Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees Names Four New Members

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The University of Virginia Darden School of Business and the Darden School Foundation announce that four new members were elected to the Foundation Board of Trustees, effective July 1, 2011.

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The new trustees, who will serve three-year terms, are: James A. Cooper, senior managing partner at Thompson Street Capital Partners; Luann J. Lynch, Darden professor of business administration; Scott A. Price, president and CEO of Walmart Asia; and Frank M. Sands Sr., founder and chairman of Sands Capital Management Inc.

"As leaders in their fields -- including accounting, private equity, global logistics, retail and investment management -- Jim, Luann, Scott and Frank will bring important insights to Darden, as the school advances its mission and global portfolio of programs," says Henry Skelsey, who served as chairman of the board from July 2009 through June 2011. "The new trustees join a dynamic and energized board that helps the business school fulfill its duty to improve society and educate tomorrow's leaders."

Jim Cooper, who founded St. Louis-based private equity firm Thompson Street Capital Partners in 2000, received his MBA from Darden in 1984. As senior managing partner, he oversees the firm's acquisition activity and manages portfolio companies. Previously, he worked at J.P. Morgan's Structured Finance Group in New York and Harbour Group in St. Louis.

Luann Lynch joined the Darden School in 1998 and teaches accounting in the First Year MBA program and an elective in management accounting. An expert in incentive and compensation systems, she is frequently recognized for her outstanding teaching and received the University of Virginia's Alumni Board of Trustees Teaching Award. Prior to joining the Darden faculty, she taught in the Master of Accounting program at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina. Before entering academia, Lynch was assistant vice president at Roche Biomedical Laboratories, Inc., and held positions in finance and accounting at Roche, Northern Telecom (NorTel) and Procter & Gamble. She holds an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a doctorate in accounting from the University of North Carolina.

Scott Price earned a joint master's degree from the University of Virginia in 1990: an MBA from Darden and an M.A. in Asian Studies. Since 2009, he has served as CEO and president of Walmart Asia and oversees the company's operations in Asia, including China, India and Japan, as well as business development in the Asia region. Previously, he served as CEO of DHL Express Europe, CEO of DHL Express Asia Pacific and president of DHL Express Japan. Prior to joining DHL, Price spent a decade with The Coca-Cola Company.

Frank Sands, who received his MBA from Darden in 1963, founded Sands Capital Management Inc. in 1992. The firm, based in Arlington, Va., specializes in long-term, growth equity portfolio management and has over $20 billion in assets under management. Previously, Sands was chief investment officer of The Capital Management Group of Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas, Inc. He also served as director of research and a member of the board of directors at Eppler, Guerin & Turner, Inc., an independent investment banking firm based in Dallas, Texas, and at the David L. Babson & Company, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts.

"The new trustees join a diverse board with 32 elected members that provides an important link between the academic and business communities," says Trip Davis, president of the Darden School Foundation and senior associate dean for external relations. "Our foundation's mission is to serve and support the Darden School as one of the world's leading business schools. In addition to the management and growth of the foundation's endowment, our portfolio includes the top-ranked executive education business and hospitality operation. The trustees are inspirational volunteers, providing invaluable governance and guidance."

For more information, contact [email protected].

About the Darden School of Business:
The University of Virginia Darden School of Business is one of the world's leading business schools, offering MBA, Ph.D. and Executive Education programs. The unique Darden experience combines the case study method, top-ranked faculty whose research advances global managerial practice and business education, and a tight-knit learning environment to develop principled and complete leaders who are ready to make an impact.

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SOURCE University of Virginia's Darden School of Business