The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) today announced the appointment of Teng-Kee Tan, Ph.D., as dean of UMKC’s Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration. Tan will be responsible for leading the Bloch School to the next level in scholarship and innovation through strengthening the School’s Business and Public Administration programs and sharpening its focus and distinction as a premiere school of entrepreneurship and innovation.
“In addition to his outstanding academic career, Dr. Tan has an extensive background as an international business leader,” said UMKC Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Gail Hackett, Ph.D. “As an academic and entrepreneur, Dr. Tan has exceptional insight into both theory and practice and will play an important role in advancing one of UMKC’s strategic goals to support innovation and economic development.”
Tan is currently the Director of the Nanyang Technopreneurship Center at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), in the Republic of Singapore. He will begin his official duties at UMKC on Aug. 3, 2009.
As Director of the NTU Center, Tan oversees an $8.5 million budget and is administratively responsible for 12 faculty, 11 lecturers/adjunct faculty, 24 staff and approximately 1,050 students. He also created and developed the funding for two of the Center’s Master of Science programs in Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation and designed the most popular undergraduate entrepreneurship minor programs. His international reputation in entrepreneurship, along with top faculty in this area, will position UMKC to meet the demands for preparing the next generation of business leaders.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Dr. Tan to the Bloch School and the Kansas City community,” said Henry W. Bloch, Honorary Chairman, H & R Block. “His leadership coupled with the outstanding faculty will continue to strengthen the mission and goals of the School.”
Tan also is Director of the China Strategy Group, the Lien Chinese Enterprise Research Center and the Lien Legacy Fellow program at NTU. In addition, he is Chairman of the Shanghai Venture Ltd., an NTU Enterprise.
After receiving a Bachelor of Commerce at Nanyang University in 1973, Tan earned his M.B.A. at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University in 1988, and his Ph.D. at the Judge Institute of Management at the University of Cambridge in 2005. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the “Best University Team Award” (NTU, 2006); “Outstanding Teaching Award” for the University of Washington-NTU joint Technopreneurship Program (2004-2005); and the “Best Teacher Award” (NTU, 2003-2005). His unique teaching pedagogy was featured in the “Asian Wall Street Journal” (Oct. 2001).
In 2008, Tan served as a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Business School. He currently serves as Visiting Consulting Professor at 180 Academy Denmark, a concept-making, innovation institute; Visiting Professor at Xiamen University, People’s Republic of China; and as Associate Professor, Technology Entrepreneurship and Strategy, NTU.
In addition to his academic achievements, Tan spent 18 years at multi-national corporations in Asia and North America in senior corporate positions, including leadership roles at Electrolux AB, Sweden and Sunbeam Corporation (USA). Prior to his university career, Tan was an entrepreneur for nine years, traveling and conducting businesses in Asia, Australia, Europe, South America, Canada and the USA.
“I am exceedingly excited and honored to be given the opportunity to serve as dean of the Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration at UMKC,” said Tan. “I look forward to working very closely with the Kansas City community, the leadership of UMKC, our staff, faculty, students and alumni to reach our shared vision of becoming a nationally pre-eminent School of Business and Public Administration in the coming years.”
The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 14,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience.