Abu Dhabi University appoints Professor Barry O’Mahony as new dean to lead the College of Business

Abu Dhabi University (ADU) has announced the appointment of Professor Barry O’Mahony as Dean of the College of Business. In this role, Prof. O’Mahony will lead the College of Business in providing outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate education and internationally competitive research and knowledge exchange.

Before joining Abu Dhabi University, Prof. O’Mahony served as Chief Academic Officer at Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland and Dean of the Faculty of Business at the University of Wollongong in Dubai. He has also held leadership and faculty positions at Swinburne University of Technology and Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia.

Professor Waqar Ahmad, Chancellor of Abu Dhabi University, said, “We are pleased to welcome Professor Barry O’Mahony to our leadership team at ADU. Prof. O’Mahony has an impressive track record in academic leadership and is a highly respected researcher and practitioner, who will undoubtedly add great value to ADU’s academic success. Our leadership team are recruited from the world’s finest academic institutions. As teachers, researchers, and professors, they strive to show connections between theory and practice, exemplify our Students First approach, and are dedicated to the academic and professional success of our students. At ADU, we are committed to achieving excellence in developing knowledge and expertise that enable innovative thinking and sustainable growth within organizations. We endeavor to foster superior business skillsets in our graduates to equip them to lead in the rapidly evolving job market in the UAE and beyond.”

In his capacity as Dean of the College of Business, Prof. O’Mahony will work closely with the College’s faculty and staff to ensure the continuous development of the undergraduate and postgraduate curricula, and the introduction of new programs compatible with market needs and student interests.

Commenting on his appointment, Prof. O’Mahony said, “I look forward to leading ADU’s College of Business and joining an academic institution that continues to climb international rankings, making its mark globally as a vibrant young university. The College of Business is one of the few elite business schools in the region that is accredited by both AACSB and EQUIS. ADU has always provided research-based solutions to complex business problems and ensured that programs and courses offered are in line with local and international business practices. The upcoming academic year will witness a different approach than usual; my first priority as Dean will be the welfare of our students. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, we have introduced a number of virtual workshops, activities, and counselling services to safeguard the safety and well-being of our students and help them cope with the crisis.”

He added, “I am excited to be here in the UAE and I look forward to employing ADU’s robust research activities to support local businesses as we emerge from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are currently designing support programs where our professors and students can implement initiatives to assist in industry and business areas that have been most affected, such as aviation, finance, tourism, human resource management, and leadership. Out of adversity comes opportunity and we will use this challenge to engage with business and government organizations to enrich the educational experiences of our students.”

In the 2019-2020 academic year, ADU’s College of Business achieved the highest undergraduate and postgraduate intake in ten years. It offers its students a variety of well-rounded professional development opportunities as part of its premier business and management education including Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in six concentrations, an MBA with nine specializations, and the prestigious Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA), which is internationally renowned and offers students a rich academic experience at both a theoretical and practical level as well as the opportunity to publish their work in international journals.

Students can choose from a number of specializations in undergraduate and postgraduate programs including Finance, Accounting, Tourism and Event Management, Human Resource Management, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Project Management, Aviation Management, Digital Marketing Communications, and Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

ADU has recently launched the Bloomberg Finance Lab in its College of Business, which allows students to monitor financial assets traded in open stock markets and access the same important information used by the world's leading institutions, governance, and investment companies.

ADU’s College of Business is committed to achieving excellence through the development of knowledge and expertise that enables innovative thinking and sustainable growth in organizations. In March 2020, the College was awarded the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) Bronze Outstanding Chapter of the Year Award and one of its faculty members, Dr. Fauzia Jabeen, Associate Professor of Management, received BGS’s 2020 Chapter Advisor of the Year Award for her extraordinary Chapter leadership skills.