Rich Lyons, Investment Workgroup member and former Ashesi University Foundation Trustee has been named as the next Chancellor at the University of California, Berkeley. Professor Lyons, an established economist, former Dean of the Haas School of Business and UC Berkeley’s current leader for innovation and entrepreneurship, has been a long-serving advisor and advocate for Ashesi. At Berkeley, he has been recognised as a culture champion and was responsible for creating the University’s four distinct defining leadership principles.
Professor Lyons played a pivotal role in Ashesi University’s inception and has continued to be an active supporter of Ashesi’s work. As an MBA professor at UC Berkeley, he mentored Ashesi’s founder and president, sparking a lasting engagement. Collaborating with Dan Hilmestein, the Director of Berkeley-Haas’ Undergraduate Program, he co-chaired the Business Administration Academic Council that helped develop Ashesi’s founding curriculum.
From 2019 to 2023, Professor Lyons also served on the Board of the Ashesi Foundation, and currently serves on the Investment Workgroup of Ashesi Foundation US and Ashesi Foundation Canada. The partnership between the two universities has endured, fostering ongoing collaboration between students and faculty.
Ashesi faculty member Gordon Adomdza and his students during a visit to Berkeley Haas.
“Rich has had a long history with Ashesi,” shared Ashesi President Patrick Awuah. “I feel such gratitude for his contributions to our mission and am absolutely thrilled by this appointment.”
Watch below: Patrick Awuah and Rich Lyons discuss Ashesi and UC Berkeley Haas’ connection and how the two universities serve as examples of the role of universities in preparing students for impact.
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