KUALA LUMPUR: The Asia School of Business has announced the appointment of Joseph Cherian as its Chief Executive Officer, President, Dean, and Distinguished Professor. Professor Cherian was previously Deputy CEO of the School and assumes the role of CEO from Professor Sanjay Sarma, who has taken on a new role on the School’s Board of Governors and returns to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) after two years helming Asia School of Business.
As Professor of Finance, he possesses a highly versatile, varied and distinguished international background, spanning academia, global financial markets, and strategic leadership in education. Professor Cherian’s academic career in teaching and researching finance, asset management and portfolio investments includes top global universities including Cornell University, National University of Singapore, and Boston University. Apart from teaching at the Asia School of Business, he most recently served as Visiting Professor of Finance at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University. He was formerly an Executive-in-Residence and a two-term member of the Johnson Dean’s Advisory Council at Cornell University and is now an Emeritus Member of the Council.
Professor Cherian’s professional experience in the financial services sector spanned asset management where he managed US$67 billion in client assets as Global Head and Chief Investment Officer of the Quantitative Strategies Group at Credit Suisse Asset Management. He continues to be involved in the financial industry through advisory roles to governments and think-tanks in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore, in areas such as venture funds, asset management, pensions and capital market policies and reforms.
As an internal successor to the School’s top role, Professor Cherian’s appointment builds on his international and varied experience combined with his successful steering of the School’s strategic endeavors since joining in 2022. The School remains focused on delivering world-class business education with its unique perspectives from emerging markets and economies.
Professor Cherian holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering from MIT, and MSc and PhD degrees in Finance from Cornell University.
A respected academic, innovator, and entrepreneur, Professor Sanjay Sarma led key changes at the School, driven by his vision to transform education for the future. He introduced Agile Continuous Education (ACE), a modular, flexible, and stackable learning pathway designed to support lifelong learning and upskilling in a range of business topics with rich AI immersions. As he steps down and returns to MIT after two years at the helm of the School, Professor Sarma will remain closely involved in its endeavours as an Eminent Visiting Professor and a member of the Board of Governors
Originally published by The Exchange Asia.