The Board of Visitors (BOV) of Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences has announced the appointment of Winston “Win” Weber ’62 as chair, effective June 1, 2010. Weber is also chair and CEO of Winston Weber and Associates, a leading management consulting organization in consumer packaged goods. He succeeds Matthew L. Reiser ’68, who has held the position since 2006.
The BOV is composed of 50 members, most of whom are college alumni and serve in an advisory capacity to Arts and Sciences Dean George M. Langford.
“Win’s appointment is great for the Board of Visitors and for The College,” says Langford. “An industry thought leader, Win understands the changing global economy and how it impacts academic institutions. His inspired leadership will certainly advance our goals, while ensuring our place as one of the nation’s premier residential liberal arts colleges.”
Weber’s initial objectives are to expand the role of the BOV, to foster a participative environment that includes the formation of “issues teams,” and to establish sustainable connections with students and alumni. “Matt Reiser did an exceptional job, and I want to build on his many accomplishments,” says Weber. “I also want the BOV to continue being a vital resource to the dean in areas that accelerate achievement of The College’s goals.”
Reiser returns the compliment, praising Weber as an accomplished leader and a competent professional. “Win is a passionate supporter of Arts and Sciences,” says Reiser, who served as chair under deans Langford and Cathryn Newton. “Already, we have begun leveraging his fine management consulting skills and, since January, have been working with him and Dean Langford to refine The College’s strategic plan. All of us are benefiting from Win’s counsel and management style.”
Weber is focusing much of his initial attention on fundraising and external relations—areas that are the life blood of the Academy. “Without strong relationships with foundations, corporations and alumni, we cannot achieve Dean Langford’s aggressive growth plan,” insists Weber, referring to Excellence Initiatives in forensic and national security science, clean water, and humanities in the digital age; Integrated Learning Majors; and professional and accelerated masters programs. “I am confident that the BOV will achieve, if not exceed, its goals.”
Weber understands the link between the liberal studies and professional training. After holding executive positions with various consumer product companies, the former sociology major parlayed his liberal education into multinational consulting. “My studies in human group behavior established a solid foundation on which to build leadership skills needed for executive management,” says the Tampa resident, also a sought-after speaker and author of numerous retail industry-related articles.
Over the past two decades, Weber has pioneered the concept of “category management,” where similar groups of products are run like mini businesses, with their own sets of profitability targets and strategies. Also, he has introduced retailer-supplier partnerships throughout the Americas, Asia and Australia, while championing “shopping centric retailing” and “shopper marketing transformation.”
“Win has an international reputation for being a value-added resource,” says Langford.
Weber is part of a proud family dynasty at SU that includes his mother, who was the 1928 Class Marshal. He and his wife, Linda, have two grown children and are actively involved with Tampa General Hospital’s Organ Transplant Program.
Arts and Sciences is SU’s liberal arts college, emphasizing interdisciplinary learning, research, service, and enterprise. The College’s three academic divisions—sciences/mathematics, humanities, and social sciences—house 22 departments that offer more than 50 majors, 40 minors, and 30 master’s and Ph.D. programs. More information is available at http://thecollege.syr.edu.
