Susan Fournier, Dean Emerita of Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership by Poets&Quants, recognizing a distinguished career that has transformed the field of marketing and helped redefine modern business education.

Fournier, who concluded her eight-year tenure as Questrom’s Dean in June 2026 and was previously Senior Associate Dean for Faculty & Research for five years, is being honored for her groundbreaking scholarship on brand relationships and her transformational leadership of Questrom during a period of significant academic innovation, institutional advancement, and growing national recognition.

The first woman to lead Questrom and its first academic dean in more than four decades, Fournier brought a scholar’s perspective, a marketer’s strategic discipline, and a first-generation college student’s determination to the role.

“I had a relentless fixation on the brand of Questrom, paying attention to brand meaning at the core. What are we going to stand for?” Fournier told Poets&Quants in an interview accompanying the award announcement.

Under Fournier’s leadership, Questrom experienced remarkable growth in reputation and academic standing. Its undergraduate business program rose from No. 49 to a record-high No. 33 in U.S. News & World Report’s peer rating system, while its Poets&Quants undergraduate ranking climbed from No. 30 to No. 17 based on data-driven performance metrics.

A globally recognized marketing scholar and fellow in consumer behavior, Fournier also prioritized faculty excellence and impactful research. During her tenure, Questrom significantly strengthened its research standing to top 20 status in several academic departments and invested in aggressive and sustained faculty recruitment in key focal areas: the tech transformation of business, the business of health, the science of innovation, and the business-policy-society interface.

Questrom’s launch of an innovative Online MBA, which expanded access to high-quality graduate business education through an affordable, interdisciplinary, and problem-centered curriculum, was pivotal in driving Questrom’s reputation gains. The program challenged traditional MBA models and became a cornerstone of Questrom’s graduate portfolio, which now includes new programs focused on business analytics, finance, and artificial intelligence. Its launch before the COVID pandemic was considered prescient by many but stood as “the straightforward result of a rigorous analysis of a market and its unmet needs” by Fournier.

Redesign of the Questrom School of Business BSBA was also at play. The school undertook a comprehensive multi-year undergraduate curriculum redesign, strengthening career readiness by building a Top 20 career and alumni relations center, embedding experiential learning throughout the curriculum, and integrating analytics and technology into business education. “The culture change required to pivot a program that touches 80% of faculty and is by all counts solid cannot be underestimated,” Fournier said.

Also critical to the school’s refined brand was Fournier’s deep commitment to advancing business’s role in and contributions to society. This included the establishment of the Ravi K. Mehrotra Institute for Business, Markets & Society, one of Boston University’s highest-funded institutes, dedicated to advancing understanding of how business and free markets contribute to societal and individual prosperity, and removing barriers that thwart these contributions. “As higher ed and business schools come under fire, the role this institute plays grows exponentially,” Fournier said.

Especially recognized within the university was the work Fournier’s team engaged to improve the business of the business school: implementing data-driven decision making and improving efficiencies to drive financial sustainability, budget accountability, and operational excellence overall. These benefits extended beyond the school and became exemplary to the university as a whole.

Underlying all the successes is the cultural side of Fournier’s leadership transformation story. Throughout her Deanship, Fournier emphasized the importance of relationships, collaboration, and trust—principles that also defined her pioneering research on the connections between consumers and brands.

Her legacy at Questrom is reflected in a culture grounded in the belief that every member of the community contributes to the school’s success. “At Questrom, every single person matters. And every person is committed to excellence. We built that culture,” Fournier reflected, “and that is the secret sauce.”

For Fournier, whose scholarship has generated over 40k citations and profoundly influenced modern marketing theory, the award recognizes a career defined not simply by academic achievement, but by the ability to translate ideas into meaningful institutional change.

Fournier stepped down as dean on June 30, 2026, and is scheduled to retire from Boston University at the end of the calendar year. She was succeeded on an interim basis by Marcel Rindisbacher, Ravi K. Mehrotra Professor of Business.

Reflecting on the courage required to lead meaningful change in higher education, Fournier offered a fitting summary of her leadership philosophy:

“If you want to be excellent, you’re going to crack some eggs. You’ve got to be brave. It’s a tough industry. But I believe in it.”

About Boston University Questrom School of Business

Boston University Questrom School of Business is a leading research-driven business school committed to creating value for the world through innovative education, impactful research, and meaningful engagement with business and society. Located in Boston, Questrom offers undergraduate, graduate, and executive education programs that prepare leaders to navigate complexity, embrace innovation, and drive positive change.

About Poets&Quants

Poets&Quants is a leading independent media platform covering business education, delivering news, rankings, analysis, and insights to prospective students, business schools, and industry professionals worldwide.

Media gallery

About The Author
Business Wire