Ian Williamson

Ian O. Williamson is the Dean of the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine.

Previously he was the Pro-Vice Chancellor and the Dean of the Wellington School of Business and Government at Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand). Professor Williamson has also served on the faculties of the Melbourne Business School (Australia), Rutgers Business School (USA), the Zurich Institute of Business Education (Switzerland), the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland (USA) and Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia). He received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA).

Prof. Williamson’s is a globally recognized expert in the area of human resource management. His research examines the impact of “talent pipelines” on organizational and community outcomes. In particular, his research focuses on how human and social capital influences firm operational and financial outcomes, talent management in the context of new ventures and growth-oriented firms, the role of human resource practices in driving firm innovation and the impact of social issues on firm outcomes.

Prof. Williamson’s research has been published in several leading academic journals (e.g., Academy of Management Journal, MIT Sloan Management Review, Organization Science, Journal of Applied Psychology) and has been covered by several leading media outlets across the world. He has served on the editorial boards of the Academy of Management Journal, Academy Management Review, Academy of Management Education and Learning, Journal of Management and Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal and Journal of Management.

Williamson is a past recipient of the Academy of Management (AOM) Education Division best paper award for his research on high performing teams and the AOM Human Resource Division best paper award for his research on the effect of employee mobility on firm performance. He is a recipient of the AOM Best Practices Mentoring Award for his role as the founding President of the Management Faculty of Color Association (MFCA). Williamson is also a recipient of the AOM Ralph Alexander Best Dissertation Award for his research examining the top management team (TMT) selection decisions of Fortune 500 firms. He also received the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award. Williamson was inducted into the Ph.D. Project Hall of Fame for his efforts to enhance diversity in academia and the business world.