James W. Bradford
Dean and Ralph Owen Professor for the Practice of Management
Subject Area(s):
Strategy and Business Economics
Biography:
James W. (Jim) Bradford is dean of the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management, and also serves as the Ralph Owen Professor for the Practice of Management. He was appointed dean in March 2005 after serving as acting dean for nine months. Since joining Owen in 2002, he has also served as clinical assistant professor of management and associate dean of corporate relations.
During his tenure as dean, Bradford has spearheaded the development and launch of four innovative, market-driven and immersion-based programs at Owen, including the Health Care MBA, master’s degrees in finance and accountancy, and Accelerator, a 30-day summer intensive for highly qualified undergraduates. In 2006, he established a Board of Visitors comprised of leading corporate executives to further strengthen Owen’s connection and relevance to the national and international business communities, and has formed additional advisory boards for the health care and accountancy degree programs. He also teaches courses in business strategy to Owen MBA and Executive MBA students, and his leadership has resulted in a more than 300 percent increase in annual giving to date.
An experienced corporate executive, Bradford previously served as president and CEO of United Glass Corporation and AFG Industries Inc., North America’s largest vertically integrated glass manufacturing and fabrication company. Prior, he served as AFG’s general counsel and spent 11 years in private law practice. Bradford earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Florida and his law degree from Vanderbilt. He completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School in 1997.
He currently serves on the board of directors for several leading companies and organizations, including CLARCOR Inc. (Corporate Governance, and Compensation and Stock Options Committees); Genesco (Finance and Governance Committees); Granite Construction, one of Fortune’s 100 best companies to work for in 2007 (Audit Committee and Chair of Strategic Planning Committee); and the Graduate Management Admissions Council. He also serves on Advisory Boards at Harpeth Capital (Investment Banking) and the Nashville Health Care Council. An ex-officio board member of the Nashville Health Care Council, Bradford is active in the Nashville Chamber of Commerce’s Partnership 2010, a regional economic development initiative, and is a candidate for Leadership Nashville, an independent executive leadership program for community leaders.
Education:
B.A., University of Florida, 1969
J.D., Vanderbilt University, 1973
Course(s) Taught:
- MGT 558: International Seminar: Italy
- MGT 548: Leadership for Not-for-Profit Organizations
- MGT 552: Leadership for Nonprofits
Area(s) of Expertise:
Mergers and acquisitions, employment, financing, business structures, global and domestic business strategy, entrepreneurship.
Podcast(s) & Video:
OwenUpdate, January 2008
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