Imperial College Business School has named internationally-renowned innovation scholar Francisco Veloso its new dean — cementing its push into innovation and entrepreneurship. Francisco joins Imperial from the Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, Portugal’s leading business school, where he has served as dean since 2012. He is a leading authority in innovation and entrepreneurship, whose research has focussed on how firms and regions develop and leverage science and technology for economic growth.
He succeeds professor Nelson Phillips, who has been acting dean of Imperial’s business school since last year, when professor G Anandalingam stepped down from the post.
Francisco will be charged with continuing Imperial’s march into exploring novel technologies. Last year, the business school launched the Centre for Global Finance and Technology. Imperial also established the KPMG Data Observatory in 2015, which enables students to visualize big data. The Observatory was part of a £20 million investment from KPMG, the professional services firm, which in 2014 set-up the KPMG Center For Advanced Business Analytics on Imperial’s London campus. The same year, Imperial launched an MSc in Business Analytics.
Imperial College London, meanwhile, is renowned for its strengths in medical and science research, ranked in the top-10 of the Times Higher Education global university rankings.
Francisco said: “The growing importance of technology-driven innovation and entrepreneurship across all business areas and fields is creating opportunities that fall squarely into the School and College’s strengths.”
Francisco retains an adjunct appointment at Carnegie Mellon University of the US, where he led a university-wide, interdisciplinary program which equiped students to harness technological change to drive innovation and entrepreneurship. He oversaw the establishment of a research funding initiative and dual PhD programs between Carnegie Mellon and several Portuguese universities.
His leadership helped steer the Católica Lisbon School to becoming an institution with international reach — now ranked among the top-25 business schools in Europe by the Financial Times. During his time as dean, international students numbers have been multiplied several fold, while the school’s research presence in top international journals has doubled.
Imperial’s provost, professor James Stirling, said: “Francisco’s commitment to academic excellence, innovation and a global outlook make him the ideal person to head Imperial College Business School through its next stages of aspiration and growth.
“His extraordinary leadership at Católica Lisbon saw the school flourish into an institution that is respected across Europe. His foresight and experience will be invaluable.”
Student Reviews
Imperial College Business School
Innovative, Immersive and an Excellent Curriculum
The MSc Strategic Marketing course opens many avenues into the business world at Imperial. The coursework consists of group-based assignments, individual reports, and sometimes, examinations. The Careers team helps you with your CV, Cover letters, and other job application support. Imperial truly lives up to its name!
Very applicable courses
I enjoyed studying here for my master degree as I could feel that I was surrounded by very clever people, and I did learn a lot of knowledge that I could directly put into use into my current internship
Diversity and Professional Development
Imperial College London is an innovation hub with expertise across multiple industries. The international student body exposes students to endless cultures and experiences. Furthermore, the Careers team at Imperial is second to none as directors help guide students to the career paths of their dreams.
Business School
Imperial college business school has amazing facilities, amazing staff. I particularly like the business school cafe although it would be nice if they added a few more power sockets in the open space and heating for winter.
The course is really good too. Very interactive classes and highly diverse environment.
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Very strong university with good quality faculty and a very strong career services team that prepared students well for the jobs market.
Very nice facilities in the city center. Good sessions organised with employers.
Chinese students majored in English- now strategic marketing
My undergraduate major was English back in China and now an MSc student in strategic marketing at Imperial. For Chinese students who share similar experiences with me, you can get as much/deep as you want about marketing with some challenging group works and inspiring lectures. At the same time, if you just want to get the degree anyway with less effort, it's possible as well... ...
Academic Modules and Environment
The program at Imperial College Business School is exceptionally informative and beneficial for students. Each session is not only engaging but also inspiring, fostering a dynamic learning environment. I appreciate how the content is carefully tailored to cover complex yet practical topics, ensuring that we can apply what we learn in real-world scenarios. We have several classes each week, and the structure includes a mix of group and individual assessments. This approach not only enhances our understanding but also encourages collaboration and critical thinking among peers.
