KENNETH W. FREEMAN, Dean Emeritus and Professor of the Practice

Ken Freeman’s career spans more than fifty years in business executive and academic leadership roles. He is dean emeritus and professor of the practice in the Boston University Questrom School of Business.

Ken was the Allen Questrom Professor and Dean of Questrom for eight years (2010–2018), where he led a transformation of the undergraduate and MBA curricula, emphasizing ethics, global citizenship, and high-growth industry sectors. He subsequently developed and taught MBA courses in crisis leadership and corporate turnarounds. Ken also held interim leadership roles in human resources and online education at BU. Most recently, he served as interim president of Boston University for one year. Currently, Ken focuses on mentoring faculty and staff and providing guest lectures and facilitation on a range of leadership topics.

Ken began his career at Corning Incorporated, serving in financial and general management roles. He led the spinoff and transformation of Quest Diagnostics as Chairman and CEO. Before entering academia, he was a partner at the private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR).

A study of global business leadership conducted at INSEAD and published in the January 2010 and 2013 issues of the Harvard Business Review named Ken one of the 100 best performing CEOs in the world.

Ken received an MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School in 1976, and a BSBA, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Bucknell University in 1972.