Kenan Flagler OneMBA associate dean to move to South Carolina

This month, UNC Professor and Associate Dean of OneMBA Peter Brews will add the University of South Carolina to his list of employers.

He will become Dean of the USC Darla Moore School of Business Jan. 16, a decision stemming from the opportunity to make an impact at a slightly higher level, he said.

“It’s an honor and a delight to be the dean of another public institution because I really do think that public education is the bridge rock of our country,” Brews said.

“To have the opportunity to lead another leading business school in this region is just amazing.”

In an announcement on the USC website, President Harris Pastides said Brews is a great match due to his international business connections and keen sense of the global economy.

As dean, Brews said he will draw from his experiences at Kenan-Flagler Business School.

“I’ve worked with a remarkable group of people in the last few years, making up a range of the top leaders in this University, and I will take from them many insights that I’ve learned from just being a part of that group,” he said.

A native of South Africa, Brews has taught at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

During his tenure at UNC, he taught global business to students seeking an MBA and brought OneMBA to the University, which integrates five universities from around the world to create a global MBA curriculum. Students earn an MBA from their home university, as well as the OneMBA from the five partner schools.

“UNC was looking to do something in the global arena that was different and marketable, and OneMBA came out of that,” Brews said.

In 2006, Brews was named associate dean of the program, and was able to participate in four global residencies each year with other UNC faculty and students, traveling to India, China, Turkey and Brazil.

Brews’ research and knowledge centers on changes occurring in today’s economy that are rooted in globalization and the internet. He said he sought to teach students how to react to these changes and learn what actions should be taken to remain competitive.

“I hope they take away from me an ability to understand the world that is coming and how to be competitive within it,” Brews said.

Brews also served as a facilitator of the Faculty Learning Community on Leadership and Strategy, bringing together top leaders from across the University to help them build leadership strategies for their respective departments or divisions.

He worked closely with former UNC Chancellor James Moeser, who is chairman of the group.

“I’ve watched him as he interacts with the people who work in this community and Peter listens very well, he asks really good questions, and then he on the basis of what he hears, he really makes very insightful suggestions for these people,” Moeser said.

“We’ll really miss him.”

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