Susan Fournier to Step Down as Dean of Questrom School of Business
January 23, 2026
After eight years of leadership, Fournier will conclude her deanship on June 30, 2026, and retire from Boston University later that year
Susan Fournier, who has served as dean of the Questrom School of Business since 2018, will step down from her role on June 30, 2026, and retire from Boston University at the end of the calendar year.
“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,” Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gloria Waters wrote in a message to the University community announcing the transition.
Since joining Boston University in 2005, Fournier has been a dedicated advocate for Questrom and an influential member of the BU and academic business communities. Over the course of her career as an educator, researcher, and senior academic leader, she has helped reposition Questrom through sustained investments in faculty and staff, research excellence, academic innovation, and an unwavering focus on student outcomes.
Advancing Questrom’s Academic Reputation
Under Fournier’s leadership, Questrom has experienced sustained growth in national stature and competitive standing. A strategic focus on the undergraduate business program led to a rise from No. 49 to No. 36 in U.S. News & World Report and from No. 30 to No. 17 in Poets & Quants. During this period, Questrom’s undergraduate career services ranking also climbed from No. 47 in 2018 to No. 18 today.
These gains were supported by the largest and most inclusive curriculum redesign process in the school’s history. More than 70 faculty and staff participated in the multi-year effort, integrating insights from contemporary industry leaders to ensure graduates are prepared to lead in a rapidly evolving global economy.
By the Numbers: Questrom Under Fournier’s Leadership
Expanding Research Excellence and Faculty Impact
Questrom’s research visibility and productivity accelerated significantly during Fournier’s tenure. Enabled by major investments in faculty hiring across all ranks, the school climbed from No. 47 to No. 30 in North America for business school research, with three academic departments now ranked among the top 20.
One-third of Questrom’s full professors are now among the top two percent of all research scientists worldwide. Questrom faculty are regularly called upon to share their expertise in the media, at congressional hearings, on government advisory committees, and as expert witnesses—reflecting the school’s growing influence on business practice and public policy.
“Her steady 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.”
— Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gloria Waters
Innovating Programs and Broadening Access
Fournier strategically expanded Questrom’s academic portfolio, with a particular emphasis on innovation, scale, and affordability. Launched during the global pandemic, the Questrom Online MBA now enrolls more than 2,000 students annually and is widely recognized for its curricular design and student engagement at scale.
Additional programs introduced during her deanship include the MS in Business Analytics and MS in Finance. This fall, Questrom will welcome students to its newest online offering, the MS in AI in Business—reflecting the school’s growing emphasis on emerging technologies and their impact on business.
Building Convergent Research and Institutional Strategy
A defining feature of Fournier’s leadership has been her commitment to developing a sustainable model for high-impact academic research centered on convergent themes and interdisciplinary institutes.
In 2024, Questrom launched one of the highest-funded institutes at Boston University: the Ravi K. Mehrotra Institute for Business, Markets & Society, focused on a foundational question shaping global economies: how businesses should be governed and markets regulated to deliver durable value in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.
Driving Operational Excellence and Institutional Strength
Complementing her strategic vision, Fournier made operational excellence a central pillar of Questrom’s transformation.
Across her tenure as dean—and previously as senior associate dean of faculty and research—she worked to align the school’s financial model with academic priorities, ensuring that investments in faculty hiring, research infrastructure, and new programs were both sustainable and mission-driven. She strengthened the school’s culture of data-informed decision-making, embedding clearer metrics, planning processes, and accountability frameworks across academic and administrative units.
Fournier also prioritized organizational effectiveness. She promoted deep collaboration between faculty and professional staff, implemented structures to better integrate faculty across all ranks, and expanded leadership and governance opportunities for non–tenure-track faculty. Under her leadership, Questrom advanced cross-departmental hiring, incentivized interdisciplinary research clusters, and supported the development of new cross-disciplinary degree programs and institutes spanning Questrom and Boston University.
Taken together, these efforts modernized the school’s operating model—positioning Questrom to execute at scale, respond more nimbly to emerging opportunities, and sustain long-term academic excellence.
Complementing the school’s strategic focus, Dean Fournier worked tirelessly to drive operational excellence—aligning resources with priorities, strengthening decision-making, and building the institutional capacity needed to support Questrom’s long-term ambitions.
A Nationally Recognized Scholar and Leader
Throughout her administrative career, Fournier has remained an active and widely respected scholar. An award-winning researcher in branding and consumer behavior, she ranks among the top two percent of all scientific researchers worldwide, with more than 37,800 Google Scholar citations and nine publications exceeding the 1,000-citation mark.
She has also helped shape the future of management 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.
Looking Ahead
To ensure continuity in leadership, the Provost announced plans to appoint an interim dean for the 2026–27 academic year, with a formal national search to follow.
“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,” the Provost wrote.
