs effective 1 July 2014. The term expires 30 June 2017.

Snell will oversee custom and open-enrollment programs for Darden Executive Education, which has helped companies and executives solve their toughest business challenges since 1955.

“Scott brings considerable strengths to this new role. As tenured full professor in Darden’s faculty since 2007, Scott has served in leadership positions and actively contributed to our Executive Education programs,” said Darden Dean Bob Bruner. “Darden Executive Education is in great hands, as we continue to provide the world’s best learning experience.”

“Scott brings well over a decade of Executive Education experience and has been fully immersed in Darden Executive Education since coming to the School,” said Phil Knisely, outgoing chair of the Darden School Foundation. “We are extremely excited to have him take on this new role.”

Snell has served as faculty leader of various Darden Executive Education programs and teaches courses in leadership, developing organizational capability and human capital consulting. His research focuses on human resources and the mechanisms by which organizations generate, transfer and integrate new knowledge for competitive advantage. Snell is co-author of four books, has published his work in a number of journals and was recently listed among the top 100 most-cited authors in scholarly journals of management.

“It’s truly an honor to serve as senior associate dean for Darden Executive Education programs,” said Snell. “Darden has a rich tradition in Executive Education, as an integral part of the school’s founding mission to develop leaders in the world. Over the past few years, a great deal of work has gone into enhancing our capabilities in this area, and I look forward to working with our talented team to continue that progress.”

This year Financial Times ranked Darden Executive Education programs:

• No. 3 in the world for open-enrollment programs — up from No. 14 in 2013;
• No. 1 in the world in the categories of Faculty and Teaching Methods and Materials; and
• No. 2 in Aims Achieved, Course Design, Food and Accommodations, and Facilities.

Snell received a B.A. in psychology from Miami University and MBA and Ph.D. degrees in business administration from Michigan State University. Before Darden, Snell was a professor and director of Executive Education at Cornell University’s Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies.