Altaf Merchant

Since 2008, Altaf Merchant, Ph.D. has taught marketing in the Milgard School of Business at the University of Washington, Tacoma. He now serves as the Gary E. and James A. Milgard Endowed Dean of the school.

Prior to teaching, Dr. Merchant was a brand/marketing manager for several global brands. He coordinated marketing teams and launched products and campaigns internationally across several countries in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Dr. Merchant is a visiting professor at the University of Lorraine, and the Aix-Marseille University in France, and senior research fellow at the King’s College in the United Kingdom.

He received his Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing, an MBA in Marketing and a Bachelor’s in Commerce.

Dr. Merchant serves as associate editor of the Journal of Advertising Research and is program co-chair of the 2019 Academy of Marketing Science Conference. Because of his research, Dr. Merchant has made around 50 conference presentations around the world, and has published over 25 peer reviewed articles. His research focuses on advertising, branding, cross-cultural and nonprofit marketing issues.

Locally, Dr. Merchant consults on advertising, branding and management strategy. Clients have included Hasbro Toys, Annie Wright Schools, the United Way of Pierce County, and PBS.

Dr. Merchant was appointed to the Board in 2017, and elected to the Board in 2018.