Dr. Bruce J. Avolio appointed as University of Washington Chair in Business Strategic Leadership

SEATTLE, Sept. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The University of Washington's Michael G. Foster School of Business has announced the appointment of Bruce J. Avolio, professor of management, as the inaugural Mark Pigott Chair in Business Strategic Leadership. The chair is funded through a generous endowment established by the Mark Pigott family. The Pigott family founded PACCAR Inc, a Fortune 200 global technology company based in Bellevue, Washington, and are longtime supporters of the University of Washington and the Foster School of Business.

Avolio, author of more than 150 published articles and 11 books, is recognized by mainstream media and academia alike as one of the nation's top scholars on transformational and authentic leadership. He joined the faculty of the Foster School in 2008 and serves as the executive director of the school's Center for Leadership and Strategic Thinking.

"Our faculty is comprised of outstanding teachers and leading-edge researchers. Many of them further their contributions to our community by working directly with business leaders to help them improve their organizations," said Jim Jiambalvo, dean of the UW Foster School. "Bruce Avolio is just such an individual. He works tirelessly on- and off- campus to develop current and future leaders and is an excellent appointment to the Mark Pigott Chair in Business Strategic Leadership."

Over his career, Avolio has worked directly with a variety of businesses and organizations around the globe to help them achieve their business missions. His academic honors include being named a Fellow of the Academy of Management, the American Psychological Society, the American Psychological Association and the Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology, among others.

Mr. Mark Pigott, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PACCAR Inc, shared, "We are delighted that Dr. Bruce Avolio has been selected as the inaugural Chair in Business Strategic Leadership. Bruce's academic and professional achievements combined with his passionate dedication to enhancing students' understanding of strategic issues makes him an outstanding leader for this prestigious academic honor."

The Mark Pigott family and PACCAR were instrumental in building PACCAR Hall, the Foster School's flagship facility, in addition to establishing the Pigott Family Professorship in Business Administration.

The Michael G. Foster School of Business at the University of Washington was founded in 1917.  The school has approximately 2,500 students in undergraduate and graduate programs and its full-time MBA program was recently ranked 8^th among public institutions in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Grad Schools" publication.

SOURCE The University of Washington's Michael G. Foster School of Business