Questrom Dean Susan Fournier to Step Down at End of Academic Year

From Dr. Gloria Waters, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer

I write today to share that Susan Fournier, who has guided the Questrom School of Business as its dean since 2018, has decided to step down from her role as of June 30, 2026, and retire from the University at the end of the calendar year.   

Since joining Boston University in 2005, Dean Fournier has been a dedicated advocate for Questrom and an influential member of the BU and academic business communities in her roles as educator, researcher, and leader. Hersteady investments in faculty and staff hiring, impactful research, program innovation, and student employment outcomes have enhanced Questrom’s reputation and brought the school to a new level of competitive standing.   

Under her leadership, a strategic focus on the undergraduate business program saw Questrom rise from #49 to #36 in U.S. News & World Report and from #30 to #17 in Poets & Quants, while career services rose from #47 in 2018 to #18 today. These gains were supported by the largest and most inclusive curriculum redesign process in the school’s history, which engaged over 70 faculty and staff. 

Research visibility and productivity have also soared as a result of Dean Fournier’s significant investments in faculty and notable faculty hires at all ranks. Questrom climbed from #47 to #30 in North America for business school research, with three departments now ranked in the top 20. A third of Questrom’s full professors are among the top two percent of all research scientists worldwide. Questrom faculty are regularly tapped to share their knowledge in the media, at congressional hearings, on government committees, and as expert witnesses. 

Dean Fournier has strategically expanded Questrom’s program portfolio through affordable online offerings. Launched during the pandemic, the Online MBA now enrolls over 2,000 students annually and is widely recognized for its curricular design and student engagement at scale. Additional programs introduced under her tenure include the MS in Business Analytics, MS in Finance, and, starting this fall, the online MS in AI in Business. 

As dean, Fournier has been dedicated to developing a sustainable model for high impact academic research at the school, with a focus on convergent themes tied to institutes for collective impact. In 2024, Questrom launched one of the highest funded institutes at BU, the Ravi K. Mehrotra Institute for Business, Markets & Society, focused on a fundamental and consequential question: how should businesses be governed and markets be regulated to deliver durable value in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.  

Complementing the school’s laser focus on strategy, Dean Fournier has worked tirelessly to drive operational excellence by aligning finances with priorities, enabling data-driven decision-making, and maximizing efficiencies. She has consistently promoted faculty and staff collaboration, implemented strategies to unite faculty across all ranks—including more leadership opportunities for non-tenure track faculty—and incentivized cross-departmental hiring of researchers, the development of new cross-disciplinary programs, and faculty engagement in interdisciplinary institutes at Questrom and across BU. 

Throughout her administrative career, Dean Fournier has remained an active and respected voice in her field. An award-winning researcher in branding and consumer behavior, she ranks among the top two percent of all scientific researchers, with more than 37,800 Google Scholar citations, including nine articles surpassing the coveted 1,000-citation mark. She also helps shape the future of business education through her leadership with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), where she has served for the past three years as an elected member of the Board of Directors.  

To ensure continuity in leadership as we move forward, I plan to appoint an interim dean for the academic year and commence with a formal search. My successor will work with the search committee to identify the next permanent dean for the school following their appointment.  

As we prepare for this transition, please join me in thanking Susan Fournier for her leadership at Boston University and at the Questrom School of Business. 

Questrom Dean Susan Fournier to Step Down at End of Academic Year – 1.23.26