MEDIA RELEASE
4 March 2008
Environmental economist to lead Waikato Management School
New Zealand’s top-ranking business school has a new dean. Professor Frank Scrimgeour will now lead the University of
Waikato Management School, following the retirement of Professor Mike Pratt.
Prof Scrimgeour is a leading environmental economist, and has contributed to regional, Maori and national policymaking
on issues ranging from carbon taxes to resource valuation. He is currently president of the New Zealand Association of
Economists, and a former president of the New Zealand Agricultural Economics and Resource Society.
He has participated in World Bank panels on agriculture and natural resources, and is currently working with New
Zealand’s kiwifruit and dairy industries to identify factors for future success. He is also an adviser to Katolyst, the
Waikato regional development agency, on the region’s economic performance and prospects.
Prof Scrimgeour joined the University of Waikato as a lecturer in 1989. He was director of the Management Research
Centre and chaired the Economics, Finance and Tourism departments. He has been acting dean of Waikato Management School
since 2006.
He holds a BAgSc from Lincoln College, a PhD (Agricultural and Resource Economics) from the University of Hawaii and a
BD from Melbourne College of Divinity.
Professor Scrimgeour said that he is looking forward to continuing to work with the outstanding academic and support
staff at the School.
“Our goal is to ensure that our rigorous academic approach combined with an emphasis on practice relevance, and the
impact of our graduates and research publications, will have a positive effect on business and economic outcomes within
New Zealand and around the world.”
University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor Roy Crawford said that Professor Scrimgeour had been selected after a
comprehensive recruitment search both locally and internationally.
“During the past two years, Frank has played an important leadership role at WMS and on the University's senior
management team.
“In academic terms, his significant strengths in agriculture and environmental economic research have a particular
interest for the Waikato region, while his global economic perspective will help ensure that this School is a real
option for international as well as local students.”
About Waikato Management School
The University of Waikato Management School is ranked the number one research-led business school in New Zealand,
combining academic excellence and the practical application of theory in its teaching and research programmes. The
School is highly regarded for its distinctive focus on sustainability in achieving wealth and well-being.
Waikato Management School has also been recognised as one of the world’s best business schools through accreditation by
all three of the world’s leading quality assurance bodies in management and business education -- AACSB International,
AMBA and EQUIS. Less than 1% of business schools globally have earned this “triple crown” distinction of excellence.
The School has 2,600 students from more than 50 countries, more than 100 faculty members, and offers qualifications at
undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level, with a vibrant and comparatively large PhD programme.
www.management.ac.nz
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