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Jim Ludema

Dean for the School of Business

Biography

Jim Ludema assumed the role of founding dean of the Calvin University School of Business in July 2021. Prior to coming to Calvin, Jim served as a professor of global leadership in the Daniel L. Goodwin College of Business at Benedictine University, where he served since 1998. He was also founder and director of the university’s Center for Values-Driven Leadership, launched in 2008. Jim is a 1982 alumnus of Calvin and has an extensive network in the business world and consulting experience for Fortune 500 Companies, including McDonald’s, John Deere, Allstate, and Merck, to name a few. He has lived and worked in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America.

Education

BA, Philosophy, Calvin University
PhD, Organizational Behavior, Case Western University

Academic Interests

  • Strategic leadership and organizational change
  • Appreciative inquiry
  • The link between culture and profit in business

Awards

  • Distinguished Educator Award, ODC Division, Academy of Management, 2021
  • Training Industry Top 10 Articles Readership Award (with Amber Johnson), 2020
  • Best Leadership Ph.D. Program in the US, HR.com, 2018
  • Outstanding Author Award (with Tina Heusing), Advances in Global Leadership, 2018
  • Best Leadership Ph.D. Program in the US, HR.com, 2017
  • Executive Committee, ODC Division, Academy of Management, 2013
  • Distinguished Faculty Award for External Service, Benedictine University, 2011
  • Benedictine University Commencement Speaker, 2009