CBS initiates negotiations with Johan Roos regarding his departure as president of CBS

PRESS RELEASE                                                                                          

The Copenhagen Business School Board of Directors has today decided to initiate negotiations with Johan Roos regarding his departure as president of CBS. Dean of Research Alan Irwin has been temporarily appointed to the post. 

- We profoundly regret to have to inform you that we have made the decision to initiate negotiations with Johan Roos regarding his departure as president of CBS. But we have had to accept that the president no longer has the full support of the University, for which reason it is not possible for him to continue in this position, says Chairman of the CBS Board Anders Knutsen. 

- Johan Roos has truly been a visionary and has developed our new strategy ”Business in Society”. The strategy has been endorsed both by the management and the Board, and CBS will proceed with this strategy. But in the course of the strategy implementation, things have become strained between Johan Roos and the organisation. And that is what the Board has decided to bear the consequences of, says Anders Knutsen.

- Now we are looking forward to make the strategy live and breathe in collaboration with acting President Alan Irwin, University Director Hakon Iversen and Dean of Education Jan Molin. A management team in which we have complete confidence. In the past days, Johan Roos has been heavily criticised in the media for his role as chairman and now deputy chairman of the foundation CBS-SIMI Executive.

- That case is part of, but not the main reason for the Board's decision. The collaboration with CBS-SIMI Executive of the new joint MBA Executive programme has not been executable as originally planned. Unfortunately, two classes from the former SIMI have experienced problems with the accreditation of their degree. We will do everything we can to help them out of this situation, says Anders Knutsen.

Later today, CBS will present the essential documents of the CBS-SIMI case at www.cbs.dk.

Dean of Research Alan Irwin has been temporarily appointed to the post as president of CBS by the Board. Alan Irwin is professor in research and technology policy and has been dean of research at CBS since 2007.

He came from a position as dean at the University of Liverpool and has been conducting research at the Manchester University and Brunel University.  

Further information:

Chairman of the CBS Board of Directors Anders Knutsen, tel. +45 20 16 90 76

Acting President of CBS Alan Irwin tel. +45 38 15 20 20