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schools worldwide that offer business programs. We are creating a rich knowledge base that captures the dif- ferences in models, approaches, and experiences in business education throughout the world. • We are using resources such as AACSB Exchange, the associa- tion's member networking site, and DataDirect, its industry database, to connect more broadly with member schools. Currently, these resources provide access to data from more than 750 schools, and that number is sure to grow. • We are looking into develop- ing services other than the current level of accreditation to support business education in developing and emerging countries. We know that, as AACSB becomes more international in scope, we must continue to review our governance structure to ensure that it reflects the diversity of our membership. Promoting Leadership We would all agree that leadership is a key ingredient of most success- ful organizations, be they schools, associations, small nonprofits, or international corporations. Yet there is evidence that our industry is not doing enough to consistently and systematically develop the next gen- eration of academic leaders. Such development is especially important as our schools become more complex and as AACSB mem- bership becomes increasingly diverse in missions, characteristics, and geo- graphical locations. Because there is no well-defined pipeline for future deans, many of us are finding our way into the position by accident. In fact, Warren Neel, who served for 25 years as dean of an AACSB- accredited school, recently pub- lished a book called The Accidental Dean. It describes the unexpected path by which he became dean and how long it took in terms of on-the- job training before he became com- fortable and effective. At AACSB, we are taking sev- eral steps to strengthen our prepa- ration of the next generation of deans. We are redesigning our lead- ership-oriented seminars, including the ones for aspiring deans, new deans, and experienced deans. We are also developing a leadership institute in Asia. One goal of all these activities will be to enhance our connections to each other, because it is our social capital that makes AACSB strong. Over the past year, the associa- tion's president and CEO, John Fernandes, has made a concerted effort to engage and involve deans of schools that previously have not taken significant leadership roles in AACSB. In addition, the associa- tion has formed advisory councils in Europe and Asia, not only to help school administrators in those countries understand AACSB accreditation, but to develop future leadership talent in those regions. Finally, we are working to expand and develop our volunteer base. As I mentioned, peer review is a key element of AACSB accredi- tation, and it's a valuable experi- ence for participants on both sides of the table. Schools that are under review—whether they're pursuing initial accreditation or maintenance of accreditation—benefit greatly from the process as they institute continuous improvement measures. But the team members who con- duct the reviews also enjoy tremen- dous benefits, because they get a chance to learn about new program ideas and teaching approaches as they examine the strategies of peer and aspirational schools. The Power of Association While AACSB has occasionally changed the words that stand behind its abbreviation, its mission has always remained the same: to improve business education. I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to serve as board chair, and I look forward to working with all of AACSB's member schools dur- ing the next 12 months. At the Beta Gamma Sigma luncheon at AACSB's International Conference and Annual Meeting in April, speaker Joseph Plumeri of the Willis Group offered this observation: "None of us is as good as all of us." In other words, none of us is as good when we oper- ate individually as we are when we work together. I believe that's an apt descrip- tion of AACSB. Each of us benefits from our collective efforts. If, as a group, we work tirelessly to reassess accreditation, increase globalization, and train the next generation of aca- demic leaders, we will achieve our goal of strengthening management education around the world. Jan Williams is Stokely Foundation Lead- ership Chair and dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is also chair of AACSB International's Board of Direc- tors for the 2011–2012 academic year. BizEd September/October 2011 59